Music of the West African Kora by Sean Gaskell

Sean Gaskell will perform and provide an educational demonstration of the kora, an ancient, 21-stringed West African harp. He will feature traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the kora’s musical repertoire.  

Gaskell first heard the kora performed live in 2006. That performance by Kane Mathis, who would become his first teacher, inspired him to immerse himself in music of the kora and travel to its homeland in West Africa. The kora is traditionally played by oral historians known as Griots, often called Jalis or Jelis. Many songs tell story of war, hardship, love and loss all while presenting the history and fabric of Mande society, of which the instrument originates. Visits to Brikama, Gambia, West Africa provided Gaskell the opportunity to study the kora under the instruction of Moriba Kuyateh and his father, the late Malamini Jobarteh. Gaskell has presented adult, youth and family programs at over 350 libraries and a multitude of K-12 schools, colleges, universities and assisted living facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

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