Doors at 8:30 pm; Show at 9:00 pm
$15 Advance / $18 Day of Show
International Kora master Karamo Susso returns to Ashkenaz stage with an all-star ensemble featuring the lead drummer from the "Black Panther" movie, Senegalese Master Drummer Massamba Diop, Ousseynou Kouyate of Sekou Senegal, Tony D on Drumset, Moussa Camara on Djembe, and Ben Isaacs on Bass.
International Kora master Karamo Susso
Senegalese Master Drummer Massamba Diop
Karamo Susso is of the best-known African performers to grace our stage, he has appeared in the past few years in numerous settings, contributing his unique spirit, from solo to such world fusions as the World Blues Band, Symphony of Koras, Soul Union, and the Manding Band. Susso was born in Gambia, raised in Mali, and is a singer and kora master. He grew up in a compound of griots, next door to Toumani Diabate. His uncle was Ballake Cissoko. Susso was playing kora and performing before he was big enough to hold the instrument. He has since gone on to perform with many of Africa’s top stars and American musicians including Taj Mahal.
Massamba Diop is perhaps the world's most renowned master of the Tama, a talking drum from West Africa, known for its ability to emulate the tonalities of human speech. He came into the limelight as lead percussionist and a founding member of Daande Lenol, the band of Senegalese super-star Baaba Maal. Over the past 30 years the group has been playing all over the world, working with many notable musical figures and releasing dozens of albums, including "Firin' in Fouta", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best World Music in 1996. Massamba himself has performed and/or recorded with the likes of Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Harry Belafonte and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. He also appeared on Peter Gabriel's landmark release "Passion", which won a Grammy in 1990.
ABOUT KARAMO SUSSO'S INSTRUMENT:
The kora, the 21-stringed harp lute of West Africa, originated in the ancient Kingdom of Mali more than a thousand years ago. Tradition tells that djinns brought it into this world and gave it to the griots: families whose place in the culture was to sing the epics of heroes and relate histories. The griots played kora and sang in court to praise the kings, and in the villages to carry news and to celebrate traditional ceremonies. The music is intricate, elegant, and potent. It is sweet while strong, percussive while lyrical, active while calm. Centuries of complex tradition are heard in it, as are simple truths.
