Yan Kuba Saho

                       Yan Kuba Saho was born in the mid-1940s in
Dankunku in the district of Nyamina,
                       Gambia, West Africa. At the age of ten he was
sent to learn kora and to read the
                       Koran with Faal Suso, in Salinkenni. After ten
years of studies, Mr. Saho left Faal
                       Suso's compound and traveled throughout Gambia
and Senegal performing for
                       friends and gaining patrons in the traditional
way of the Mandinka griot (praise
                       singer). Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Yan Kuba
Saho lived in Banjul, the capital
                       of Gambia. He now resides with his family in
Serrekunda-Bundung. Mr. Saho has
                       performed in Europe, the United States, and
Canada. This is his first headline
                       commercial recording. On these recordings he is
accompanied by his wife Bintu Suso
                       who sings and taps the konkondiro (rhythmic
pattern) on the side of the kora. Mr.
                       Saho is knowledgeable about the older traditional
repertoire, but he chose to perform
                       more recent songs for this recording. This is a
significant comment on the strength of
                       the griot tradition today. Kora music continues
to thrive in West Africa.



                      Complete Albums by Yan Kuba Saho:
                      Yan Kuba - Kora Music From Gambia

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