Sean Gaskell performs solo acoustic set on the Kora, Dec. 19

From a press release:

Sean Gaskell performs solo acoustic set on the Kora, Dec. 19

Sean Gaskell will give a solo acoustic set on the Kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. Gaskell features traditional songs of the Mandinka people from Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.

The show will take place at Dobra Tea, 120 Broadway St. Black Mountain NC and will be held on Friday, December 19th at 6pm.

Suggested donation is $5 per person.

Sean Gaskell features traditional songs on the Kora, a 21 string harp that he learned how to play throughout the course of multiple visits to its homeland in Gambia, West Africa. The Kora is native to the Mandinka people 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. Gaskell has studied extensively under the instruction of Malamini Jobarteh and Moriba Kuyateh, both of Brikama, Gambia. He was first inspired to play by Kane Mathis, a Kora player formerly based in Seattle who has lead “The Kora Band” and “The Sahel Band”. Gaskell relocated from Seattle to Asheville, North Carolina in 2014. He has been featured at a number of music festivals in the US, Gambia, and Senegal.

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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