Ablaye Cissoko

Ablaye Cissoko is a Senegalese musician, singer and composer, who plays the kora.

Career As a solo musician, he has played live shows in several countries, including Portugal, France, Belgium, Senegal, Mali, Canada, Germany, Norway and Russia. He has collaborated extensively with trumpeter Volker Goetze and they have released three albums as a duo: Sira in 2008, Amanké Dionti in 2012 and Djaliya in 2014. Sira entered the top 10 world music radio chart on CMJ in January 2009.

Another collaboration with the Constantinople ensemble playing traditional Persian music resulted in the albums Jardins migrateurs (2012) and Traversées (2019).

Film

A 2011 feature-length documentary, Griot, directed by Volker Goetze, follows Cissoko, who is determined to preserve his thousand-year-old kora tradition. In the documentary Cissoko has a dream to have a thriving cultural centre where children can come to learn the traditions of their forefathers.

Discography

Solo 2003: Diam (Ma Case / L'autre distribution) 2005: Le Griot Rouge (Ma Case / L'autre distribution) 2011: Saint Louis 2013: Mes Racines 2014: Popenguine (Soundtrack to the documentary Popenguine)

with Volker Goetze 2008: Sira (ObliqSound) 2012: Amanké Dionti (Motéma) 2014: Djaliya

with Constantinople 2015: Jardins Migrateurs 2019: Traversées

with Cyrille Brotto 2022: Instant 2025: Djiyo

with Majid Bekkas 2011: Mabrouk (Bee Jazz)

with Simon Goubert 2012: African Jazz Roots (Cristal) 2017: Au Loin

with Mishaa 2013: Kano Mbifé II (Mes Racines remixes and bonus songs)