Bob Carlin with Cheick Hamala Diabate--Banjos, Appalachian and African (Monthly Program)

"A fine musician, a good singer with a great voice and creative with his ownwork" -- John HartfordBob Carlin is more than a performer of traditional Southern banjo music. Heis a researcher, teacher, writer, CD producer and evangelizer. A master ofthe distinctive "clawhammer" banjo style, Bob is equally adept with the manythe many styles of old-time banjo. Not only a banjo player, he is a fineguitar player and singer. Bob brings listeners into the performance by encouragingaudience participation. "My first goal is that people come away from theperformance entertained," says Carlin. "But very quickly following that, Iwould like them to feel a love for this kind of music and to appreciate itas much as I do."He has studied in person and from transcriptions andrecordings the work of master players from previous generations. GailGillespie in the Old Time Herald said, "He really is a great banjo player.Never a tentative noodler, he always plays flat out, pedal to the metal, butwith considerable sensitivity to detail and style."As a solo performer and a member of John Hartford's Stringband, Bob hasappeared at festivals, clubs, schools and museums from North Carolina toWashington state, and from England to Japan. His national radio appearancesinclude The Grand Old Opry, NPR's Weekend Edition and A Prairie HomeCompanion. Garrison Keillor said of his playing "Bob's come along and goneback to an older style of playing, and done amazing things with it and hemakes us want to listen to this instrument again."Performing in stringbands since the early 1970s, Bob has played and recorded with John Hartford,Pete Sutherland, Bruce Molsky, Norman Blake, James Bryan and others.Presently, Bob has been playing with Joe Thompson, an octogenarian fiddler.UPDATE: Special Guest: Cheick Hamala DiabateBob will be appearing with the Malian Jeli (griot) and ngoni player Cheick Hamala Diabate. The ngoni is one of the African ancestors of the banjo.Cheick Hamala Diabate (pronounced shake haMAHla jaBAHtaby) was born in Kita, Mali, and is recognized as one of the top ngoni (a stringed lute that is the ancestor of the American banjo) players living today. The Diabates are a Jali (Griot) family that trace their heritage back over eight hundred years. The Jeliw are the historians of West Africa. Along with the playing of music, a Jali is called upon to recount the history of the people via the spoken and sung word. A Griot is anointed by genetics and is trained from birth by his family elders in all aspects of the Griot tradition.Cheick Hamala quickly became a master of several traditional Jali instruments (he also plays the western guitar), but has focused his skill on the ngoni. From the age of twelve, Cheick Hamala studied at the National Institute of Arts in Bamako, Mali?s capitol. After completing his studies, he began an international performing career, traveling throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and Canada. Among the well-known Malian stars with whom Diabate has appeared include Ami Koita, Kandia Kouyate and Salif Keita. He also recorded for German record labels.In 1995, Cheick Hamala Diabate migrated to the United States, where he continued to perform within the Malian community for public and private celebrations. Cheick Hamala has also endeavored to bring his wonderful music to American audiences, appearing at the National Museum of African Art, the Smithsonian?s Folklife Festival, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and at colleges, universities and concerts throughout the country.