Alhaji Bai Konte
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Biography
Alhaji Bai Konte, born in 1920, was a jali (praise singer) and kora player from Brikama, Gambia. Raised as a hereditary griot (West African storyteller or musician), he played the 21-string kora and was known for his performances on Radio Gambia and Radio Senegal's joint program Chossani Senegambia in the 1970s. Alhaji Bai Konte made history as the first kora player to perform at the 1973 Newport Jazz Festival, introducing the instrument to North American audiences. He released the album, Kora Melodies from the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa, in 1973 and performed at various festivals, including the Philadelphia Folk Festival and the National Festival of American Folklife in Washington, DC. Alhaji Bai Konte passed away in 1983.
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