Finding the Spirit of Inanga Closing Celebration

Friday, February 28, 2025 at 12:00pm
Smith Reading Room, Olin Library, 252 Church Street, Middletown

Free and open to the public

Celebrate the past year of Finding the Spirit of Inanga: A Gallery of African Musical Instruments in Olin Library. We’re pleased to welcome Rwandan guitar virtuoso Deo Salvator for a mini-concert, along with a short talk and demonstration by exhibition curator and Wesleyan MA student Chance Kinyange Boas. Refreshments will be provided.

A collaborative effort between Providence, Rhode Island-based PVD World Music Institute and Wesleyan’s World Music Archives and Music Library, Finding the Spirit of Inanga is a series of exhibitions and events showcasing African musical instruments, audio, video, and related archival materials from the University’s collections.

Deo Salvator is a talented Rwandan guitarist, recording artist, writer, producer, music curator, and the founder of Fingerpickers in Africa and its Academy. With over a decade of experience in Rwanda’s music scene, Deo has played hundreds of shows, showcasing his skills and passion for the guitar. He is well-known for his right-hand technique “fingerstyle technique”, and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. For three years he authored the pioneering column “Guitar Tales” on Guitars.com exploring the way guitar music is thriving across the continent of Africa. While he has focused on touring and recording since 2024, his mission is still “to amplify the voices of African guitarists and to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in music. The guitar is not just an instrument; it’s a tool for connection and expression, a bridge between cultures and a means to tell our stories.

Spotify: Deo Salvator | Spotify
Apple Music: Deo Salvator on Apple Music
Bandcamp: Music | Deo Salvator (bandcamp.com)

View the online multimedia component of the exhibition, and the 3D model of the inanga, a traditional plucked string musical instrument from East Africa.

Finding the Spirit of Inanga is on view in locations around Olin Library and online through Wednesday, March 2, 2025.

Sponsored by the World Music Archives & Music Library (wma@wesleyan.edu) in partnership with PVD World Music. Part of Wesleyan’s Black History Month, with support from the Resource Center.

Image: Deo Salvator