Griot in New York

Alhaji Papa Susso is the Griot-in-Residence at the Bowery Poetry Club. Papa Susso is a master kora (African harp-lute) player and oral historian from The Gambia, West Africa. He hails from a long line of Griots (traditional oral historians) of the Mandinka people. He was taught the kora by his father and has been playing since the age of five.

The kora, a 21-stringed harp-lute, evolved from earlier hunter harps used by the Mandinka people of West Africa. It said to have been invented by the Susso family. It is the preferred instrument of Mandinka Jeliya (Griot), itinerant musicians, who were traditionally attached to royal courts where their duties included recounting the tribal history and genealogy, composing commemorative songs and performing at important tribal events.

Today Papa Susso is a good will ambassador traveling around North America to share his culture with others. He gives both classroom presentations and formal concert performances where he recounts the history of his country and his people, discusses the roles of griots in West African culture and performs the classics songs of the griot repertoire. Papa Susso He appears alone with his kora or with his ensemble that includes singer/dancer Tapa Demba, balafonist Bala Kouyate and his son, Alhassan Susso, on second kora.