Maria Pomianowska & Buba Kuyateh / Poland / Gambia

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20.07.2014 / Sunday / 7.00-8.00 PM
Żydowskie Muzeum Galicja / Galicia Jewish Museum, Kraków, ul. Dajwór 18

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Strings of the world – Conversations
Concert of the duo aims to provide the sound and spirit of instruments that, despite the vast differences in construction, timbre and type of music played on them, belong to one big family of stringed instruments. The artists the duo create music with elements of European, Asian and African traditions. Improvisations and mutual inspiration creates the possibility of creating a new stage of sound and expression. Their concert is a meeting of cultures, but also the common search for universal language of music, one which can become intelligible language of the future for all cultures of the world.

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Poland-Gambia / songs of labour and love
Żydowskie Muzeum Galicja /Jewish Museum Galicja / Kraków, ul. Dajwór 18
19.07.2014 / Saturday / 5.00-6.30 PM
- Presentation and study of Polish and Gambian songs and presentation of instruments
20.07.2014 / Sunday / 5.00-6.30 PM
- Polish-Gambian project, which is to combine the scale of the two nations and play together first Polish and Gambian songs and then creatively born Polish- Gambian songs

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Maria Pomianowska - doctor of musical arts, multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and educator. Professor at the Academy of Music in Krakow and director of the international festival of Crossing Cultures. She studies the unique technique of playing musical instruments of Asia and Europe, traveling to India, China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East. In 1994, together with prof. Eve Dahlig and a luthier Andrew Kuczkowski she successfully completed the reconstruction of two missing old Polish string instruments: Biłgoraj suka and Płock fiddle. Reconstructing the technique of playing these instruments is based on her vast experience in practicing music on Asian fiddles, mainly Indian sarangi. Since 2010 she 's been running her original specialty of studies: ”knee fiddles” on the Instrumental Department at the Krakow’s Academy of Music, where she teaches playing Biłgoraj suka and Płock fiddle. It was the first in Poland faculty of ethnic folk music at the Academy of Music. Since 2011 she's been also creating unique musical programs along with Arab and Pakistani musicians, organizing and creating intercultural music projects in Asia and Africa. In 2012, together with Pakistani musicians, she released a CD "Poland-Pakistan. Sound from two continents" and a DVD, recorded with Arabic artists and published in Tunisia: ”Rawabit-Więzy”. In 2013 she created the band LutoSłowianie that presents links of Witold Lutoslawski’s music with Polish folk. Awarded with Chopin Passport, the medal of Minister of Culture and National Heritage Gloria Artis and the Silver Cross of Merit by the President of Poland.

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BUBA KUYATEH - belongs to a recognized Gambian griot family. His grandfather - Alhaji Bai Konte, father - Kuyateh Kausu and uncle - Dembo Konte are outstanding virtuosos of kora. Their images and recordings are the most frequently occurring elements in any publications relating to kora or griot, and the music, recorded by them, had made it into the canon of music of the region. Also the women in his family - grandmother, mother and sister are involved in singing. That is why from an early age, continuing the family tradition, Buba learned to sing and play kora.

Three indigenous languages are being spoken in his homeland: Wolof, Jola and Mandinka. His native language is Mandinka, characteristic for Senegambia region, but having no written form. Therefore verbal message is of such a particular importance for the dissemination of traditional knowledge and history in that region. The most common form of this communication are traditional songs performed by jali family - musicians who specialize in cultivating native culture and customs. These musical ”chroniclers” are often referred to as griots. This is a very responsible function, passed down from father to son – one cannot become a griot that easily – you have to be born into a family of griots. The institution of jali or griot is widespread throughout West Africa, and its origins date back to the early Middle Ages.

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Maria Pomianowska - vocals, sarangi, er-hu, gadulka, Biłgoraj suka, Płock fiddle

Buba Kuyateh - vocals, kora, percussion