A Soto Koto Production
The Project: All Music
Comes From Africa
The Night
of the Griots is a two-hour traditional, acoustic music, drumming, singing
and dance experience. See it once and remember it always.It features the
history and poetic storytelling of traditional Gambian musician and singer
Jaliba Kuyateh and his 21-string kora instrument.The Jaliba Acoustic Ensemble
consists of griots & griotress known as Jalibas & Jali Mussos.
The kora master is known as Jaliba, meaning Our Musician-Singer of Culture.
These
are the troubadors of Africa with folk music of The Gambia and the
instruments that were brought from Africa to the Western Hemisphere
and were the Roots of the Blues -- the Fulani riti (violin), the kora
(harp), balafon (wooden xylophone), the xalam (predecessor of the
banjo), the bolom (bass guitar), the dun dun (bass drums), the junjung,
djembe, family hand drums and many windpipes, bambo flutes and other
instruments. The Griot is the library of the Mandingo people. Since
their history is remembered history and not written history, the Griot
is the living history book, singing songs of the history and genealogoy
of the Empire of Manding.
The Lady Sings African Blues -- Nyama Makalo,
the Griot singer from Mali Night of the Griots celebrated in the Dutch
newspaper the Volkskrant
See it once, remember it always!
For booking information email oko@sotokoto.tv
Kunta Kinteh's descendent Binta Kinteh with
Oko in Juffure, the birthplace of Kunta Kinteh in The Gambia
His Excellency
President Yahya Jammeh,
President of The Gambia
Oko
Drammeh, Mayor of Banjul, The Gambia & Meredith Beal
Oko
with the Senegalese Minister of Culture and opera singer Mawdo Sey
Oko Drammeh, the Mayor of Guangzou, China, Scott
Nagel
Sourakata Koite in KRO TV Studio in The
Netherlands
Mory Kanteh, the kora player from Guinea
with the #1 Billboard hit and Grammy-nominated song Yeke Yeke
Pa Bobo Jobarteh, kora player from Gambia
performs at WOMAD Festival, a Peter Gabriel event
The Griot (African troubador),
singer and musician, Pa Bobo Jobarteh, from the historic Brikama
griot family in The Gambia will be featured during Black History Month
2011 in the United States. Pa Bob Jobarteh is from the Jobarteh family,
a traditional kora family dating back to the Empire of Manding in the
region where Timbuktu is now located. He comes from the same family compound
where Foday Musa Suso, Dembo Conteh, Tata Ding Ding and Jali Mamadi Jobarteh
came from. These are the keepers of the history of the Mandingo Empire.
To bring The Night of the
Griots to your city click here
Ancient African Musical
Instruments The instruments that accompanied
the Griots who are known as the Jalibas and the female griots who are
known as Jali Muso.
The
Kora
(African
21-string harp)
The Balafon (African xylophone)
Jali-Baa and a female Jali-Muso vocalist
The Balom Bata (a type of contrabass)
with a female handbell percussionist
