by Nomad
This week's Sanity Sunday takes an ethnic turn and travels to the small West African country of Senegal. Senegal's rich musical heritage is due in part to the diversity and history of its people.One fine example of this rich heritage 39-year old Senegal- born Seckou Keita.
He is one of the leaders of the newest generation of African traditional musicians, fusing the traditional forms and instruments with those of other cultures. The instrument he is playing is called a "kora," a long-necked harp lute of West Africa. He is also a percussionist and singer. Remarkably, he is a self-trained musician and began studying on his own when he was seven years old.
The featured album, 22 Strings, was released in 2015. It won the 2016 Songlines Music Awards in the Africa and Middle East category.
Let's take a listen.
In the second album, I have found, Keita is paired with Catrin Finch, a harpist, arranger, and composer from Wales. She was the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004 and is Visiting Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music in London.
If you'd like to buy either of these two albums, click here and here.
The video below shows Finch and Keita performing before a Norwegian audience in 2015.
Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends.