Jaliba Kuyateh
Nicknamed the "Kora King", Jaliba Kuyateh has transformed the mandingue griotic tradition into a festive pop kora that makes the whole of Senegal dance.
Born on 13 April 1957 in Niamina Dankunku, in a large family of griots, Jaliba Kuyateh learned kora from childhood with her father, Kebba Sankung Kuyateh, himself a renowned kora player.
First a teacher, he founded the Kumareh Band on 7 May 1987 and then devoted himself entirely to music: his first album, Radio Kantang (1993), launched the "Kora pop", a joyful marriage of traditional kora and modern pop sounds.
He was the only Gambian ambassador of good will to UNICEF, elected "Man of the Year" of the Gambia in 2009 and increased his tours to Europe and the United States with his Kumareh Band.
In 2023 Goldsmiths, University of London, awarded him a honorary fellowship, and his catalogue, managed under exclusive license by the Jaalolu label, continues to be enriched, with albums TITARO (2025) and HOLLIYEH (2026).