Jaliyaa Kumbengo

Jaliyaa Kumbengo is a 5 peice group from The Gambia led by Gambian griot artist and Kora player Sefo Kanuteh with special guest vocalist Binta Suso.

This is a multi-layered evening bringing together performance, learning and storytelling rooted in Mande musical tradition.

In Mandinka, 'Jaliyaa' refers to the griot tradition - a living practice of music, oral history and cultural memory passed through generations, while 'Kumbengo' translates as coming together or gathering. Together, the group name reflects both heritage and shared experience, which is at the heart of the evening.

The evening programme combines:

• A FREE 1 hour interactive workshop from 6.30pm-7.30pm, exploring kora, voice and collective improvisation (open to all levels). Participants are welcome to bring their own percussion or melody instrument, or simply join in through voice and singing. The workshop is optional and free to attend, but YOU MUST RESERVE A PLACE via the ticket options above in addition to booking a general ticket for the performance.
• A pop-up photographic exhibition tracing Sefo's musical lineage and journey.
• A live performance from this 5 peice West African group blending traditional Mande music with contemporary influences. Concert begins at 8.30pm

ARTISTS:

Sefo Kanuteh is a virtuosic kora and balafon player from Foray Kunda, The Gambia, raised within a multi-generational griot family where music functions as storytelling, social connection and collective memory. His work blends traditional Mande reportoire with contemporary influences, both deeply rooted and widely accessible.

Sefo has collaborated with leading international artists including Baaba Maal and The BKO quintet. He has performed at major festivals such as WOMAD, Latitude and Glastonbury.

Binta Suso is a Gambian vocalist from a respected griot family lineage, known for her expressive voice and deep connection to Mandinka musical traditions. She has collaborated internationally within West African and contemporary fusion projects, performing alongside renowned kora artists connected to the Suso and Keita griot families.

Her work contributes to preserving and sharing oral tradtions through performance, storytelling and song.

Meriya Band brings together a collective of musicians supporting Sefo's sound, blending tradtional West African instrumentation with contemporary arrangements to creat a dynamic live experience.

The concert programme and tour is supported by Arts Council England.

Tour producers Music Worldwide www.musicworldwide.co.uk

For further information about Sefo Kanuteh visit www.sefokanuteh.com