Music of the West African kora to be featured at St. Charles library Oct. 12
On Thursday, Oct. 12, the St. Charles Public Library will host a special concert featuring the music of the West African kora with Sean Gaskell.
The concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Carnegie Community Room, located on the second floor of the library, 1 S. Sixth Ave.
Gaskell features songs on the kora, a 21-stringed West African harp.
As a student of the instrument, he studied under the instruction of two musicians at their home in Brikama, Gambia, over multiple extensive visits.
The kora is traditionally played by oral historians known as Griots. Many songs featured on the kora preserve an 800-year history dating back to the founding of the Mande Empire.
Gaskell has presented adult, youth, and family programs at over 350 libraries and many K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and assisted living facilities throughout the United States and Canada. He was recently awarded an Artist Support Grant through the North Carolina Arts Council in 2023.
Since 1981, the library has featured a wide variety of musical performances. The concert is open to the public.
For more information, visit www.scpld.org or call (630) 584-0076.