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where the gyil is held in great respect by the Lobi tribe. It is played at funerals to "help the souls of the dead reach the afterlife," and is a primary instrument of other
Northern Ghana cultures like the Sisala and Dagara. Kakraba's parents also played the gyil, as did other relatives, including
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or accompanying guest musicians. This differentiated the project from the traditional setting for gyil music, where two gyil players may play together with accompaniment from drums, bells and sometimes singing. On 10 April 2016, he played an acclaimed performance at The
145:. Kakraba explained: "It's a very hard process, because you have to get the wood from five different places, only found in Ghana’s forests. The trees fall on their own and when they do, you cut them, dry the wood and lay the keys."
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s list of "the 20 best cassette releases of 2013", with Brad Rose of the publication writing: "This music has serious soul. Everything about these tunes is purely ecstatic." The solo album
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studio belonging to
Kakraba's close friend Brian Hogan. As a solo project, the album was recorded by Kakraba entirely by himself, playing live without any
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In
September 2013, his band the SK Kakraba Band released a self-titled album as a cassette on Holy Page. It was ranked at number 1 on
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his uncle
Kakraba Lobi, who is considered by many to be among the instrument's greatest practitioners. In 1997,Kakraba moved to
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as the label's first non-reissue release. The album contains six solo, instrumental recordings, spanning
Kakraba's "favourite
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has referred to
Kakraba as the "world's greatest" xylophone player, and he has toured worldwide playing the gyil.
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193:. Recorded after Kakaraba's arrival in the United States, it contains solo recordings and traditional pieces.
552:"A set of new recordings from the Ghanaian gyil player, titled Songs Of Paapieye, will arrive on October 2nd"
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and began busking, and soon joined the group Hewale Sounds, who aimed to preserve and familiarise the
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in that it is smoother in sound and is an album of solo recordings as opposed to a group recording.
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was released July 2015 by Sun Ark
Records, a label run by experimental musician
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442:"Caught on Tape: the month's essential cassette releases, September 2013"
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343:"The World's Greatest Xylophone Player Lives in Highland Park"
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635:"The Ampersand Salon flips Arts Journalism on its head"
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380:"Videos: Highland Park's Legendary Xylophone Player"
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Kanbile (Solo And
Ensemble Xylophone Music Of Ghana)
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209:, funeral dirges, improvised interpretations on
578:"A Shirley Collins Tribute and Other Projects"
167:of Ghana. Kakraba has taught the gyil at the
213:and original compositions." It departs from
154:Kakraba grew up in Saru, a small village in
416:"The best of the 2016 World Music Festival"
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468:"The 20 best cassette releases of 2013"
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602:Spenceley, Haydon (1 October 2015).
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251:Gandayina: Xylophone Music of Ghana
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676:Ghanaian musical instrument makers
550:Coultate, Aaron (11 August 2015).
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576:Pareles, Jon (30 December 2015).
521:Sinclair, Ian (2 November 2015).
523:"SK Kakraba – Songs of Paapieye"
440:Rose, Brad (18 September 2013).
633:Burdsall, Kylie (10 May 2016).
604:"SK Kakraba Songs of Paapieye"
466:Rose, Brad (2 December 2013).
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311:"Watch: SK Kakraba's "Gonpir""
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341:Weiss, Jeff (17 June 2015).
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681:21st-century folk musicians
237:Kakraba currently lives in
116:https://skkakrabamusic.com/
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239:Highland Park, Los Angeles
281:Awesome Tapes From Africa
203:Awesome Tapes From Africa
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99:Awesome Tapes From Africa
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414:Margasak, Peter (2016).
265:(Pentatonic Press, 2014)
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137:. He makes and performs
271:(Sun Ark Records, 2015)
189:as a splinter label to
686:Traditional musicians
614:on 16 February 2018
527:Morning Star Online
496:"Songs of Paapieye"
169:University of Ghana
666:Ghanaian musicians
582:The New York Times
390:on 5 November 2017
221:was recorded in a
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276:Songs of Paapieye
259:(Holy Page, 2013)
219:Songs of Paapieye
211:traditional songs
198:Songs of Paapieye
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135:traditional music
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691:1970s births
671:Xylophonists
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79:1997–present
75:Years active
317:. July 2015
245:Discography
207:song cycles
47:Occupations
660:Categories
288:References
127:SK Kakraba
64:Instrument
20:SK Kakraba
639:Annenburg
347:LA Weekly
232:Ampersand
191:Drag City
148:LA Weekly
90:Holy Page
644:22 March
618:22 March
587:22 March
561:22 March
532:22 March
506:22 March
477:22 March
451:22 March
425:22 March
394:22 March
352:22 March
321:22 March
315:The Wire
227:overdubs
187:Sun Araw
131:Ghanaian
56:lecturer
53:Musician
283:, 2015)
234:Salon.
112:Website
94:Sun Ark
84:Labels
37:Genres
29:Saru,
384:LAist
269:Yonye
215:Yonye
183:Yonye
161:Accra
156:Ghana
143:neura
139:gyils
129:is a
31:Ghana
646:2018
620:2018
589:2018
563:2018
534:2018
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453:2018
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396:2018
354:2018
323:2018
68:Gyil
26:Born
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