Music and Lore of the West African Kora
with a special guest, Dave Kobrenski on Flute
Sean Gaskell will give a performance & educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. He will feature traditional songs that are the heart & soul of the kora’s musical repertoire. Sean will share some of his personal experiences while studying in Gambia. Learn the history of the kora, how it is built, who typically plays it and the types of events it is often utilized at. Sean encourages everyone to be engaging and come with a variety of questions, for often times those are the ones to yield wonderful and enthusiastic answers!
Durning the perfomance Dave Kobrenski will play the flute to Sean Gaskell's kora. This will the first performance playing together again since 2019.
About Sean Gaskell:
Sean 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.
LINKS to find Sean Gaskell:
Website- www.seangaskell.com Spotify- @seangaskell Facebook @seangaskellmusician Instagram @seangaskellmusic
Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmM9Qysng_v9jqOV88rbL-A