The Music and History of the West African Kora. Presented by Sean Gaskell

Sean Gaskell has had extensive instruction from masters in both Gambia and Senegal on the kora, a 21–stringed West African harp. 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. Audience members will learn how the kora is built, who plays it, the events it is used at, and how it intertwines with the fabric of society in West Africa.