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Peter Fand is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from New York City. He plays a 21 stringed harp-lute from the West African country of Guinea-Bissau, traditional percussion instruments from all over the world, and several other instruments that are more common in American styles, such as the guitar and bass. He developed a deep interest in West African music while studying ethnomusicology at City College in New York City, and has spent the past ten years working in that, and related musical genres. While he has many recording and composing credits including several CD's, film scores and music for national television, "Dedication" is Peter's first release as a solo artist. It is a beautiful collection of music that was conceived in the latter part of 1997, in the context of Yoga and Meditation classes in which Peter was working as a musical accompanist. These melodies are sweet yet haunting, and invite the listener into the magical, contemplative world in which they exist. The kora has an enchanting sound, lilting yet bold. It is often equated to the sound of moving water, and although it is rarely encountered outside of the Mandinka region of West Africa, people frequently feel that they have heard the sound before. In this CD, the instrument is used in innovative new ways. The timbral combinations are striking, as the voice of the kora interweaves with those of the cello, clarinet and flute. After extensive study at home and abroad, the music and culture of the Mandinka people greatly inform Peter's experience, and therefore his music. He has studied with some of the most revered and respected kora players alive today, including Keba Cissoko, and N'Bady Kouyate, both of whom are known internationally for their work with "Les Ballets Africains". Both of these artists are part of a lineage of traditional musicians and storytellers in Mandinka culture called "Griots"who carry countless generations of knowledge with them in the form of song. Peter Fand spent several months studying at the home of N'Bady Kouyate in Conakry, Guinea, learning the traditional ways of the kora, and its history. With "Dedication" Peter has taken a step into a new musical world. It is a place where tradition and the ancient sounds of the kora unite with contemporary ideas to form a new approach. It is New World Music, and our first glimpse of what is to come. Check out the artist's website: http://www.motherwest.com Track List: 1. Sarah's Lily 2. Furnace Creek 3. Lea's Meditation 4. The Gift 5. First Light in Sougeta 6. Ode to Fareta 7. Dedication Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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