Performing on the 21-string Mandinka Harp and the Turkish Oud, Kane Mathis renders compelling interpretations of these traditional musics. Years of study with generous masters have given Kane a rare opportunity to share these traditions with other cultures.
Kane began taking trips to The Gambia, West Africa in 1997 and has continued rigorous study of the Mandinka Kora. Over the past ten years his performances have earned him recognition by the Gambian president, The Gambian minister of culture, and both national television and radio of The Gambia.
Kane’s primary kora teachers are Malamini Jobarteh of Brikama, The Gambia and Moriba Kouyate of The Gambia. The Jobarteh family remain one of The Gambia’s most important musical legacies. Tata Din din Jobarteh, Pa Bobo Jobarteh, and Siffai Jobarteh are the families current most visible exponents touring the world.
Kane’s oud study began with Mutlu Torun of the I.T.U. conservatory in Istanbul and continued with 5 and a half years of courses with Oud virtuoso Münir Nurttin Beken.
Kane is available for performances for any context as well as lessons and lectures.
Seattle's Kane Mathis is one of the world's leading performers on the kora, the distinctive (usually) 21-stringed West African harp instrument that is the major instrument of the Mandinka people of Mali; the Malian equivalent of the Western keyboard. Mathis has studied the instrument since the age of twenty, making several trips to The Gambia to learn from the hereditary musicians of the area. Now, he is the kora instrumentalist in Seattle's The Kora Band, a five piece jazz group ...
Seattle's Kane Mathis is one of the world's leading performers on the kora, the distinctive (usually) 21-stringed West African harp instrument that is the major instrument of the Mandinka people of Mali; the Malian equivalent of the Western keyboard. Mathis has studied the instrument since the age of twenty, making several trips to The Gambia to learn from the hereditary musicians of the area. Now, he is the kora instrumentalist in Seattle's The Kora Band, a five piece jazz group ... read more
Kane Mathis has developed a remarkable mastery of Mande
music. Whether
playing solo kora or with his tight, trio of balafon, kora and
djembe
drum, he is a pleasure to hear. It is not only that Mathis is
comfortable and well versed in the Mande repertoire; it's that
when he
plays, he swings in exactly the right way, probably the
hardest thing
for an outsider to grasp in this rich, West African tradition.
Kora
music features improvisation, but like writing poetry in a
foreign
language, you have to follow the rules. Mathis manages this,
with
phrasing, accents, tone and riffs-even the fast ones-that feel
just
right. His sound is both authentic and spontaneous, good
enough to
sound like an insider, but relaxed and personal enough to be
far more
than polished mimicry. It is rare indeed for a non-African to
reach
this level in any African tradition, particularly such a subtle and
demanding one.
Kane Mathis has developed a remarkable mastery of Mande
music. Whether
playing solo kora or with his tight, trio of balafon, kora and
djembe
drum, he is a pleasure to hear. It is not only that Mathis is
comfortable and well versed in the Mande repertoire; it's that
when he
plays, he swings in exactly the right way, probably the
hardest thing
for an outsider to grasp in this rich, West African tradition.
Kora
music features improvisation, but like writing poetry in a
foreign
language, you have to follow the rules. Mathis manages this,
with
phrasing, accents, tone and riffs-even the fast ones-that feel
just
right. His sound is both authentic and spontaneous, good
enough to
sound like an insider, but relaxed and personal enough to be
far more
than polished mimicry. It is rare indeed for a non-African to
reach
this level in any African tradition, particularly such a subtle and
demanding one.
Listening to Kane Mathis’ kora playing brings to mind Keith
Jarrett’s Koln Concert. Their instruments are similar: in
Mathis’ case, the kora is a 21-stringed West African harp that
he learned in Gambia. Take the guts out of Jarrett’s piano,
stand them up and pluck them, and you have the same idea.
Both performers employ gorgeous improvisation on top of
simple rhythms; their songs meander between chord and
melody, creating a continuous, crystalline drone.
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