Photo: Mama Sissoko
One of the most in-demand session guitarists in Mali produces his first solo recording.

Mama Sissoko

Mama Sissoko is one of the most highly regarded session guitarists in Mali. Sissoko handles vocals and lead guitar on his album Soleil de Minuit. His music is primarily guitar-driven, and his playing is fast and fluid, proving that he is firmly among the ranks of West African guitar giants.

Music business statistics report an alarming favorability for mainstream artists: Almost 90 percent of CD sales are fueled by 2 percent of the releases. Those releases, of course, are by the "made" artists (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Brittney Spears, etc.) The rest, including most artists living outside the U.S., fall through the cracks at just about every level, whether it be promotion, distribution, or airplay. The result is that a lot of really, great music never sees the light of day.

Mama Sissoko is an artist that may well shine bright enough to break through the music industry bubble.

— Courtesy Calabash Music