Konden

[bubudi]

konden is a mask that oversees the village during festivals. it has a festival dedicated to it which lasts several days, starting on the full moon after ramadan. women are not allowed to leave their house on this night. every now and then the konden diarra (lion spirit) can be heard. the roaring sound is a test to the bilakoro who are soon to be circumcised. the roaring can be heard from several directions. drummers move through the village from compound to compound together with a large group of the little boys, in the pitch dark. at each yard the konden rhythm is played. the only light is a small fire used to heat the drum skins. meanwhile in the forest those who are coming of age kneel in a circle around a fire, close their eyes and overcome their fear of the konden diara, whose sound is enveloping them from every direction. the initiates sing songs with special significance. the drummers can be heard from the distance, as they continue from yard to yard until dawn, when silence falls upon the village.

three days later, all the kids gather at the bara. the drummers arrive a little later and begin to play the konden rhythm. there is an air of tense anticipation. in hamana, the balani mask appears first. balani is the porcupine. it is a black wooden mask decorated with metal and a dress made of long reed stalks. it walks around the bara (dance space) and dances an echauffement every now and then. after a while the music intensifies, the kids start to scream and the konden bursts onto the bara!

konden can see into people's deeds, and tell if anyone has transgressed the laws of the village. nobody can know the konden except the person who becomes it, who is kept secret. one must be initiated to bear the konden mask. konden is dressed in raffia, wearing a black mask with metal decorations. there are upward spikes protruding from the top of the mask. he moves very swiftly. the masker places the mask on his head and passes his finger through a hole in the bottom of the mask. this is a safety measure to ensure the heavy mask does not fall off. this is why you see konden with a hand on its chin. the other hand carries a whip with which it dances. from time to time he chases a child with the whip.

if, while dancing, there are fibres which fall from konden, it is an omen of transgression of the village laws and konden will soon confront the perpetrator.

[bubudi]

konden festival in baro village, hamana, 2005.

[bubudi]

konden festival, koumana, 2007. note that the masks and rhythm are reversed. i suspect this may have been done in order for it to be acceptable to film it.

[bubudi]

demo of konden mask in conakry, 2008. billy konate solos. this is not performed in context, but it's pretty much how they do it in sangbarala.

[bubudi]

children from baro village dancing to the konden rhythm, before the konden festival. in many malinke villages, the young children have their own time in the festival before the women, men and youths begin the main celebrations.

[bubudi]

nansady keita laying down some solo phrases for konden. sitting next to him with the pink shirt is uncle famoudou.

[James]

Yea I saw Konden in Sangbrala and he's a lot better in the flesh...

The fact that he's in such a confined space is a bit odd... in Sangbrala, he was running the length and breadth of the barati.

It's clear that is just a demonstation of some dance steps and the such.

There's lot of theatre missing...and I don't see him chasing anyone with a whip which is odd

I remember being worried he'd chase after me at the time... I think I would have run like crazy.

[bubudi]

which of the videos are you referring to? is it just me or is the first video not embedding properly? it's a google video and i noticed the same thing with other google videos previously posted on this site.

[Dugafola]

bubs - can you post your source(s) for information? thanks.

also, you can hear the konden diarra at the beginning of track 1 on Famoudou's Malinke Rhythms and Songs Volume: 2.

there's also a great description of Konden in Laye Camara's book L'enfant Noire.

konden festival in baro village, hamana, 2005.

baro is not in hamana, but gberedu. the region east of the Niandan river up to the confluence with the Niger is considered Gberedu. The region to the west and north of Niandan is considered Hamana. Koumana is in Hamana too.

it's all pretty similar though...but i know how you like to get specific so there you go.

[bubudi]

to view the first video double click on it. that should open it in a new tab/window.

dugie, thanks for the precision

[e2c]

Thanks, all, for the vids, info. etc.!

[James]

Referring to the Billy Konate video...

[bubudi]

there's some nice photos of konden in james' guinea photo gallery:
http://www.djembefola.com/uploadphotos/gallery.php

[e2c]

bubs - can you post your source(s) for information? thanks.

Ditto - thanks in advance, bubudi!

[bubudi]

ok, i'll do that when i get the chance. there are several, and i don't know if i'll remember them all.