Souleymane Traoré, known as Neba Solo, was born in 1969 in Sikasso, Mali, and learned the balafon from his father. He returned to music in 1986, refining the balafon‑bass and developing a distinctive left‑to‑right playing style that earned him recognition in the 1990s. His first notable release was Kenedougou Foly (1998), followed by the single "Can 2002" (2002) and the album CAN 2002 (2001). Neba Solo toured internationally, including Africolor in Saint‑Denis (1998) and the Folklife Festival in Washington (2003), and collaborated with the Trio Chemirani on Falak (2003). In 2025 he released Tuma Duma, and in 2026 he collaborated with Benego Diakité on A Djinn and a Hunter Went Walking, cementing his legacy in world music.