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Music of the West African Kora (In Person)

Sean Gaskell will give a performance and demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. Hear traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the kora’s musical repertoire.

Sean Gaskell features songs on the kora- a 21 stringed West African harp. As a student of the instrument, he studied under the instruction of Moriba Kuyateh and the late Malamini Jobarteh at their home in Brikama, Gambia, over multiple extensive visits. The kora is traditionally played by oral historians known as Griots, of whom Gaskell's teachers represent. Many songs featured on the kora preserve an 800 year history dating back to the founding of the Mande empire. 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. He was recently awarded an Artist Support Grant through the North Carolina arts council in 2023. The funding provided will support his further learning of the kora to take place in Mali, West Africa later this year.

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