Album addition

Stephen McCreight and Matthew Cooper experience at first hand the music of West Africa played by their new friend, Sherrifo. The Manding people of West Africa are families of hereditary musicians and historians, the story tellers of their region. Sherrifo comes from one the most famous of the jali or ‘griot’ families, his whole life steeped in this rich tradition. He plays the Kora, a 21-string gourd harp, considered to be Africa's greatest musical instrument. The earliest references dates it back to the eighteenth century though it may be older. It is unique to the Manding people of West Africa, known for the remarkable virtuosos who have played such a vital role in their societies over the centuries, recording orally the history and genealogy of their people, noting customs, laws, archives and composing songs honouring famous figures.