Fatu Gayflor
Encyclopedia
Fatu Gayflor is a Liberia
n singer. Dubbed "Princess Fatu Gayflor, the golden voice of Liberia", she has performed at major music venues and festivals throughout the world and has made a number of recordings.
Born in the village of Kakata in northwestern Liberia, Gayflor is a member of the Lorma ethnic group. As a child she learned the rituals and song of her people and learned to play the sekere
as a member of the sande society
. In 1978, at just 12 years of age, she joined the Liberian National Cultural Troupe (LNCT) in Keneja. With the LNCT she learned traditional songs from 16 different ethnic groups across Liberia. She eventually became the group's lead singer and toured throughout the world with the ensemble; notably performing at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
.
Gayflor made her first two solo albums in Liberia during the mid 1980s. She left the country for the Ivory Coast in 1989 due to the First Liberian Civil War; making her third album while residing in a refugee camp. She lived for a time as a refugee in Guinea
before emigrating to the state of Pennsylvania
in the United States
where she currently resides. She has become a fixture at folk music events in the Philadelphia area, such as the Philadelphia Folk Festival
. She currently teaches at the Folk Arts Cultural Treasures Charter School which is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
and the National Endowment for the Arts
.
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n singer. Dubbed "Princess Fatu Gayflor, the golden voice of Liberia", she has performed at major music venues and festivals throughout the world and has made a number of recordings.
Born in the village of Kakata in northwestern Liberia, Gayflor is a member of the Lorma ethnic group. As a child she learned the rituals and song of her people and learned to play the sekere
Sekere
This article is about the musical genre. For the musical instrument, see Shekere.Sekere is a type of traditional Yoruba musical genre that was pioneered and popularized by the one and only "king of sekere," the late Alhaji Alamu Atatalo from Ibadan, Nigeria...
as a member of the sande society
Sande society
Sande, also known as zadεgi, bundu, bundo and bondo, is a women's association found in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea that initiates girls into adulthood, confers fertility, instills notions of morality and proper sexual comportment, and maintains an interest in the well-being of its members...
. In 1978, at just 12 years of age, she joined the Liberian National Cultural Troupe (LNCT) in Keneja. With the LNCT she learned traditional songs from 16 different ethnic groups across Liberia. She eventually became the group's lead singer and toured throughout the world with the ensemble; notably performing at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
1984 Louisiana World Exposition
The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984 and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984...
.
Gayflor made her first two solo albums in Liberia during the mid 1980s. She left the country for the Ivory Coast in 1989 due to the First Liberian Civil War; making her third album while residing in a refugee camp. She lived for a time as a refugee in Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
before emigrating to the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where she currently resides. She has become a fixture at folk music events in the Philadelphia area, such as the Philadelphia Folk Festival
Philadelphia Folk Festival
The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an annual folk music festival near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Begun in 1962, the four-day festival is sponsored by the non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society. The event hosts contemporary and traditional artists in genres...
. She currently teaches at the Folk Arts Cultural Treasures Charter School which is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...
and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.