1) Hello, M. Bakemba Susso, how are you ? I'm very well , thank you. 2) Where do you come from ? I'm native of « Fuladou » (« The Land of the Fula people ») in Gambia in the province of Kerewali of M'Bonkol. 3) Since when do you play kora ? Since the age of 7. 4) How did you learn to play kora ? With my grandfather and my elder brother following the strict tradition of the jelis from Gambia.
5) Who was your kora teacher ? Moussa Susso, my paternal grandfather. 6) Which was the first (music) piece or which were the very first pieces you started to learn when you began practicing kora ? « Kelefa Ba This song evokes the old conflict between Manding and Fula ethnies and this conflict has increased since the end of XIX° century and ended to bloody wars...» was my first piece ; then, I learned « Allah La Ke« Alla La Ke » is one of the most famous songs of old Manding music tradition... Read more. ». 7) Do you make yourself your koras ? No I don't, I 'm getting them by my family. 8) Do you play another instrument(s) than kora ? Yes, I also play n'koni ; but, mind this, I not a «Master» (1) ! I learnd and I continue to play that instrument on my own alone. I transpose on n'koni some tunes that I use to play on kora. 9) Is this instrument appear to you more «difficult» to play than kora ? On my own, I think that kora is more difficult to deal with than the n'koni ! 10) How do you tune your kora or in which tuning range do you use to play ? It depends on the tunes, but I can play in «Tomora Meseng More about Tomora Meseng scale», in
«silaba», in «ardino», in «tomora foa» and «Sauta»
! 11) Do you live only by playing kora ? Yes. 12) Since how long are you living in France ? I have established myself in France for 13 years. 13) Did you live in other countries that France and how long ? Yes, in England and Germany, during the few time appointed for my contracts. I also lived in the United States of America for one month.
14) What is the reception reserved for kora in other Western countries that France ? Well, in England, the taste and pleasure of music are much more developped. Thus, the audience for kora seems to be broader. But at all, the public is about the same one in all European countries. 15) Thanks a lot, Master, and see you soon ! You're welcome and see you soon too ! April 2002 Paris (18°) by LNB
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