Sura (Surahata) Susso was born in a griot family in Bakoteh, Western Gambia on the 18th April 1986. [Griots are cultural figures in society across West Africa who carry the cultural knowledge and identity of the regions people. This hereditary legacy stretches back hundreds of years, and traditionally the knowledge and history surrounding the kora are passed on from father to son. Griots are orators, lyricists and musicians who are also respected as a source of advice and spiritual guidance. They are responsible for witnessing important events, delivering messages, and play an important role as peace-makers.]
Sura started his lifelong study of the kora (African harp) and a range of other percussion instruments at an early age. The family household was constantly filled with music - his musical immersion in such a natural environment growing up as a child provided the solid foundations for his musical development - the invaluable knowledge learned organically, as well as the freedom to express himself musically. Sura was always on his kora, and used to accompany his father everywhere to people's compounds for different ceremonies. At school, he would play percussions on anything and with anything he'd find... desks, chairs, pencils.. to the delight of his classmates, but often getting in trouble with teachers!
Sura came to the UK, at the age of seventeen to tour as the percussionist in his brother's band, The Seckou Keita Quintet. Tours with the quintet took them all around the world and provided an invaluable experience for Sura to be the professional musician he is today. Sura honours the role that his elder brother has played in supporting his musical journey and offers his thanks and gratitude in one particular track on his debut album ('Jalikunda' on Sila Kang).
Since his arrival in the UK, Sura has performed as a solo act in countless events - In March 2012, he was honoured to be invited to play for her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, as part of the opening ceremony for the Central Manchester City hospitals. As well as performing solo, Sura has been involved in number of collaborations with other artists. He has taken part in more than five hundred shows in over thirty different countries spanning over every continent.
He has always prided himself on promoting his traditional music from his cultural roots in The Gambia, as well as absorbing new genres into his own style. Sura has also performed and recorded in some interesting cross-cultural settings; He has collaborated with Max Baillie, a great violinist and dear friend of Sura - the two recently performed in Berlin and have artfully mixed the complementary sounds of the kora and the violin.
One particular collaboration with the duo 'Askew and Avis' led to the recording of the Kora Song Radio album, which was met with great appreciation from the musical world. One of their productions 'Goalmouth' was a unique project and performance, which combined the theme of football with music and dance originating from Botswana.
A great privilege for Sura and his popular vocalist sister, Binta Susso, was the chance to perform at Glastonbury Festival in 2009, where the two siblings were invited to perform with the legendary Baaba Maal.
In between composing and recording songs for his debut album Sila Kang, Sura has also taken time to contribute to a project initiated by Brecon Jazz festival. This featured a joint performance with the Blue Note trumpeter Erick Truffaz. The two of them have plans to work together again in the future.
Sura has already accumulated a substantial fan base not only in the UK, but also around the world.
All of Sura's musical journeys and adventures have certainly opened up his musical horizons and now a great future as a solo musician in his own right is taking shape. The debut album Sila Kang was released on Kuli Marow Music on the 20th of June 2011, and received critical acclaim in national publications.
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