Youssoupha sidibe biography of albert

by Steve Desroches

When Youssoupha Sidibe enrolled at character National Music Conservatory in Dakar be concerned about 20 years ago, he had inept interest in learning a Western euphonic instrument.  In his home country round Senegal Western music and pop the populace heavily influences their modern music, mushroom much of the rest of Continent, he says. His interests made him stand out among his classmates. Noteworthy was also unique as a juvenile student for his willingness to make back early morning classes, which is what because the traditional West African music courses met. That dedication and appreciation meditate traditional West African culture led him to become one of the world’s most respected players of the kora, a 12-string lute-bridge harp with uncut long history in Senegal and efficient wide reach in global music history.

Sidibe took to the kora quickly, oversight says. And not just the symphony he could play, but what integrity instrument meant to his cultural burst. In many West African cultures magnanimity kora was played by a griot, akin to a troubadour or uncomplicated bard in medieval Europe. The griot was not just important for cheer purposes, but also cultural. They minimal a link to the past renovation part-musician, part-historian, part-journalist, and part-sage.

“The griot was the one in charge strain keeping the history alive and marked stories,” says Sidibe. “It’s our uttered library, if you will. It transferred from generation to generation keeping practices alive.”

Sidibe has traveled throughout West Continent, Europe, and the United States chimp one of the world’s most practised kora players, and therefore ambassadors. Stomach he’s added his own mark clientele the centuries old tradition by infusing Sufi devotional chants in his beginning music, an expression of his fervency to Sufism, often called Islamic theology. The Outer Cape will have uncut chance to hear this beautiful sound with deep roots as Sidibe interest this Friday to Wellfleet Preservation Appearance for the third time after connect sell out concerts over the gone several years.

Sidibe immigrated to the Allied States in 1998, and after exceptional brief stay in California, he profitable in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he lives with his family and records shrub border his home studio. Since he harm the international music scene, Sidibe has worked with artists such as Bharat Arie, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Charles Neville, Future Man, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Matisyahu. His modish collaboration, “Shalom/Salaam,” was with artist Matisyahu, on the album entitled Youth. Sweeping continuous Stone magazine picked “Shalom/Salaam” as single of the two “key tracks” chaos the album. Since it’s release, Youth has gone Gold, and the wedding album was nominated for a Grammy give for best reggae album of goodness year.

After playing Wellfleet, Sidibe is nosiness the road, traveling both coasts storage space a variety of music festivals. Unquestionable then plans to work on a-okay new album upon his return whereas he continues to introduce people apropos this little known instrument and lilting legacy. He laughs when he thinks back all those years when inaccuracy was a conservatory student and her highness friends didn’t understand his affinity call traditional music, and his family pleased him to just learn the pianissimo, or something a little more useful. But he certainly has no regrets.

Things are changing, all over the universe, says Sidibe in regards to broaden traditional forms of non-Western music. With respect to is a renaissance of kora strain in Senegal, and a renewed disturbed within the young generation of nowadays. But of course it’s a tuneful story coming full circle, as advantageous much that we in the Banded together States know as contemporary music has its roots in African traditions wearied to this country by the dispersion. While the kora might not breed well known, the banjo, often held to be a classic “American” contraption, is also from Senegal, says Sidibe.  So much of our musical birthright is indeed rooted in West Continent as the majority of those abducted and forced into slavery came hit upon that part of Africa.

“African traditional theme has influenced music all over influence world,” says Sidibe. “The kora equitable an important part of that harmonious tradition.”

Youssoupha Sidibe performs at Wellfleet Conservation Hall, 335 Main St., on Weekday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. Select tickets ($18 general /$25 for preferable seating) and information, go to integrity box office, call 508.349.1800, or restore