Music of the West African Kora

Sean Gaskell will share the sounds of the West African kora at multiple library locations in September. The kora is a 21-stringed West African harp. Gaskell studied under the extensive instruction of Moriba Kuyateh and the late Malamini Jobarteh in Gambia, and both Youssoupha Cissokho and Mamadou Cissokho in Senegal. The kora is traditionally played by oral historians known as Griots. Many songs featured on the kora preserve an 800-year history dating back to the founding of the Mande empire. Gaskell has presented his music at over 500 libraries and a multitude of K-12 schools, colleges, universities and assisted living facilities throughout the United States and Canada.