Jalimadi

A descendant of the renowned Alhaji Banna Kanuteh and Sainabou Tunkara, was brought up in a traditional griot family to carry on his ancestors' Mandinka legacy as a Jali.

Jali grew up portraying the essence of several generations when he learned to compose and sing at home due of his parents' passion and legacy in the arts of music and history. His voice's timbre and harmony add a remarkable originality to common music. And to top it off, he is able to compose music to nearly any sound. The young musician began playing musical instruments including the guitar and balafon at a very young age.

Jali began his musical career at the age of sixteen by joining the rap group Askan Bi. After forming his own band, Jalimadi and the Holy Family Band, less than a year later, he went solo and paid homage to Serigne Touba, the Sufi founder of Senegal's Mouride Brotherhood, with the publication of the song "Mam Jarra," his debut single. In 2001, the single "Allah la Kay" came to life.

Jali has since produced multiple hit singles, five albums - of which he featured various Gambian and Senegalese artists, gaining massive views on YouTube - travelled across many different countries for performances at shows, concerts and festivals, shared the stages with various international stars across various genres and went ahead to establish the Jalimadi Foundation, a charitable organization that holds annual concerts to benefit vulnerable children and women in The Gambia.