Mamady Kouyate is one of Guinea's better known guitarists. He first made his mark as an electric guitarist in the 1970's in some of the national bands that were part of president Sékou Touré’s campaign of Authenticité - a movement that sought to create an afrocentric popular sound. Kouyate was the musical director for a few classic bands and eventually joined Guinea’s most famous export, The Bembeya Jazz, with whom he toured for years. After relocating to the US in the early 2000’s, he founded the Mandingo Ambassadors, a vehicle for his own music that uses the classic 70’s sound of of Guinea's legendary Sylliphone recordings.

For the past ten years, Kouyate has also performed in duo form with fellow guitarist Mamady Kourouma, another alumnus of Guinea’s Authenticité movement. Their duos stay closer to the griot tradition and incorporate melodies originated on balafon and kora, while retaining a modern guitar-centric outlook on the music. Mamady and Mamady's quasi-telepathic communication is pure magic.