While London continues to market itself as a global music capital, it's taken 15 years for the Songlines Encounters series to finally platform Suntou Susso and the Gambian Superstars — a telling reminder of how West African excellence remains an afterthought in supposedly "world music" programming. The kora virtuoso's debut UK performance isn't just overdue recognition; it's proof that African artists shouldn't need Western validation stages to cement their genius, even as these platforms remain frustratingly necessary for continental reach.

SUMMARY BY STRATA · ORIGINAL REPORTING BY MUSIC IN AFRICA