FROM MALI TO APPALACHIA: A Musical Exploration with Cheick Hamala Diabate, Danny Knicely, Earl White

CHEICK HAMALA DIABATE

Cheick Hamala Diabate is a Grammy-nominated musician from Mali, West Africa. Cheick Hamala was born into a griot family in Kita. “The music we griots play is not just about making nice sounds for dancing, it’s about giving a lesson to people about their lives. You tell them about what their grandfathers did, and what they should do now,” explains Diabate, whose griot roots run deep as first cousin to kora master Toumani Diabate, and nephew to legendary Super Rail Band guitarist, Djelimady Tounkara. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, the United States Senate, and the Smithsonian.

DANNY KNICELY

Danny Knicely comes from a musical family steeped in a mountain music tradition for generations. He first learned music from his grandfather, A.O. Knicely, who played dances and social events in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia beginning in the 1930’s. Danny has used his roots in old-time and bluegrass to explore various types of music from around the world. He has shared his music and collaborated with musicians in over a dozen countries spanning four continents, including U.S. State Department tours in Tunisia, Morocco, Russia and Cabo Verde.

EARL WHITE

Earl White has been a prominent figure in the old-time music and dance community for more than 30 years. An original and founding member of the famed Greengrass Cloggers, he has danced to many of the fiddlin legends, including Tommy Jarrell, the Highwoods Stringband, Plankroad Stringband, The Red Clay Ramblers, and the Hot Mud Family, to name a few. Earl White received his first fiddle in 1974 and is one of few Black Americans reviving the music that was once an important part of rural black communities and life on plantations in the American southeast. Earl is known for his extensive repertoire of unusual tunes, and his driving, energetic, heartfelt style.