Bards of the World pt.1

Whether they're known as griots, kobzars, minstrels or bards, cultures around the world and throughout time have relied on singing storytellers as a vital source of oral history and entertainment.

In conjunction with Cape Breton University's Singing Storytellers International Conference, and the Celtic Colours Inetrnational Festival, we'll introduce you to bardic traditions from Africa to Ukraine and Ireland to Cape Breton, through the songs and stories of these modern day practitioners of this age-old tradition.

Seán Ó Sé, Buddy MacDonald, and Lewis MacKinnon represent the tradition as it extends back to Ireland and Scotland.

Spoken word performer and musician Julian Kytasty is one of few bandura players today who performs music from the kobzar tradition of Ukraine and Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté comes from a family of singers who have performed Griot music for centuries in Mali.

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