Monks of Senegal

Keur Moussa (or “House of Moses”) Abbey in Senegal is above all a place of prayer, where praise of God is celebrated through hard work, contemplative silence, and joyful music. The monks themselves live from their efforts tending fruit trees, making cheese, and hand-crafting their renowned koras (the kora is an African lute-harp of Mandingo origin). In recognition of their creation of an entirely new choral tradition that weds Western liturgical chant with traditional African tribal music, the brothers of Keur Moussa Abbey were the 1993 recipients of the International Albert Schweitzer Music Prize.