WKNC Interviews

Few artists are as capable of crafting music as emotive and engaging as Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba. Though Cissokho is primarily singing in a wide array of languages that the average layman won’t be able to comprehend, the passion still oozes from this incredibly charismatic performer. The music of Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba is unlike any I’ve heard before, be that from North Carolina or West Africa. Cissokho has been working on mastering the kora since he was 5 years old, and after a few decades the instrument seems to be an extension of himself. Leading up to the release of the band’s second full-length album, The Great Peace, I was joined in the studio by Diali and the rest of the band. Throughout our conversation the eclectic group of performers shed some light upon the origin of the band, how they met, what the name means, and so much more. The group feels less like a band of musicians and more like a family, they’re tightly knit and seem to share the same deep rooted passion for music. Throughout the hour we discussed overcoming cultural boundaries, inspiration for music, and some of Diali’s rich history in his home country of Senegal. The band also shared three tracks from The Great Peace that you can stream below along with our full conversation.