Ye Jaliya-o

A celebration of music and musicians. The repeated phrase: "Ye Jaliya-O Alla le ka jaliya da" is the refrain from "Lambango," a centuries old dance-song created by the Jalis (griots) of West Africa. The Jalis are a caste of professional itinerant musicians,poets and story tellers; keepers of history and culture for over 800 years. This text, which praises music, is combined with an excerpt from "The Pulse of Life," by Catherine deVink, a contemporary Christian mystical poet. The tonality of "Ye Jaliya-o" with its raised fourth (C#) is characteristic of Sauta, one of the traditional tunings of the kora, the 21 string harp-like instrument played by the griots.