A griot of the Mandé tradition
Sana Cissokho is a kora virtuoso from Senegal, born in Bignona, in the Casamance region, into a Mandinka family of dialis (griots). He learned the kora from his parents, Lamine Sissoko and Ndeye Diongtang Diabaté, and from his older siblings Mamadou Sissoko and Atab Cissokho, and played his first notes at the age of four.
Descended from a lineage of kora masters, he carries the instrument’s deep role in Mandé culture: the griot as historian, storyteller and keeper of memory. His sound has drawn comparisons to his uncle Ballaké Sissoko, to Toumani Diabaté and to his cousin Sona Jobarteh.
His repertoire joins the classical kora tradition with contemporary sounds, in songs that echo the history of his people. Sana has performed at festivals such as Sauti za Busara in Tanzania and World Music Week in Portugal, and has performed in Portugal and Spain, where audiences have come to know him for a warm, engaging stage presence.
Sana Cissokho is a kora virtuoso and singer from Casamance, Senegal, born into a Mandinka griot family. Trained from the age of four, he blends the classical kora tradition with contemporary sound and has performed at festivals including Sauti za Busara (Tanzania) and World Music Week (Portugal).
