Yacouba Sissoko: Classical Musician in New York

About Yacouba Sissoko

Yacouba Sissoko is a kora player from Mali who is based in Harlem, bringing the 21‑string West African harp-lute into New York’s contemporary music circuit. His work often moves between composed frameworks and open improvisation, shaped by collaborations across jazz, pop, and contemporary-classical scenes. At National Sawdust, he has appeared in Silkroad settings alongside artists including Mike Block, Maeve Gilchrist, Seamus Egan, Kaoru Watanabe, and Layale Chaker. His playing tends to favor line and pulse over display, letting the instrument’s resonance carry the argument.