Sean Gaskell will give a performance and educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa.
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. He will feature traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the kora’s musical repertoire in addition to some of his own personal compositions.
The concert will run from approximately 2:00 pm to 2:45 pm on Sunday, June 7. You can watch it here at that time: https://www.youtube.com/user/cphpubliclibrary
The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library provides a wide range of materials, programs, and services to the residents of Clifton Park and Halfmoon. We are a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System. Our mission is to nurture and foster community connections by providing the space and resources for patrons to be educated, entertained, and enriched. Our vision is to be at the heart of our community. The go-to place to meet, learn, and do.