Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars - Cultural Exchange Workshop

Join Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars for an extra special, one off workshop on polyrhythms, time signatures & learning Mandinka songs upstairs at The Greenbank Pub, Easton before our regular Tuesday session downstairs in the bar!

The workshop will be an opportunity for instrumentalists and singers to develop their skills and understanding of Mandinka music from The Gambia. This is perfect for anyone wanting to explore polyrhythms, unusual time signatures and cross rhythms as well as learning about the rich history of Mandinka culture from one of the UK's leading Griot musicians. The workshop will feature the full live band (Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars) and offer plenty of participation opportunities before leading everyone downstairs to join in with our regular free Greenbank Session which takes place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month.

Session participants are limited to 25 places so get your tickets while you can. Tickets are only £5 so this is one of the best value for money workshop experiences you'll find!

The workshop will run from 6-8pm, participants will then be invited to join The Greenbank Session downstairs from 8-10:30pm.

Who's it for?
Musicians and singers wanting to develop their skills and learn about traditional Gambian music. If you come along to The Greenbank Session already, for example, we'd highly reccomend this workshop!

What to bring?
Bring yourself, your instrument and an enthusiastic spirit for participating in a rare opportunity to play with and learn from some incredible musicians!

Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars Tour Dates: https://suntoususso.com/shows 

Suntou Susso is a multi-instrumentalist - kora player, percussionist, singer and composer - from The Gambia who was born a Griot. His primary instrument, the kora is a harp-lute with 22 strings and is unique to the Griots of the Mandinka people. Coming from a 700-year-old tradition, Griots play an important cultural role as peacekeepers, advisors and oral historians, preserving and transmitting a people's culture through the generations using song, music and poetry. 

Since the release of his self-written debut album, Kanéfonyo (Never Give Up) in 2022, Suntou's career has gained serious momentum and he is an in-demand and charismatic performer. 2025 saw the release of his now multi award-winning second studio album, Jaliya Silokang - The Path of a Griot. Drawing on the wisdom of elders and youth alike, Suntou acts as a vessel imparting lessons in how to live a good and honest life in today’s world. The album is both a journey into heritage and a bright, hopeful vision for what lies ahead. In this way, he is at once a guardian of the Griot tradition and a bold innovator of its future. 

Suntou performs in a range of musical settings. Either solo with a more traditional sound, or leading his seven-piece band whose music innovatively blends Mandinka musical traditions with jazz, funk and soul; and appears as part of British-Gambian folk duo. He also performs among other impressive collaborations and projects. Suntou’s musical abilities are considered unique for his generation. 

Suntou's family includes some of the world’s most highly respected West African musicians including Seckou Keita, Solo Cissokho and Mamudou Susso. 

Greenbank Folk Club is committed to developing our access & inclusion in every aspect of what we do. Please get in touch if you have any particular access needs or would like to make a suggestion for how we can do things better in the future. We encourage you to fill out our survey after each event so we can hear your thoughts - QR code available in the venue.

This event takes place upstairs at The Greenbank Pub, Easton, Bristol BS5 6DP - unfortunately there is currently no wheelchair access to this space as it's accessed by stairs.

£5 tickets are available in advance. We strongly advise that you book in advance if you'd like to attend as we cannot guarantee there will be door tickets available if the workshop sells out.

Please tell your friends and share this event - live music, storytelling and dancing only takes place with the support of the community around us.

We would like to thank our partner projects, The Greenbank, EFDSS (English Folk Dance and Song Society) and Arts Council England for their support in this project.

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