The Afrocelt's Guinean kora player recently released his third album with solo project Dunyakan (Voice of the World), which he created in 1996 combining traditional kora, djembé, balafon and sabar with a western drum kit, guitars, bass and electronics.

I would like the audience to really listen to the music and to follow the counsel I've tried to give through it -- of peace and of love

N'Faly is, as his father was before him, a griot, keeper of his people's traditions and oral history. I asked him about this role, what it means to him, and what it is to be a griot in the modern world. "My music is an instrument for me, one that assures my role as griot. The relation between a griot and his music is like the relation of a doctor with his instruments, a pilot with his plane, one doesn't exist without the other. To be a griot is my function, and my music serves that function."

He continued, that to be a griot today was to be a defender of his culture, to bring people together and to protect the future, too, the future of the griot himself and his place in society. But, he added, the role of the griot had changed from its origins when the griot served the country's king.

"Our role has been greatly reduced, but we still hold the roles of musician, storyteller and historian, and I am proud to hold that role. I like to describe the griot as a 'walking library' because we guarded history before and since it was written down in books and libraries, and we still do, in our own way, as modern griots."

He emphasized the role of storytelling, even in his concerts, and said he aims to teach and give councel through his music as well as to entertain.

Although the main elements of his music, especially on his latest release Kora Grooves from West Africa, are rooted in Guinea, Western influences definitely show through, and Kouyate has worked since 1996 in Europe and especially in Belgium. I asked him how far his performance was still tied to his roots in Guinea.

"It is tied very strongly to my roots in Guinea, but it has also changed greatly since I came to Belgium. For me, to be human is to change, and to always strive to progress. I remember someone asking me once if I was nervous performing in front of huge crowds like at WOMAD, and I was surprised at this question.

"I remember my father telling me to never be afraid of new situations or to try new things, but instead to embrace them, and I try to do this in my life. This is one of the things my father taught me that I think of most often in my life, and is one of my strongest memories of my father.

"I know my music has been influenced by the variety of artists I've performed with, including Arabs, Belgians, Japanese so many different cultures. I've even worked with a sitar player, which was wonderful."

Kouyate has been involved in many collaborations, Belgium's Coast to Coast, Anye Ben Kafo and with the Afrocelts, "when the atmosphere is always charged with so many influences too that it is an inspiration to me and drives me to try different things with my own music.

"It is very exciting to me, and adds to my music, which I still consider very faithful to its roots. But again, I think we should always strive to grow and progress."

Having appeared with the likes of Wes Welenga, Jesse Cook and Robert Plant, as well as the Afrocelt collaboration. I asked Kouyate which had been his favourite: "My favorite collaboration definitely was when I worked with Peter Gabriel. He performed with us [the Afrocelts] on television and later at WOMAD Seattle with us. I had always thought that he would be impossible to approach, because of his fame and stature, but I found that he was very friendly and approachable, and treated me right from the start with great friendliness and respect.

"Actually he was the one listening to me, working with me, and that made a tremendous impression on me. I worked with his daughter Melanie and the other singers, to teach them the Malinke portion of the song 'When You're Falling' and as we were working on this, I noticed that Peter had stopped working and was sitting and watching us, writing down the lyrics and even singing along.

"This really touched me, that such a well known artist was interested in learning something from me. I found him to be very kind, very sympathetic, and open to everything, eager to learn about my language and my culture. I will never forget that, and later, singing on stage with him in Seattle at WOMAD was also something very special to me. It was a wonderful, unforgettable experience."

I finished up by asking what, if anything did he want an audience to take away from one of his performances? "The single thing I would like the audience to take away from my performances is to really listen to the music, and to follow the counsel I've tried to give through it, of peace and of love.

'I remember being very moved at WOMAD last summer, at the gala finale when all of the different artists came together on stage, and how well they played together, came together and how easy that was to do. It's like a lesson for life, really what we did on stage that day."

Look out for N'faly Kouyate with Dunyakan playing at Trades Club and the Junction, Cambridge later this year and with the Afrocelts at WOMAD Reading in July.