Saihou has a superb harmonious golden voice as a matter of inherence from his mother Jali Mamanding Kuyateh . He as a strong harmonious feeling of the griot type of singing (“Jaliyaa Kumoo”). Singing in the way of a griot is not the only flavour Saihou knows but could sing if wished, in R&B, Dancehall, Salsa, Mbalax, etc. as well as in different voices, tones, accents, melodies or harmonies.
In that case, he developed and came up with a unique style of music in the history of Gambian Griot Music. The style of singing traditional ‘Mandinka' songs in fusion with a combination of traditional instruments and western beats like Hip Hop, R&B, or Spanish flavours which influenced most western music singers (Rappers) in doing combinations with Saihou's melodious voice with their art of rapping in Hip Hop. Thus another unique flavour in Gambian Music.
The “Balafong” had been an important icon in Saihou's family. It is been thought within the family from generations after generation until today, Saihou became the outstanding and the only key player of the family's great instrument meaning the one responsible for the present survival of the inheritance (“Balafong”) that his grandfather left for the entire Kanuteh clan.
Saihou still thinks that, playing the ‘Balafong' by only by him alone in the entire family is not the only mean of maintaining the existence of the instrument in the family as no man is perfect. For that being the case, he kept on his efforts in giving out lessons to the other members of the family especially the young ones like his brothers Jalimadi and Alieu and also non family members like interested neighbours, friends, tourists, ect…
His fast and hard striking of the wooden keys of the ‘Balafong' giving a perfect sense of a real Mandinka musical melody, has shown that he is a real successor of the talent in ‘Balafong' playing among the great Kanuteh clan that begun from his legend grandfather Jali Madi Kanuteh or “Balafo Madi” (Madi the Balofong player).
As he loves music, Saihou plays the guitar, harmonica (mouth organ), ‘Jimbeh'(king of the drums) which he played whilst in a dance group (1986-1990) as a traditional “Susu” ballet dancer at the age of six(6) under his father's management, and ‘Tunguneh' a drum belonging to the Wollof tribe which he played when he was younger with friends during their performance with a traditional lantern boat call ‘Fanal' only in Christmas. He also plays some prominent traditional tunes on a traditional instrument of 21 strings call “Kora”. Unlike his father, Saihou couldn't get time to learn how to play the ‘Halam' a fiddle belonging to the ‘Wollof' tribe.
Saihou is a High School graduate, from S.O.S. Hermann Gmeiner Technical Senior Secondary School . He was an outstanding painter in the Art Department of the School and often represented the School in several exhibitions both national and international. Upon completion of High School, he joined a Printing Company (DBC Quality Designs) to make use of his creativity in Art with technology. Finally he became a computer graphics designer where he gets his major earnings.
Despite being the head of the graphic department in his company, the art of drawing and painting is not the only area he does in art but, as well as the Art where by the thoughts and fancies of the mind are put into sound i.e. Music.
His late father, the legend Alhaji Jali Banna Kanuteh , was a magnificent and a typical icon of a griot. He was therefore crowned the King of the Griots of The Gambia as well as his wife (Sahou's mother) as the queen. He was a great oral traditional African historian, an outstanding master of the famous traditional wooden xylophone called the “Balafong” or “Baloo” as often called among the “Mandinkolu” of the Gambia . Banna hasn't undergone western education but was able to speak English, French, Arab and 23 African languages, thus a linguist.
A melodious and golden voice of a queen of the griots, Saihou's mother, Jali Mamanding Kuyateh known as ‘Jali Mama' is an exceptional vocalist among the female musicians of the Gambia . Having succeeded in producing an album entitled ‘Langnaya' (trust), Jali Mama has brought a great courage to many female musicians especially of those from the griot clan. She represented The Gambia in international cultural festivals in Senegal , England , USA and also the ones organized nationally
