West
African Griot Mixes Culture and History
by Christina Morgan
A
small group of Obies were treated to a delightful presentation of
a centuries-old form of West African music when Alhaji Papa Susso,
a Griot from the Gambia, performed in Lord Lounge on Monday evening.
Are you going to dance tonight? Susso asked enthusiastically
as he took the stage.
While at first it seemed that many did not want to get out of their
seats, it wasnt long before Sussos cheerful mood spread
throughout the audience.
Griot is French for praise-singer or oral-historian.
Gambian griots such as Susso use an instrument called the kora to
recount tribal history and ancestry. The kora is a 21-stringed harp-lute
unique to the western-most part of Africa that is played with four
fingers. Historically, only professional musicians who were attached
to the royal courts played the instrument.
The first song of the evening recounted the history of a king and
his two sons. Susso wailed loudly into the microphone as he tried
to stir people to their feet. However, it was not until Susso played
his third song, written in 1969 to commemorate the landing of a
man on the moon, that the crowd, led by Professor Johnny Coleman,
began to really move to Sussos music.
Susso, who hails from a family of Griots, began learning to play
the kora at the age of five under the instruction of his father.
It is said that the Susso family of the Mandinka tribe of the great
Manding Empire invented the instrument.
Susso spent the early years of his adulthood as a member of the
Gambian civil service, holding such titles as Senior Accountant
in the Ministry of Work and Communications. He later resigned to
return to his traditional role as a kora player in order to preserve
the rich history and culture of the Griots.
In 1974, he resigned from the position of chief kora player of The
Gambian National Cultural Troupe under the Ministry of Education
and Culture to form his own group, The Manding Music and Dance Limited.
He has since performed in such prominent venues as Carnegie Hall
as well as with several large symphonies in major U.S. cities, such
as Detroit, St. Louis and Baltimore. Susso will continue touring
the U.S. and Canada until the end of this year.
The intimate setting of Lord Lounge provided the perfect setting
for Sussos performance. Even though Sussos songs, sung
in his native language, more than likely were not understood by
anyone in the audience, his energy seeped into the crowd and created
a pleasing atmosphere.
It was very interesting to hear this different instrument;
people sometimes think all African music is percussive, senior
David Hughley, who spent time in Sussos home when he traveled
to Africa with a small group of Oberlin dance students two summers
ago, said. I love the music and I especially like the songs
when he asked people to dance, he added.
Papa Sussos interesting and spirit-filled kora performance
lightened the mood of all who attended the concert. If the
music is beautiful I want you to dance and celebrate. Africa is
music and dance, Susso said. Those who were present at the
Black History Month event definitely heard truth in these words.
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