» Music: Brighton Kora Festival
Brighton hosts Europe’s first festival of kora music this weekend. Jeff Hemmings reports.
One of only a handful of specialist kora makers in the UK and the founder of Brighton’s global music instrument shop Adaptatrap, Les Sherwood is the perfect person to create the city’s first festival of kora music.
“I make koras in conjunction with many African players,” says Les.”After meeting a lot of these players it just occured to me and Danny [Horwood, founder of the event’s managers, Harmony In The Community) to organise such an event.”
Resembling the sound of a harp lute, the kora is an ancient 21-24 string instrument that came into being about 1,000 years ago. Kora players have traditionally come from griot families – traditional historians, genealogists and storytellers who pass their skills on to their descendants.
“Traditional Kora strings are made of either vine, gut, twisted twine or strips of animal hide,” says Les.” I import the base [a calabash, which is cut in half and covered in cow skin to make a resonator] of the kora from Africa, but I put machine heads on the neck, a more accurate bridge and specially selected fishing line guage to get the best sound.
“The festival is going to have an informal African feel… some might mingle amongst the audience as they do in Africa. We’re trying to create a celebration of how the Kora has found its pathway in the UK, so the music will incorporate blues, jazz and other influences. The more high level players are as sophisticated as some our classical greats, and the sounds are sometimes reminiscent of classical forms… but it’s all verbal – there is no notation in Kora music!”
The line up of artists and griots includes African kora players Kadialy Kouyate, Jali Burama Mbye, Seckou Keita, Diabel Cissoko, Sura Suso, Modou Cissoko and Jali Kabba Susso, as well as African percussion Hi-Life dance band Yiri Baa. Virtuoso performances will take place throughout the day, as well as workshops in kora playing, storytelling, drumming, singing and dance. In the evening there will be a full concert with performances by each of the Kora players and their bands.
All the Kora players have been closely involved in the development of this festival, and the result will be a genuine taste of traditional West African culture in the vibrant setting of summertime Brighton.
Now centred on the countries of Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Guinea, the kora and griot storytelling still play a central role in traditional rural life. “It’s a way of relating useful and important information to the villagers,” says Les. “Sometimes it’s just local news and warnings, logical stuff like that!”
Brighton Kora Festival, Saturday 21 August, Sallis Benney Theatre & Gardens, www.adaptatrap.co.uk
