Album Notes

Kane Mathis has been studying the music of Africa for 12 years. Kane's study leads him each year to West Africa to study the Kora with a family of hereditary musicians in the compound of Malamini Diabate of The Gambia. Kane has recorded and performs regularly with West African masters of Mandinka music. His first limited print release was played widely in The Gambia, marking the first time a non-African was heard on Gambian Radio performing the countries national music. In the summer of 2001 Kane performed with an ensemble before the president at the first annual Gambian Heritage festival. Kane's love of Mandinka music is reflected in his performance through the captivating sound of the Kora and it's traditional repertoire. His years of traditional study with generous Masters have given him a rare privilege to represent this beautiful and compelling music to audiences around the world.

Kane's Second Kaira Records release 'Kora and Percussion', First heard as a live broadcast on Sonarchy Radio, is an un-mixed program recorded live in one take on the air. Kora and Percussion features kora in a duo setting with traditional percussion, Djembe, Dun Duns and calabash. Kane's ability on the kora is a fascination to people already familiar with traditional kora, as well as to those experiencing kora for the first time.