Residency and Outreach Activities
High-energy, melodic and percussive World Music/Afro-Pop Performance with traditional instruments and singing
Audience participation - dancing, singing, playing
Lecture/Demonstrations and Residencies covering the following subjects and more:
- role of the Djeli (griot) in Mande Music
- traditional instruments and their history
- difference between Wassalou, Djeli and Mande music
- the Sosso bala (800 year-old UNESCO-protected cultural artifact)
- Pentatonic vs. Diatonic music - family
Audiences Served
School children, Teens, Youth-at-risk, Elders, Immigrant populations, Adults, Families, People with disabilities
Languages Performed (Other than English):
French, Native American/Indigenous
Grade Levels Served:
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Higher Education, Adult Education, Pre-K
Curriculum Areas Your Program(s) address
Arts, Foreign Languages, History and Social Science
Awards
2010 - Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship for the Traditional Arts
2001 - Smithsonian Folklife Festival Award
1999 - National Award for Outstanding Young Musician presented by wife of former President Alpha Omar Konar
Education/Training
- Private tutelage of El Hadji Sekou Kouyate
- Ensemble Instrumental du Mali (http://www.mali-music.com/Cat/CatE/EnsembleInstrumental.htm#an)
Technical Requirements
http://www.ballakouyate.com/tech_rider.html