A small group of Obies were treated to a delightful presentation of a centuries-old form of West African music when Alhaji Papa Susso, a Griot from the Gambia, performed in Lord Lounge on Monday evening. “Are you going to dance tonight?” Susso asked enthusiastically as he took the stage.
While at first it seemed that many did not want to get out of their seats, it wasn’t long before Susso’s cheerful mood spread throughout the audience.

“Griot” is French for “praise-singer” or “oral-historian.” Gambian griots such as Susso use an instrument called the kora to recount tribal history and ancestry. The kora is a 21-stringed harp-lute unique to the western-most part of Africa that is played with four fingers. Historically, only professional musicians who were attached to the royal courts played the instrument.
The first song of the evening recounted the history of a king and his two sons. Susso wailed loudly into the microphone as he tried to stir people to their feet. However, it was not until Susso played his third song, written in 1969 to commemorate the landing of a man on the moon, that the crowd, led by Professor Johnny Coleman, began to really move to Susso’s music.
Susso, who hails from a family of Griots, began learning to play the kora at the age of five under the instruction of his father. It is said that the Susso family of the Mandinka tribe of the great Manding Empire invented the instrument.
Susso spent the early years of his adulthood as a member of the Gambian civil service, holding such titles as Senior Accountant in the Ministry of Work and Communications. He later resigned to return to his traditional role as a kora player in order to preserve the rich history and culture of the Griots.

In 1974, he resigned from the position of chief kora player of The Gambian National Cultural Troupe under the Ministry of Education and Culture to form his own group, The Manding Music and Dance Limited.
He has since performed in such prominent venues as Carnegie Hall as well as with several large symphonies in major U.S. cities, such as Detroit, St. Louis and Baltimore. Susso will continue touring the U.S. and Canada until the end of this year.

The intimate setting of Lord Lounge provided the perfect setting for Susso’s performance. Even though Susso’s songs, sung in his native language, more than likely were not understood by anyone in the audience, his energy seeped into the crowd and created a pleasing atmosphere.
“It was very interesting to hear this different instrument; people sometimes think all African music is percussive,” senior David Hughley, who spent time in Susso’s home when he traveled to Africa with a small group of Oberlin dance students two summers ago, said. “I love the music and I especially like the songs when he asked people to dance,” he added.
Papa Susso’s interesting and spirit-filled kora performance lightened the mood of all who attended the concert. “If the music is beautiful I want you to dance and celebrate. Africa is music and dance,” Susso said. Those who were present at the Black History Month event definitely heard truth in these words.