A World in Trance 2019 will present the Hypnotic Strings of Africa on Saturday March 23, 2019 at Roulette in New York.
Derek Gripper’s investigation of Mali’s greatest instrumental virtuosos has produced a new form of classical guitar music out of one of Africa’s richest musical traditions. Derek, a guitar maestro from South Africa, wonderfully performs kora (21-string harp-lute) compositions on solo guitar, a feat which the renowned classical guitarist John Williams said he thought was “absolutely impossible until I heard Derek Gripper do it.”
Gripper’s entrancing guitar versions of Toumani Diabaté’s elaborate compositions for the 21-string West African kora are without precedent. His recent work includes transcriptions and improvisations based on the work of other Malian composers and performers such as Ali Farka Touré, Ballaké Sissoko, Salif Keita and Fanta Sacko, as well as his own compositions based on the music of the Western Cape of South Africa. His recording, Libraries on Fire, explores kora duets on solo guitar.
8:00pm
Roulette, 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue, Downtown Brooklyn
Box office: 917-267-0363 roulette.org
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.