Born into a distinguished line of Gambian jalis or griots - traditional musicians who combine the functions of entertainer and tribal historian - Foday Muso Suso was a master of authentic-roots kora (a West African harp) and a pioneer of its Western-informed fusion possibilities. Suso settled in Chicago in 1977, where he formed the Mandingo Griot Society, a loose aggregation of like-minded African, Caribbean and American musicians playing a dance-based fusion of rock, funk, reggae and traditional Gambian styles. Herbie Hancock introduced Suso to a larger portion of the music world on the former's 1984 album SOUND SYSTEM. The pair also combined forces on WATTO SITTA, a blistering fusion of hot electro-funk and traditional Gambian songs and instrumentation.