Musical Folktales from Around the World

Reviewed by Nancy Sauer

This is an attractive website featuring two presenters. There is a contact form to the left for anyone who is interesting in having these people deliver a storytelling presentation.

The storyteller is Steven Gregory, and he is accompanied by musician Reiko Obata. They bring to us Japanese, African, African-American, Latin American, and Amazon Rainforest stories. Ms. Obata accompanies Mr. Gregory by playing the Japanese koto (a 13-string zither), African drums, the mbira (thumb piano), shakers, guitar, rainsticks, and other instruments. Along with traditional dress and the instruments, the performers encourage discussion, singing, and other audience participation in order to further understanding of the various cultures. They give storytelling sessions in libraries and schools.

The panel of hyperlinks along the left lists Japanese Folktales, African and African-American folktales, and Amazon Rainforest folktales, as well as upcoming performances and a link to information about the storytellers. The links to the folktales do not give us actual folktales but rather tell about the presentation of them. There is a brief biography of Ms. Obata, who has studied and performed with the instrument koto for many years. There is a link to her homepage, where you can actually hear beautiful sample sounds of the koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen instruments.

Steven Gregory is a writer and teacher of English, mathematics, and drama, and has directed several plays. He's a member of the National Storytelling Network.

By clicking on the links along the left of the main page, I learned that the Japanese tales Mr. Gregory and Ms. Obata present "celebrate the ancient culture of Japan, sharing the thoughts and feelings of the Japanese people in entertaining stories that express Japanese ideals."

The African stories were brought to American by the slaves, along with other elements of their cultures. These are humorous tales with important lessons. These stories are accompanied by these instruments: talking drum, djembe drum, mbira, and shakers.

The African-American tales are accompanied by guitar, harmonica, and African drums. It is important to remember these tales, such as John Henry, who beat a machine, and of course Brer Rabbit and his intelligence.

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest on earth and has half of the world's animal species. But as the website states the Amazon Rainforest is disappearing. The presenters use audience participation as well as rainsticks, drums, guiros, flutes, and ocarinas for these stories.

I wished the other instruments besides the Japanese ones had sample sounds but they weren't offered on the website.

This website is well organized and offers a great deal of interesting information. I think it would be great to have these people do a storytelling presentation.