Derek Gripper

Derek Gripper is a guitarist from Cape Town, South Africa, known for his groundbreaking work translating the music of the West African kora onto six-string classical guitar. His practice bridges classical guitar, Malian repertoire, oral tradition, improvisation, and deep listening. Gripper has become widely recognized for his adaptations of music by Toumani Diabaté and other kora masters, expanding the vocabulary of the guitar while opening new conversations between African musical traditions and contemporary classical performance.