Sousou & Maher Cissoko

Sousou & Maher Cissoko: Swedish-Senegal World Music Duo

"Charismatic" is a beloved descriptor of music critics when describing Sousou & Maher. Each the product of a musical family, Sousou grew up in Sweden while Maher is descended from a long line of Senegalese troubadours. Each learned to play the kora, a West African 21-stringed instrument, long before they knew each other, eventually meeting after Sousou traveled from Europe to Africa to study with Maher's brother, a highly respected musician. Sousou & Maher's style is a wholly original one, melding reggae with mbalax, folk, soul and blues. They've played at world-music festivals on several continents, along with such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. See the "Afro-Swedish marriage made in heaven," as one writer referred to them, at New York City's Scandinavia House.