Fifteen years of a world music series before a Gambian headline. Note the wait.
Award-winning Gambian musician and kora player Suntou Susso will perform with the Gambian Superstars in their first UK concert at Kings Place on 14 June as part of the 2026 Songlines Encounters series.
While London continues to market itself as a global music capital, it's taken 15 years for the Songlines Encounters series to finally platform Suntou Susso and the Gambian Superstars, a telling reminder of how West African excellence remains an afterthought in supposedly "world music" programming. The kora virtuoso's debut UK performance isn't just overdue recognition; it's proof that African artists shouldn't need Western validation stages to cement their genius, even as these platforms remain frustratingly necessary for continental reach.
While London continues to market itself as a global music capital, it's taken 15 years for the Songlines Encounters series to finally platform Suntou Susso and the Gambian Superstars, a telling reminder of how West African excellence remains an afterthought in supposedly "world music" programming. The kora virtuoso's debut UK performance isn't just overdue recognition; it's proof that African artists shouldn't need Western validation stages to cement their genius, even as these platforms remain frustratingly necessary for continental reach.
SUMMARY BY STRATA-AF™ · ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MUSIC IN AFRICA
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