Djeli Moussa Diawara (also known as Jali Musa Jawara) was born in 1962 into a family of griots, a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers from West Africa. His father was a balafon player, and his mother a singer. He learned to play the Balafon, the Kora and the guitar. Djeli Moussa developed a very intimate relationship with his 32-stringed Kora, which is a modified version of the traditional 21-stringed Kora. He takes inspiration from many different styles, including traditional Mandingo, Salsa, Flamenco, Blues and Jazz. He has gone on to work with many acclaimed artists throughout his career, including Ali Farka Touré, Carlos Santana, Manu Dibango, and Janice deRosa.
