Kora Class

Just wanted to add this picture of my favorite child of the Peul Bande people. Abdou. This week we had our music and dance workshops. We divided up based on our choices, and I, of course, chose kora. We had two hours a day in the afternoons for the past 4 days. There were 6 of us playing. Our teacher, as you may have seen below in the video I posted is named Edouard. He was very amusing and an excellent kora player. After these lessons, I am now sure that I want to study the kora. I will take private lessons with Edouard and hopefully go to a village to study kora with some of the griots, and of course I will have to visit the kids of Peul Bande. The griots are the traditional kora players, and it is passed down through the males. The kora has been taken and used in modern mbalaax music, which is what Edouard plays. I am so excited to get started with my lessons! Next week, we have the batik workshop, which I am also excited about. Then, another village trip. Time is going by so fast here, I can't believe it! Soon enough, I will be in Morocco, and then home!