Yacouba Sissoko

Yacouba Sissoko was born in Kita, Mali, to a well-known djely family. Djelys are the musical storytellers in West Africa, a position that is inherited through a family bloodline. For centuries they have been the keepers of the factual history and the fictional fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups and families. Highly respected within their communities, jjelys are responsible for keeping stories of the past alive and applicable to contemporary audiences. The kora, a 21-stringed instrument, was the traditional instrument that djelys played as the accompaniment to their songs. His mother and grandmother were both celebrated singers, and his grandfather was honored by the President of Mali with a trophy for mastery on the kora. At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather. By 15, he was touring the country sharing the stories that had been passed down through his family for centuries. When Yacouba moved to Bamako, Mali’s capital, to attend the National Institute of the Arts, he caught the attention of the music world and began touring with noted artists and ensembles such as Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyate, the Alura Fulero Ensemble, and l'Ensemble Instrumental National du Mali, the orchestra that both his mother and grandmother had sung with. By the time he finished his studies, he was also touring with Yaye Kanoute, Hono Demba and Adja Soumano, all great musical names in Mali.

In 1993, Yacouba joined the Ensemble Koteba of Abidjan led by Souleymane Koli. Over the next several years Yacouba performed all over the world with the 45-piece band and made his first journey to the United States. It was this trip that inspired Yacouba to someday return to the United States to not only introduce and share the stories of his people but to broaden his repertoire by incorporating musical influences of other culture into his own unique style. Yacouba did return to the United States and moved to New York City in 1998. Immediately he was in high demand as a soloist, guest artist and collaborator. He performed, toured and recorded with both well known African musicians, such as Sidiki Conde (Tokounou), Abdoulaye Diabate, Baaba Maal, and Kakande, and with new up and coming artists like Tapane Demba, Awa Sangho, and Sekou (Bambino) Diabate and Kerfala Kante. He was a founding member of Super Mande, Tamalalou and Fula Flute.

Yacouba was not limited to African music. He began to transcend musical boundaries and was soon playing with jazz, pop, R&B, and classical musicians. Since then, he has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, Leroy Jenkins and Leni Stern and has been asked to play anything from Indian ragas to Appalachian tunes. He has recorded tracks on over 15 CDs with artists ranging from the Gipsy Kings to Sidiki Conde, from Abdoulaye Diabate to Jamie Saft, and from Regina Carter to Rahim Alhaj. He was featured in a documentary filmed by the African Channel as part of their “Live from Red Kiva” broadcast and has been seen at music festivals across the country exposing new audiences to the sounds of the kora.

Rooted to give back to the community, Yacouba regularly performs for cultural programs and benefit concerts. He regularly performs for the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center, partners with La Maison d'Art Gallery in Harlem to set up musical cultural exchanges and provides workshops and presentations to primary school and university students. Recognizing his educational contributions, in 2007 he was selected as a Teaching Artist by the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall.

Yacouba continues to blend effortlessly with other musical styles, whether it is performing Indian ragas or Appalachian tunes. Yacouba can be seen regularly touring with Regina Carter, Rachel Brown, Jordana de Lovely, Oran Etkin, Kavita Shah, Leni Stern, Benyoro and his own band SIYA. His first CD, which features him as kora soloist and with SIY