Sadio Sissokho, a fully rounded artist, comes from a renowned griot family. A singer, dancer, musician and songwriter, he perfected his talent on his favourite instrument, the kora (African lute-harp), which was his father’s and his brothers’ specialty.
A multi-instrumentalist, Sadio also plays the djembé, sabar, doun-doun and tama (talking drum). In 2003, he settled in Québec and joined the groups Taafé Fanga, Kabakuwo and Sam Fall as a singer, kora player and percussionist.
‘I was born into a griot family, from father to son since the 14th century,” he says. “My father, Banna Sissokho, a great artist at the Théâtre National Daniel Sorano, and my mother, the Senegalese griot Goundo Kouyaté, conveyed to us the caste of poets, singers and musicians who were the custodians of the oral tradition in West Africa. It is through these roots, rich in tradition, infused with diverse musical styles, that I share my art today.”
Sadio has accompanied many artists, including Alpha Yaya Diallo, Wilfred LeBouthillier and Ouanani with Jean Arsenault. In 2018 and 2019, he won the Juno Award for best world music group in Canada with the group Okavando.