Kadialy Kouyate was born in Kolda in Casamance, in the south of Senegal, in 1979. He comes from a very large African musical family of dialis, which means `griot`, who are well known in Mandinka history. A griot is a storyteller in Western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family. Kadialy’s family belongs to the great line of Kouyate griots, descendants of Balla Fasseke, the first Mandinka diali, who became the official griot in the service of the emperor Sundiata Keita. Legend has it that Sundiata's enemy, the king of Sosso, blacksmith Soumarou Kante, gave him the name Kouyate, which means "we share a secret". Being brought up in such a family of griots, Kadialy played the kora instinctively from an early age.

The Mandinka kora is a unique instrument with a harp-like appearance (21 strings) and a notched bridge similar to that of a lute or guitar. It sounds somewhat like a harp, but its intricate playing style can be closer to flamenco guitar.

Kadialy says that music flowed naturally from his fingers and he was soon playing traditional tunes by ear. He was raised by his grandmother, from whom he acquired a great knowledge of songs based on traditional stories. This is the bedrock of his repertoire. Being rooted in this great tradition enabled Kadialy, later, to break new ground by accompanying students' poetry recitals at the university of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal. In 2003 he made his first trip to the UK and performed solo (voice and kora) in a variety of community spaces - house concerts, mainly organised by Paul Chi of Healthy Concerts, and also at a UNICEF charity event.

Kadialy has broadcast frequently on BBC Radio 3, having been featured live on Lucy Duran¹s broadcast from WOMAD in August 2005. He has played on the World Routes programme with Fimber Bravo and on Andy Kershaw¹s Sunday night programme.

Kadialy has performed with the New York jazz group, MALIcool, at the Tramway in Glasgow. This was also with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and was broadcast on Radio 3. With the Paraguayan harpist, Kike Pederson, Kadialy has performed on Charlie Gillett¹s BBC World Service music programme.