The Yankton Community Library and Friends of the Yankton Community Library, welcome back musician Sean Gaskell, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Gaskell will give a performance and educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. The performance will begin at 4:00 pm and will take place at the G.A.R. Hall, 508 Douglas Street. This event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

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 and has been featured at numerous festivals in the US, Gambia, and Senegal.

If you need additional accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the library.