Welcome to the press and electronic press kit (EPK) page for Sousou & Maher Cissoko!

Here you’ll find everything you need to learn more about our music, story, and offerings for events, festivals, and cultural programs.Feel free to click around and explore press quotes, high-quality images, biographies, and technical details.

We hope you find everything you’re looking for to book or promote a performance. If you need additional materials or have specific questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

SAID ABOUT US

WORDS FROM OUR AUDIENCE

"This was better than a week's vacation."

““You touch hearts with your music, your authenticity, and the interplay with the band. You invite courage, creativity, and loving joy. It was fun, beautiful, and gave me the feeling of belonging together - solidarity.”

“Ca fait vibrer le coeur !”

"Listening to Sousou & Maher Cissoko & band is liberating like a journey. It provides a breeze from a larger world of hope and trust. The soulful combination of kora and voices conveys vitality & joy but also sorrow. I don't believe it leaves any listener unaffected.”

CONCERT REVIEWS

"Talking about “joy of playing” can easily become a cliché, but here is the answer. The duo shines together as if in the highest happiness, a visual boost to what we hear. The peculiar sound is a unique experience. I feel both exhausted and energized at the same time. Wow! /Anders Sandlund, Norrbottens-kuriren

"Sousou and Maher Cissoko offered immense joy of playing and a fascinating music experience."/ Piteå-Tidningen

ALBUM REVIEWS

“West African and Swede combine two immaculately accurate koras and voices – the result is transparent and atmospheric, the melody lines simple, the general feel full and uplifting. Sounds unlikely, but imagine a Nordic African Enya” /fRoots

”Sousou and Maher Cissoko turn out a first class musical experience on Africa Moo Baaly by steeping their sound in the storytelling of Africa.”/T J Nelson, World Music Central

”Lightly, flowing and poetic. Absolutely fascinating music.”/Wegotmusic.de

AS SEEN IN

VIDEOS

WULA - LIVE VIDEO (DUO)

MAME DIARRA - LIVE VIDEO (QUARTETT)

ON VERRA - LIVE VIDEO (QUINTETT)

CALCULER (OFFICIAL VIDEO

POLAR MUSIC PRIZE (WITH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA)

LAMP FALL - LIVE VIDEO (QUINTETT)

DOCUMENTARY (22 MIN )

BIOGRAPHY

An Afro-Swedish marriage made in heaven.”

Nigel Williamson

Sousou & Maher Cissoko—an award-winning duo from Sweden and Senegal—have chosen a life together led by music, traveling to over 30 countries with a sound that uplifts, heals, and inspires. Their union through the magical West African kora is woven with deep roots in Senegal, where they continue to nurture connection and tradition at their Jaliya Camp—a place of shared knowledge and rich, living heritage.

Sousou, a Skåne native singer and multiinstrumentalist, embarked on her own journey through West Africa, learning the kora from masters in Gambia, Mali, and Senegal, where her path crossed with Maher’s. A griot, kora player and percussionist by birth, Maher carries the timeless voice of the modern-day griot beyond borders, honoring his heritage while inviting the world to listen, reflect, and connect.

True to the West African griot spirit, Sousou & Maher weave together tradition and renewal. Their music pulses with the kora’s resonance, soulful vocals, and a rhythmic dance of influences from reggae, mbalax, folk, soul, and jazz. Through the songs in five different languages, they offer a message of unity, bridging cultures and languages with songs that call us back to the spirit of togetherness.

Every concert with Sousou & Maher is a soulful gathering—a warm, joyful space filled with grooves, radiant smiles, and a celebration of human stories that transcend borders. With each performance, they welcome you into a journey of music and heart, a place that feels like home for all who come to listen and be moved.

CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

Førdefestival, Norway, EuropAfrica Festival, Alger, Agape Zoe Festival, Greece, Purbeck Folk Festival, UK, Ecstatic Dance Festival, Cyprus, Mundial Montreal, Canada, Summer tour with LALEH, Sweden, Folk Alliance, USA, Paris Jazz Festival, France, Festival d'été de Québec, Nuits D’Afrique, Vancouver Folk Festival, TD Sunfest, Canada, Shanghai World Music Festival, Shenzhen Concert Hall, China, Polar Music Prize, Stockholm City Concert Hall, Sweden, Bali Spirit Festival, Indonesia, Sound & Silence Festival in Greece, Portugal and Costa Rica, Way Out West, Malmöfestivalen, Umeå Jazz Festival, Urkult, Sauti Za Busara Festival, Tanzania, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eurokids Festival, USA, Festival Sur Le Niger, Mali, Womex, Copenhagen, Gwangju World Music Festival, South Korea, Selam Festival Ethiopia and Stockholm to name a few.

Awards & Achievements

Words from the jurys:

"Musical trailblazers with the whole world as their stage."
"With such beauty and precision to blend Swedish and West African music and thereby create something entirely new and unique, Sweden can be proud.

SHOWCASES, NOMINATIONS & AWARDS

2010: Newcomer of the Year Award- Sweden’s Folk & World Music Gala
2011: Womex Showcase, Copenhagen
2012: Album of the Year Nominee - Sthlm Dakar
2012: Stockholm City Cultural Award
2014: International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Finalists
2015: “Best Folk Album of the Year” - Manifest Award
2015: SKAP Award
2015-2017: Group of the Year Nominees - Sweden’s Folk & World Music Gala
2017: Folk Alliance Showcase
2018: Best World Music Artist - Sweden’s Folk & World Music Gala
2019: Mundial Montreal Showcase
2014, 2015, 2020: STIM Scholarship

Regular Support From: Sweden’s Arts Council, Swedish Arts Grants Committee, Swedish Performing Arts Agency

PRESS Photos

Download hi-res photos

BOOKING INFORMATION

Line-Up & Travel Party

DUO

Maher Cissoko: kora, percussion, vocals, loop station

Sousou Cissoko: kora, guitar, vocals

+1 crew member
Traveling from Lund/Copenhagen, Denmark

QUARTET

Maher Cissoko: kora, percussion, vocals