Konteh Kunda School of Music

n audiences with stateside performances and his acclaimed, “Kora Melodies From The Republic Of Gambia, West Africa,” released on Rounder Records in 1973. His son, Dembo Konteh continued in his footsteps and toured internationally with Kausu Kuyateh for many years. Dembo’s son and musical heir Jali Bakary Konteh, is the co-founder, with Steve Pile, of the Konteh K***a School of Music. The Story of the School, as told by Steve Pile:

While in London in 1999, I checked out an Ernest Ranglin show, expecting to hear his unique Jazz Reggae blend. Instead, he and his trio were joined by a 10-piece traditional Senegalese band. There was a slew of mysterious instruments playing intensely syncopated music on stage. A little detective work led me to Lucy Duran, West African music scholar at SOAS in London. She had a contact in Brikama, Gambia who was a Kora legend. The kora was one of the amazing instruments I’d heard on that stage. I made a few calls and was on plane south within the month to stay with Dembo Konteh. After a few introductory Kora lessons, Dembo turned me over to his son, Jali Bakary, and I became his first student. Jali and crew quickly became my close friends, and I experienced the exhilaration of a cross cultural musical friendship. My three week trip raced past, and I swore I’d be back soon. Seven years later, I finally made it back, armed with solar panels and a laptop. We recorded Jali’s debut album, Konteh K***a, which was released in 2010 on Akwaaba Records, followed by an EP of Remixes of the song “Combination.”

I was Jali’s first student, but certainly not his last. In fact, the universal spirit of musical adventure has led hundreds of people from all over the world to Jali’s home at Konteh K***a since our first lessons. It is a large compound, in various stages of disrepair. The poverty rate in Gambia is 58%, and you can see this reflected in the upkeep on the compound. However, Jali is always happy to give up his bed for a budding kora student from abroad, and his generosity has inspired me to give something back.