In this mesmerising performance and talk, Derek explains how he painstakingly translated the works of the great Toumani Diabate from the 21-string kora, onto six string guitar. He gives context to the virtuosity of Diabate himself, and an insight into how African music traditions are passed down. In the process of this translation, Derek is also capturing these African masterpieces onto guitar scores, providing a new way for the works of great African composers to be preserved and interpreted by musicians worldwide.
Photographs courtesy of Youri Lenquette
Derek Gripper has produced some of South Africa’s most extraordinary musical works by fusing the country’s disparate creative traditions with styles throughout the world. His music draws on European classical traditions, avant-garde Brazilian works, Malian kora works, Cape Town’s folk styles, and even Indian classical music, all the while synthesising them into a style uniquely his own. His most recent work has drawn on the compositions of master musicians such as Toumani Diabate, Egberto Gismonti, Ballake Sissoko, and Ali Farka Toure to single-handedly sketch a new musical and cultural landscape for the contemporary classical guitar. Derek is currently (in 2014) working on a duo project with world famous guitarist John Williams.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
30 июн 2015
