Balla Tounkara is a kora player and singer from Mali.
He was born in Mali into a family of griots, who traditionally played music to the kings of the Malian Empire in their royal court. He started to learn the kora as a child.
Tounkara has released many albums and plays both solo and with a group called Groupe Spirite. He moved to the United States in 1996Balla Tounkara, Kalefaba: The Peacemaker - Traditional Songs For The Kora. Balla Tounkara Music, 2002. UPC : 711517233521. Liner notes. and now lives in Boston.
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