Day 8 (Wednesday) of the camp.
The intermediate group continued to work on Deniya, including three different breaks, which took up most of the session. Towards the end, Mamady demonstrated the parts for a new 4/4 rhythm called Balandugu Sila. The rhythm was inspired by the trip to Balandugu where Mamady did a pyramid with his students. (If you buy a copy of the volume 4 DVD, there is a great documentary in the bonus material about that trip. Also, listen to Taylor's interview, where he tells a few stories about the horror trip they had to get there. It took forever due to bad roads and technical problems with the cars.) The intermediates will start learning this rhythm tomorrow.
The advanced group finished off Yankadi. At the end of the session, Mamady improvised to Yankadi, which was a joy to listen to. Technically quite simple phrases, but they are placed "just so" and flow out with effortless grace--it's a pleasure to sit there, listen and soak it all in. I've posted a recording of Mamady's solo in the media section.
This afternoon, we completed the pyramid. So far, it was Sira, Djaa, Djansa, and Macru. Today, Mamady added Fe 3 and Denadon, both with nice intros and breaks. It really sounds cool now--I'm very happy with how he mamaged to bring this home; at the end of last, week I was quietly thinking "Eell, we have a 3-minute break and nothing much else, and only five days left. Where the hell is the rest of the pyramid going to come from?" Just goes to show how much more Mamady knows than I do...
