The 21 Strings of Freedom: Senny Camara, a Female Kora Genius

Interview by Sandra Gasana
Genres and styles : Africa / Kora

Additional Information

She doesn’t come from a family of griots, but if she has to attribute her success to one person, it’s probably her grandmother. Indeed, Senny Camara went to live with her grandmother from a very young age, and it was her grandmother who introduced her to music, first to singing and then to the kora. Today, she travels the world with her 21-string instrument to spread human values. She recently received an award at the Aga Khan Music Awards in London in November 2025, and this continues to open doors for her. In addition to being a singer, guitarist, and kora virtuoso, she also self-produced her album Yéné, released in 2024. But it’s her meeting with Zal Sissokho that we’re about to witness (and yes, they’ve never met before) at Balattou on February 20th, during her very first visit to Canada. She’ll take the opportunity to do a short tour of the country. Our journalist Sandra Gasana joined her live from France to find out more about her and her background.




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