Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba ecstatically explore the spiritual songs, stories, and rhythms of Senegal’s millennia-old Mandé culture. Indeed, Cissokho comes from a long line of prominent griots who are entrusted to maintain a West African village’s genealogies and important ceremonial affairs through song. But he is much more than a preservationist. Cissokho and his band, Kaira Ba, effortlessly integrate the traditional sounds of the kora with a modern rush of electric guitar and an exuberant rhythm section. Together, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba sustain one of West Africa’s most expressive legacies with their own energetic interpretations.

The band formed in North Carolina in January of 2011, shortly after Cissokho’s immigration to the US. Kaira Ba has produced three full length albums, toured extensively in the US, and traveled twice as a band to Senegal. In 2014, Kaira Ba was nominated for the prestigious continent-wide All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) in the category “Best African Group” for their album The Great Peace . In 2018 the band released its most ambitious album to date, Routes, which was recorded alongside a broad cast of guests in both North Carolina and Senegal. The album was met with critical acclaim upon its releases, being favorably reviewed by Afropop Worldwide, The Financial Times, OkayAfrica, the famed rock critic Robert Christgau for Noisey/Vice, and Songlines who wrote, “ This album is up there with the groundbreaking recordings of Thione Seck, Baaba Maal and Youssou N’Dour.” Kaira Ba has performed and taught at Universities, appeared in front of large festival audiences and shared stages with some of Africa’s most prominent international artists. In all its work, Kaira Ba is committed to sharing its story and music in the name of cross-cultural learning, believing that music has the power to transgress borders and serve as an important resource for education, restoration and healing.

Diali Keba Cissokho (kora, vocals) A renowned korist and percussionist from Senegal, Diali moved to the US after years of performing and teaching in Senegal and in Europe. Born into a rich ancestry of Manding griots (jalis), Diali has been playing traditional West African music for as long as he can remember. While his greatest love is the kora, a 21-stringed West African bridge harp, he is also an accomplished singer, songwriter, and percussionist. Historically, each village had its own griot who told tales of births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, affairs, and other important events and celebrations. In Mande society the griot, or jeli, served as a historian, advisor, praise singer, and storyteller. These musicians served as walking history books, preserving and sharing the stories and traditions of their culture through song. This inherited tradition, with deep connections to spiritual, social, and political powers, has been passed down through generations. Diali’s mother, MoussuKeba Diebate, and father, Ibrahima Cissokho, both hailed from long lines of griot musicians. Diali’s grandfather was the famed griot korist Lalo Keba Drame, who was among the first griots to tour internationally in the 1960’s, after his recordings became popular both within and outside of Senegal. Diali seeks to honor his ancestors through all of his work as performer, teacher, and collaborator.

Jonathan Henderson, PhD (bass) With a PhD in ethnomusicology at Duke University, Jonathan is a multi-instrumentalist active as a composer, producer, and educator. He has studied under master Brazilian percussionist Jorge Alabe and contemporary classical composer Stephen Jaffe, worked alongside Senegalese griot Diali Cissokho and collaborated with talented artists in the US, West Africa, Brazil and Indonesia. Most recently, Jonathan produced Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba’s critically acclaimed album Routes . Recorded on two sides of the Atlantic and enlisting the contributions of over 30 musicians in North Carolina and Senegal, Routes was released on Jonathan’s record label, Twelve Eight Records in June of 2018. Jonathan has composed music for film and theater, and taught courses in music at the high school and college level. Jonathan is a co-founder of Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba and regular contributor to numerous other bands and performing ensembles. He holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from Duke University. Find out more at: https://www.twelveeightrecords.com/ and http://www.jhendersonmusic.com/

Will Ridenour (percussion) is a professional musician from Greensboro, NC who specializes in international folkloric percussion as well as the kora, a harp-lute from West Africa. Since 1997, Will has studied with master kora and percussion teachers in Mali, Senegal, Sweden, and the US, including 4 study trips to West Africa. Will holds a B.A. in Anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill and has been the recipient of two North Carolina Arts Council grants for musical projects centering around the kora. He has performed in 28 countries worldwide, and has scored productions for dance, theater, and documentary film. Currently, Will works with children and adults in schools, camps, and hospitals, and records and performs with Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba , Grand Shores ,
Sewa Beats, Paperhand Puppet Intervention , and other collaborative projects. Check out his website here.

Austin McCall (drum set) is a professional musician from Chapel Hill, NC specializing in drum set and percussion. He has studied with some of the Greats such as Mama Kone (percussion, Habib Koite), Frank Worrell (drum set, Jack Dejohnette), and Billy Martin (drum set, Medeski Martin & Wood). He has travelled studied percussion and drum set in many places over the years, including 3 trips to West Africa. Austin is a co-founder of Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, and performs with other acts such as Paperhand Puppet Intervention, Jonathan Byrd, Violet Bell, and Scythian. He is the co-creator/co-director of “Lumanity”, An illuminated spectacle of one’s journey through light, and rhythm. Austin’s approach to the drum set is not only one as a drummer, but also a percussionist, which allows him to explore the possibilities from a different angle, such as playing dun dun, calabash, or djembe patterns on drum set.

Songlines Magazine:
“As a band leader, Diali Cissokho has a commanding voice, and excellent kora skills; he is clearly a great composer with a visionary approach to the integration of other genres with his Senegalese roots. This album is up there with the groundbreaking recordings of Thione Seck, Baaba Maal and Youssou N’Dour.”

Robert Christgau for Noisy/ Vice:
Routes is “a genuinely and often beautifully syncretic evocation of a double identity that would be
hard to match and impossible to duplicate.” read more…

Afropop Worldwide:
Routes is “in its essence Senegalese but with a universality that translates beautifully across cultures,” read more…

Black Grooves:
“Routes is the perfect showcase for Kaira Ba’s unique fusion of Senegalese and American musical traditions, as well as a demonstration of cross-cultural collaboration and mutual respect between band members who welcomed an immigrant to their community.” read more…