DON'T MISS - West African Kora Musical Program @ the Easton Public Library

On Friday, October 9 @ 7:00 p.m., the Library will host Sean Gaskell who will give a performance for children & families 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 as well as some of his own personal compositions.

“This will be an engaging and fun musical program for children and will encourage them to explore a non-Western musical tradition,” said Lynn Zaffino, Assistant Director & Head of Youth Services. . “Music is a great way to explore our world and to learn about other cultures. Everyone can appreciate music because it is a universal language.”

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. For more information on Sean Gaskell, see his website - www.seangaskell.com. For a video of his performance, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sifNsI1iwCg .

Registration is required and can be done through the Library’s online calendar; by Lynn Zaffino at lzaffino@eastonlibrary.org; or by calling the Library at 203-261-0134. For more information about programs at the Easton Public Library, sign up for our email newsletter at http://tinyurl.com/EPLeNews; find us on Facebook at “Easton Public Library”; or call (203) 261-0134. There is ample parking in the library parking lot, located at the corner of Morehouse and Center Roads. For directions to the library, please visit our website www.eastonlibrary.org.