Foday Musa Suso- Kora Music from the Gambia (CD)
Recorded in Accra, Ghana, in 1976, Kora Music from the Gambia is a collection of songs performed on the Kora, a 21-string bridge harp used by the Mandinka people of northwestern Africa. Foday Musa Suso is a member of the hereditary Jali social class, and, as ethnomusicologist Roderic Knight explains, that means he is both a historian and a musician: "For example, praises and genealogy were incorporated into songs, and oral history was told to the accompaniment of instrument music. " Suso's selections on this album range from traditional stories from the Mali Empire ("Tira Makan") to a contemporary song from the Gambia that refers to the 1960s moon landing missions ("Apollo"). Liner notes include a detailed description and history of kora music in the Gambia and track notes.
Tracklist:
- Medley: Kelefaba (Tomoraba Tuning)/'Kuruntu Kelefa' (Tomoraba Tuning)
- Sunjata (Sauta Tuning)
- Tira Makan (Tomoraba Tuning)
- Apollo (Sauta Tuning)
- Jula Jekere (Hardino Tuning)
- Juku Te Nte Sorola (Sauta Tuning)
- Mama Manneh (Hardino Tuning)
UPC > 093070851023
Format > New CD
Label > Folkways Records
Shop online at Darkside Records.
Follow us on Instagram.
Recorded in Accra, Ghana, in 1976, Kora Music from the Gambia is a collection of songs performed on the Kora, a 21-string bridge harp used by the Mandinka people of northwestern Africa. Foday Musa Suso is a member of the hereditary Jali social class, and, as ethnomusicologist Roderic Knight explains, that means he is both a historian and a musician: "For example, praises and genealogy were incorporated into songs, and oral history was told to the accompaniment of instrument music. " Suso's selections on this album range from traditional stories from the Mali Empire ("Tira Makan") to a contemporary song from the Gambia that refers to the 1960s moon landing missions ("Apollo"). Liner notes include a detailed description and history of kora music in the Gambia and track notes.
Tracklist:
- Medley: Kelefaba (Tomoraba Tuning)/'Kuruntu Kelefa' (Tomoraba Tuning)
- Sunjata (Sauta Tuning)
- Tira Makan (Tomoraba Tuning)
- Apollo (Sauta Tuning)
- Jula Jekere (Hardino Tuning)
- Juku Te Nte Sorola (Sauta Tuning)
- Mama Manneh (Hardino Tuning)
UPC > 093070851023
Format > New CD
Label > Folkways Records
Shop online at Darkside Records.
Follow us on Instagram.