Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the The Gambia Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
A schoolteacher who left the classroom, put the kora into pop music, and became the most famous musician the Gambia has produced.
Jaliba Kuyateh is a Gambian musician known as the King of Kora, credited with creating kora pop by setting classical kora playing against modern pop arrangements.
He left a career as a schoolteacher to lead the Kumareh Band to recognition across Africa and beyond. He is the only Gambian UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, won the Pan African Festival Award in 1992, was granted honorary citizenship of Guinea-Bissau in 1995, was named Man of the Year in 2009, and received an honorary fellowship from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2023. Health facilities in the Gambia have been named after him for his philanthropy.
He left a career as a schoolteacher to lead the Kumareh Band to recognition across Africa and beyond. He is the only Gambian UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, won the Pan African Festival Award in 1992, was granted honorary citizenship of Guinea-Bissau in 1995, was named Man of the Year in 2009, and received an honorary fellowship from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2023. Health facilities in the Gambia have been named after him for his philanthropy.
- Wikipedia — Jaliba Kuyateh
- What's On Gambia — Gambian music is not dead: the top five musicians right now
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will check it.