Performance: West African Music with Keenan D. Webster

Saturday, 2/1/2025
11:00 - 11:45
Visitacion Valley Meeting Room
Visitacion Valley

201 Leland Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94134
United States

415-355-2848

Listen to traditional instruments of the Mandinka and the Mande-speaking people of West Africa. Local musician Keenan Webster will teach and demonstrate the kora (West African Mandinka harp), the Kamele Ngoni (West African Mande harp), the Balaphone (Mandinka xylophone) and some other percussions. Learn how these traditions gave birth to the banjo and influence blues, jazz and popular music of today. For children and their families. 

Keenan D. Webster was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His love for the music deepened in his youth hearing the blues, spirituals, gospels and folk music of the South. Some of his elders are keepers of the spirituals and slave hymns that had been passed down from generations. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, California as a teenager, he was fascinated with African, Afro-Cuban, reggae and other music from the African diaspora. He was further inspired to learn about his roots, music, culture and spirituality with the Gullah, Mandika, Mende and Yorube people of West Africa. He started with drums of West Africa and Afro-Cuban roots. Then came Jazz and Blues playing the saxophone and flute and later switched to Native American flute. He has a deep appreciation for world music and has familiarized himself with classical music from India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Webster has been on a mission to use music for world peace, healing, to fight against racism and to bring all people together.

Performance

Events featuring theater, music, art and dance.

More Than a Month: Black Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Black community.

More Than a Month recognizes important events in Black history, honors community and national leaders and fosters steps towards collective change. Programming features authors, poets and craft classes. 

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

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