LATROBE, PA—Abbot Olivier-Marie Sarr, O.S.B.; Father François Diouf, O.S.B.; and Brother José Rosa, O.S.B. will be performing a concert on November 14, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. Abbot Olivier will be playing the drum and Fr. François will be on the kora. Brother José, who will travel to Senegal this spring, will participate in the performance to show the intercession of music and prayer across borders.
This musical evening will be filled with a blend of Senegalese traditional and classical music, intended to highlight the kora's melodious harmony and the djembe's rhythmic beats. The concert is free and open to the public.
The repertoire for the evening will include:
Songs of Keur Moussa: These pieces, steeped in rich cultural heritage, will offer the audience a journey into the heart of West African music.
Classical Pieces: A selection that showcases the versatility of the kora and djembe, blending seamlessly with the time-honored classical music traditions.
Original Compositions: original pieces from Abbot Olivier and Fr. François, which are a fusion of their musical influences and experiences.
About Abbot Olivier
Abbot Olivier-Marie Sarr is a Catholic priest and Benedictine monk who was elected as the abbot of the Abbey of Keur Moussa, a monastery near Dakar, Senegal on January 19, 2019. He has a background in liturgy and has earned a Ph.D. in the field from the Sant'Anselmo Pontifical Institute of Liturgy in 2012. He has written and co-authored several books on liturgy and has written 13 papers during his career. Abbot Olivier has held several positions, including being a professor of liturgical spirituality, theology of inculturation and methodology of research at Sant'Anselmo Ateneo; assistant editor of Ecclesia Orans; subprior of Collegio Sant'Anselmo; and a member of the faculty board at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. He also taught liturgy at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas from 2013-2018. He was nominated as a Consultor of the Congregation for Divine Worship and of the Discipline of the Sacraments by Pope Francis in 2016. He speaks Wolof, Serere, French, Italian and English fluently and has served as a valued member of the Sant’Anselmo schola cantorum (monastic choir leaders).
About Fr. François
Fr. François Diouf is a Benedictine monk, a Catholic priest, a philosopher, a theologian and a psychologist who values social justice, the other as oneself and excellence. He has served as a Benedictine monk and priest for many years and formerly held the position of assistant vice president for student success and retention at Saint Vincent. Fr. François ministered with the novitiate formation team for several years and accompanied novices and junior monks in human development, theology and monastic spirituality. He did most of his education in Paris, France, and the United States. His area of interest is the importance of cultural factors in learners and understanding the prominence of students’ learning differences to enhance academic success.
About Br. José
Br. José Rosa is the son of Alex Rosa Jr. and Margaret Rosa of Odenton, Maryland. He graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School in 2016 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Vincent College in 2020, majoring in philosophy and politics.
-David Collins, English major, of Oakmont
PHOTO 1: Fr. François Diouf
PHOTO 2: Abbot Olivier-Marie Sarr
PHOTO 3: Br. José Rosa