Sorya Kandia Kouyaté was a Guinean singer, considered at his early death in 1977 "one of the most powerful and mesmerizing African singers alive." [1] Known for his powerful voice, and nicknamed "the voice of Africa", [2] his music mixed tradition with jazz before the worldwide boom in African music. [3] A celebrity in Guinea, he appeared at the UN and toured abroad. The 2012 reissue of a collection of his songs and a new book-length biography brought him to renewed attention. [4] [5]
Sorya Kandia Kouyaté was a Guinean singer, considered at his early death in 1977 "one of the most powerful and mesmerizing African singers alive." [1] Known for his powerful voice, and nicknamed "the voice of Africa", [2] his music mixed tradition with jazz before the worldwide boom in African music. [3] A celebrity in Guinea, he appeared at the UN and toured abroad. The 2012 reissue of a collection of his songs and a new book-length biography brought him to renewed attention. [4] [5]