My parents chose it.

I always play live and I love the contact with the audience. It's not easy to get visa if you're an African, so I mostly play in The Gambia.

The internet gives us all a chance to be heard. Equal opportunities - the best thing that could have happened.

Ofcourse, just send me a contract and a cheque...

I was born in 1976 in Niani Kayai, The Gambia, as a member of a well known griot family. My father plays kora and my mother is a griot singer.

My youth I spent studying the koran, music and working in the fields. I learned hundreds of traditional songs and also studied drums and balafon. Later I moved to Dakar, Senegal, where I worked as a musician.

In 2001 I became the manager of Gambian Griot School of Music and Dance at Serrekunda, The Gambia. Here I teach students from all over the world to play kora or drums.

Other griots and koraplayers like my uncle Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, Prince Diabate, Dembo Konte, Kandia Kouyate. And Youssou N'Dour, with his golden voice and great rhythm.

Hard to say. There's still so much waiting to be discovered.

I play a 21 string kora, a westafrican harp lute.

Send me an e-mail if you'd like to learn to play kora or mandinka drums.