Improvisation from a West African Perspective
The first playlist of ‘Listening Journal’ at BLLOGU has been prepared by the Sudanese bassist Islam Elbeiti, with a focus on the topic of ‘Improvisation from a West African Perspective.’ To accompany the playlist, Elbeiti has prepared a short description on the selected topic:
“Improvisation has been present in the African culture for as long as we know. It happens in different shapes and forms. In this playlist, the music is shedding light on improvisation from a West African perspective, with special focus on the sounds of the Kora, a traditional, 21 string instrument that has characteristics of the Lute and Harp. Kora players have traditionally come from ‘Jali” families (also from the Mandika tribes) who are traditional historians, genealogists and storytellers. The instrument though played in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso, it was first discovered in Gambia and has now taken the world by storm.”
The playlist includes music by some of the finest Kora musicians known to date, such as Toumani Diabate, Tunde Jegede, Ablaye Cissoko and others who through time, showcased to the world the complexity and beauty of West African music.