Music of the West African Kora (Harp)
Whitefish Bay Public Library 5420 N. Marlborough Drive, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin 53217
Sean Gaskell features traditional songs on the 21 stringed West African Kora. The Kora is native to the Mande peoples who live within the countries of Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. The music is traditionally played by oral and musical historians known as Griots (Gree-ohs). The Kora is a melodic and seemingly peaceful instrument, which is somewhat contrary to its musical repertoire. Many songs tell ancient stories of war and hardship, while others praise people of high political status and those who helped expand the Mande Empire. While the Kora is only 300 years old, some commonly played songs can be traced back 800 years to the Mande empires' founding. Gaskell has studied extensively under the instruction of Malamini Jobarteh and Moriba Kuyateh of Brikama, The Gambia, and Kane Mathis of Brooklyn, NY. Gaskell has been featured at numerous festivals in the US, Gambia, and Senegal.
Free , RSVP at http://bit.ly/1pzlLrU
LINKS:
Sean Gaskell- www.seangaskell.com