#639: Foday Musa Suso

New Sounds | May 24, 2010

For this New Sounds from the Vaults, we’ve unearthed a 1991 program with the Gambian-born, Mandingo griot Foday Musa Suso. (A griot is a musician/oral historian of the Mandingo people.) Suso is a virtuoso player of the kora – the West African 21-stringed harp lute- as well as a drummer, composer and founder of the Mandingo Griot Society, a group of jazz musicians who play new arrangements of Mandingo music. On this visit to the studios, Suso presented music by the Mandingo Grio Society, music of the Fulani people, and some of his own solo works.

PROGRAM #639 With Guest Foday Musa Suso (originally aired on 3/26/1991)

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Foday Musa Suso	Mansa Bendung	"Tramakang" [:30]	Flying Fish #380. Out of print
Foday Musa Suso and Mandingo Griot Society	Watto Sitta	"Dewgal" [:30]	On the Terrascape label. Available for download at www.emusic.com*
Foday Musa Suso	The Dreamtime	"Kana Boori" [6:30]	CMP #3001, Try www.artist-shop.com/cmp* OR available as an import on Amazon.com
Mandingo Griot Society	New World Power	"Balafa" [5:30]	Out of print
Foday Musa Suso	The Dreamtime	"Fuladu" [6:00]	See above.
Mandinka & Fulani Music of the Gambia	Ancient Heart	"Sanjon Bilama" [3:00] "Dangoma" [3:00]	Island/Axiom #539876. Try Amazon.com

*, ** - Find the recordings you've heard - go to the New Sounds Recordings Information page

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