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Amadou Kouyate's traditional West African music

From left: Janelle Gill, TK Blue and Amadou Kouyate form the Trio Griot, together for the first time at An die Musik on Sun. Feb. 27 at 7pm. Photo: An die Musik
From left: Janelle Gill, TK Blue and Amadou Kouyate form the Trio Griot, together for the first time at An die Musik on Sun. Feb. 27 at 7pm. Photo: An die Musik

The universal language of music allows audiences to be swept away -- many times into different cultures, all from the comfort of their seats.

The Trio Griot, performing at An die musik this Sunday, brings together for the first time the talents of saxophonist TK Blue, pianist Janelle Gill and Amadou Kouyate.

Kouyate, who performs traditional music from Senegal and Mali, draws on a long family lineage of cultural storytelling … and always holds his audience in mind as he performs:

“The more vulnerable I can be in telling my truth through my music, the more it disarms people to be able to connect in their truth.” 

Links: Trio Griot at An die musik, Amadou Kouyate, Janelle Gill, TK Blue

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'