Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 02:55 PM

I was sorry to hear this news. My condolences to all who knew and loved him. That's a lovely photo, full of happy memories.

I have added Dembo to the "In Memoriam" thread.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: Vic Smith
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 07:10 AM

See a photo of Jali Sherrifo Konteh and Jali Barary Konteh playing together on Sanyang Beach in The Gambia on 9th February 2009 by clicking here
The djembe player on the right is another family member; Ismaela Marrong is Sherrifo's younger half-brother. Bakary and Ismaela play together in the outstanding Gambian Band - The Sofa Nyama Band.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: Vic Smith
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 05:39 AM

His son Jali Bakary Konteh is a wonderful Kora player also.

Bakary is a lovely young man and an outstanding kora player. We were on Sanyang Beach in The Gambia with Dembo's much younger brother, Jali Sherrifo Konteh and several other jalis. It was a birthday party for Tina my wife. Bakary came walking along the beach with an American woman (Steve Pile's mother, I think). He was carrying his kora. Before long Sherrifo and Bakary were duetting together, taking it in turns to solo whilst the other played an accompanying role. The sheer audacity of the improvisational solos of both in their turn was causing the other to smile. Utterly memorable stuff. I must look out the photos of the occasion.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 05:50 PM

His son Jali Bakary Konteh is a wonderful Kora player also.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jan 14 - 03:46 AM

According to WP, yes, in several lines.

Subject: RE: Obit: Dembo Konteh R.I.P. 2014
From: Anglo
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 09:47 PM

A very sad loss. I met his father Bai Konte at a Mariposa festival many years ago, also a lovely man. Does the family tradition continue?

JR

Subject: RE: Dembo Konteh R.I.P.
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 05:52 PM

So very, very sorry to hear this. What a loss -

R.I.P.

Subject: RE: Dembo Konteh R.I.P.
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 04:45 PM

Dembo was invited to the Edinburgh Harp Festival at Easter 1987, where I was able to put him in contact with the Royal Festival Hall, who were looking for ethnic performers for their August Bank Holiday. The rest is history.
A kind and gentle man, I understand his family are the family Alex Haley contacted in the final section of Roots, the iconic history of an American slave family, who maintained the verbal history tradition, and so were able to link their American line back to a particular member of the family, Kunte Kinteh (sic).
Dembo, my friend, your ancestors have welcomed you as their true son.

Subject: RE: Dembo Konteh R.I.P.
From: Mick Tems
Date: 15 Jan 14 - 04:31 AM

Dembo was from The Gambia. Both he and Kausu Kuyateh (from Senegal) were jalis, storytellers and guardians of oral tradition, preserving the history of West Africa through their music.

Subject: RE: Dembo Konteh R.I.P.
From: Vic Smith
Date: 14 Jan 14 - 02:13 PM

I have just phoned Sherrifo back for more details. He said that Dembo's asthma had become much worse recently and that he had been having trouble with his feet. He had been in hospital several times recently. However, his compound was filling up with people and he couldn't stay long on the phone,

Subject: Dembo Konteh R.I.P.
From: Vic Smith
Date: 14 Jan 14 - 02:11 PM

Jali Sherrifo Konteh has just phoned saying that he has just been informed of the death of his older brother, the great kora player, Dembo Konte. He has no details yet.

Recent photo of Dembo