Songwriter & Composer
Where ancient sounds meet new stories
Sousou has a background in classical music, with a strong foundation in traditional choir repertoire, as well as medieval, renaissance, and baroque music. At the same time, her upbringing was filled with synth, grunge, pop, soul, and blues – genres that continue to shape her musical expression. Her heart also beats for traditional music from both the Nordic countries and West Africa.
These seemingly distant genres meet and merge in Sousou’s songwriting, where stories, melodies, and musical traditions are woven into something uniquely her own.
Intuition and improvisation are key elements in her creative process, and she finds joy in letting the music unfold through experimentation and curiosity.
Sousou has composed music for kora and choir, as well as for a number of performance and stage productions. Together with Maher Cissoko, she has co-written all of their 4 albums (with just a few traditional tracks).
One early milestone that reflects her authentic love for composing was her final high school project. While attending a science program with a broad academic focus, she chose to dive deep into the musical history of the recorder. The project resulted in three original compositions in medieval, renaissance, and baroque styles. This experience reaffirmed her desire to create music from her own voice and vision. It remains a reminder of what she naturally gravitates toward when given full creative freedom: composing.
She is currently writing new material for her upcoming solo album and the fifth album with Maher Cissoko.
Previous Work and collaborations (Selection)
Below is a selection of Sousou’s work as a composer and songwriter, including music for theatre, choir, kora, and cross-genre collaborations.
“If I Had Superpowers”
speaks about longing for peace, healing, and understanding in a divided world. This special version of Sousou’s song performed live at the Right Livelihood Awards 2023, features Spanish translations and new arrangements created together with Liliana Zavala, Emilia Amper, and Nadin Al Khalidi, weaving together languages, cultures, and voices in a shared call for compassion. It’s an invitation to reflect on our own potential: if we had superpowers, what would we do?
The Kora & Choir project
The Kora & Choir project explored what happens when West African Mande-inspired music meets the rich Nordic a cappella tradition. The vision was to weave cultures together, explore links instead of borders, and inspire future generations of musicians and listeners through new perspectives.
Here is one of the pieces for choir, kora, and narration based on a powerful article by journalist Katia Wagner (“Drömmen om ett liv bortom havet”), using real quotes and stories as lyrics. That piece, and the whole project , remains close to her heart, and she hopes to work more with choirs in the future.
Theatre & Performance
The children’s theatre play Pizi & Oso (Teater 23) in collaboration with Maher Cissoko
The sound and movement performance KURR (by dancer Emma Ribbing and composer Silas Bieri)
Other Cross-Cultural Collaborations
Sousou has also been involved in several other collaborative music projects, including:
Sången Om Mig, Scenkonst Sörmland, 2022), composed a song based on the personal story of someone from Sweden’s Tornedalian minority, performed alongside Kristin Amparo, Liliana Zavala, and others.
Collaborations with international artists Jai-Jagdeesh and Ayla Schafer.
Performed and arranged music with the Chicago Children’s Choir and conductor Molly Stone.
Let’s collaborate
Despite many years of experience, Sousou’s journey as a composer is just beginning, with much more still to explore.
She is open to new collaborations and would love to compose more, especially in dialogue with theatre, choir, dance, poetry, yoga and meditation, or other forms of artistic expression.
Every project has its own story, and she loves finding the sound that brings it to life.
If you have a creative idea you’d like to explore, feel free to get in touch.