The YELI Ensemble is named after the word 'Yeli', also called Djeli or Griot in French. A Yeli is a 'living archive' of West African people's traditions. It is someone who has learned their artform from the youngest age, initially from their parents and then from their community and different masters of the art form. 

Ibrahima Dioubate and Mohamed Cisse both come from the Yeli tradition. Ibrahima was born into it as a Dioubate. Mohamed was initiated into it through his father. They are both masters of their craft and celebrated internationally for sharing the rich and amazing culture of Guinea Conakry, a culture which dates back as far as the Mali Empire. Ibrahima is a djembefola, specializing in the solo instrument the djembe, the 'star' of West African percussions. Mohamed excels in Guinea dance although he also plays several instruments. Together they give us a real taste of this incredibly dynamic and rich culture.