Saturday, October 6th at 11:00am
Music of the West African Kora comes to Dennis Port! Sean Gaskell will give a performance and educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. 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 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 very melodic and seemingly peaceful instrument, which is 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 founding of the Mande Empire. Enjoy a short video of Sean Gaskell and his kora before the event!
Visit Sean's website for more information: seangaskell.com
All are welcome at this enriching musical performance.
This program is funded by the Friends of Dennis Public Library.