Kora player Dembo Konte is one of Gambia’s most prominent musical exports, and has entranced worldwide audiences since 1987 with the flowing, entrancing melodies of his traditional African harp-lute. The descendant of the great Gambian kora player Alhaji Bai Konte, he has been featured on several recordings from British band 3 Mustaphas 3’s Jail Roll (1990) to the all-star roots dance band Tiger Moth’s Mothballs Plus (Weekend Beatniks, 2004).

In 1989, Konte teamed up with kora great Kausu Kuyateh and balafon (rosewood xylophone) legend Mawdo Suso to create Jailology, (Xenophile). Described by All Music Guide’s John Storm Roberts as “a capsule presentation of the Mandinka culture. It is a collection of songs of praise, remorse, politics and life. It is a journey well worth taking,”