Salieu Suso, a Gambian master musician and kora-harp player, will visit Ramapo for a performance-demonstration and discussion on Tuesday, February 21, 6 – 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounges in the Student Center.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Mr. Suso comes from a long line of jali/griots (musicians/historians/storytellers) in the Gambia and has lived in New York since 1989.  He will explain his family’s heritage, the role of jali in his West African culture, the kora, and his music.  The kora is a magnificent 21-stringed harp played with both hands, fingers and thumbs separated to play three parts simultaneously. Jali kora players accompany themselves while singing songs, telling stories, and giving praise.  If you haven’t heard it before, the instrument has a rich sound and its music is stunningly beautiful.  Mr. Suso has recorded on Lyrichord Discs, Smithsonian Folkways, and Verve Records.  He has performed solo kora or with his ensemble at major venues, universities, and museums, including the United Nations, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Apollo Theater of Harlem, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rutgers, and NYU.  He has participated in international development awareness programs, such as the UN’s Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the International Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination in 2015 and Voices Against Ebola in 2016.

His visit to Ramapo, funded by a CA Platinum Grant and organized by the Music Program, contributes to the college-wide Year of Africa and Black History Month celebrations.

For more information, contact Professor Marc Gidal (mgidal@ramapo.edu.)