Derek Gripper - Music From The Strings Of Mali

Be transported into the world of West African music with Derek Gripper, the South African guitarist who did what many believed could not be done: translate the intricate, interlocking music of the 21-string Malian kora onto a single six-string guitar. Guitar legend John Williams called the feat "absolutely impossible until I heard Derek Gripper do it.” Fifteen years ago, Gripper did what everyone said was impossible: he recorded the works of Mali's greatest virtuoso, Toumani Diabaté, on solo classical guitar. Transcribing Diabaté was a way of insisting that the word classical belongs to Mali as readily as it belongs to Europe. But somewhere along the way — performing this music, teaching it, writing it down — Derek became a first-language speaker of it. This tour focuses on kumbengo: the cyclical variations at the heart of the West African tradition. Small, ancient kernels of music that focus the mind, soar, move the body and ache the heart. Toumani Diabaté showed the world that the virtuosity of Bach and modern jazz could live inside the Malian kora tradition. Here that same richness arrives on a single guitar — one that has travelled from the recital hall into the open field of spontaneous creation. Don’t miss this evening of "the most beautiful, enchanting guitar music you will ever hear”!

Last updated October 6, 2026