Friday Night YouTube Music #8

Music from West Africa

African music has greatly influenced Western music, particularly here in America. Melded with the traditional musical styles brought here by European colonists, African harmonies and rhythms spawned distinctive styles such as blues, jazz, R-and-B, and hip-hop. You can hear the influence in pieces that range from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to the pop hits of Elvis Presley.

Looking for the sources of this wonderful music, I discovered the rich traditions of West African music. An early discovery was Sona Jobarteh, daughter of a British mother and Gambian father. Her father’s family is one of the five principal kora-playing griot families of West Africa. Sona is Gambia’s first female professional kora player.

This is Sona’s debut video and showcases her vocal talents as well as her instrumental skills.

Singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara from Mali carries on the strong musical heritage of her country.

Of course, no mention of the music of Mali is complete without acknowledging the contributions the late Ali Farka Touré made in bringing Malian music to international attention.

Let’s close out the week with a bit of the joyful sound of High Life music.

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