Yacouba Diabate live at 195 District Park 6:00 PM

PVD World Music presents Kora Player Yacouba Diabate at the 195 District Park on August 3rd, 2023 at 6:00 PM.

We are thrilled to announce that legend Kora player Yacouba Diabate will join us to guide us into the world music of all things blues.

We warmly invite you to join at 195 District Park as we commemorate another extraordinary year of music and musical traditions that capture the rich fabric of our local community.

Come join us in the peoples park as we celebrate another remarkable year of exceptional music and the incredible diversity of musical traditions that enrich our world.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our presenting sponsors 195 District Park for their continued generosity. PVD World Music Institute is partially supported by the RISCA Expansion program, Papitto Foundation, and Providence Department of Arts, Tourism and Culture.

This series is part of PVD World Music Institute's commitment to promoting, celebrating, and enriching the musical traditions and arts as diverse as the People of in Rhode Island and New England for present and future generation.

About the Kora:

The Kora is a very important musical instrument in West Africa. The jelis who play the instruments are not just musician but are archivist who are custodian of important knowledge passed down for hundred of years from one generation to the other. Such knowledge include but not limited to political scientist, Environmentalist and historian. They are similar to Rhapsodist in ancient Greek with the exception that the Kora predates the Greek Civilization and striving today. 

Here is what Sirifo Sissoko, brother of Ballake Sissok , and Son of the late Djilimady Sissoko, one of the first players to bring the Kora from Gambia to Mali said on Afropop Worldwide: " The kora is the West African harp with 21 strings. It's built with a half calabash and cowskin on the calabash. With a neck made from wood. With the word called kano. I remember back in the day when my grandfather used to build koras. He would get the wood from the forest and then dry it out for maybe six months. It's gotta be really dry. Not rushing like now with the building the kora within a month or two. The strings are made from fishing line nowadays. Before it was a type of skin. But what they did was to have a special treatment for the skin to make the skin hard and not break. It was time consuming...The kora, like my dad used to say, we have a special connection. When we play the kora we face the kora to us. We don't face it backwards. You face the kora. You are communicating with the kora. You don't play like you're playing a guitar or ngoni. It's facing the public. It's not facing you. But the kora, you are meditating when you play it. It's like you were having a dialogue with your kora".

Join us this weekend to learn more about the Kora Instrument and its rich history this Thurdsday.

We hope to see you there!