It happens to all of us... you're mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or your social media demon of choice, and the next thing you know you've purchased $150 of artisan glasswear in a hot pink color because it's almost sold out, or a skincare cream for wrinkles you didn't know you were supposed to be worried about... you got influenced. No guilt here, who among us is immune, right??
That's how I ended up with South African guitarist Derek Gripper in our WUOL studios on a Saturday morning. Instagram knows me well, and for the past couple of months I've been seeing advertisements for a classical guitarist who incorporated West African kora music into his repertoire, and I needed to know more.
His journey is a fascinating one. An accomplished classical guitarist but somewhat unsatisfied with the repertoire, Gripper knew there was more out there for him... and he found it in the world of kora music. In our conversation, he detailed this journey, the tenuous process of transcribing music from an oral tradition, and plays works by both J.S. Bach and Malian kora player Toumani Diabate.
