Hi from Upstate NY, USA

[PACO]

I recently discovered this forum and I can't tell you how glad I am that it's here. I started learning about music from West Africa and the African dispora some time ago, but I had to give it up for almost twenty years because of an injury. However, I never stopped thinking about the rhythms I learned and I am now starting to practice them again now. When I first began to learn these rhythms, I lived in the Boston, Massachussetts area where I was able to study with people from different parts of Africa. However, I now live in a very small town where I have not yet come across anyone with knowledge of any African traditions. Since, you really can't play African music by yourself, in order to practice the rhytms I had been taught twenty years ago, I starting working with a professional drummer who isn't knowledgeable about any African tradition, but who appreciates the little bit of knowledge that I can bring to him as we work on these rhythms. I hope that Djembefola might help me learn more about the Mande tradition of drumming. I have always been very interested in learning as much as possible about authentic African approaches to drumming. I am very interested in learning about authentic Mande rhythms andapproaches to djembe. In the past, I studied with teachers from different traditions so my knowledge of Mande music is extremely imited. I am very grateful for this forum and its approach which values the rich cultural context of Mande drumming. I am also grateful for the links which the site suggests for other resources which may have valueable information.

[sakuntuquaye]

Whats up Paco, Welcome to the forum. I'm in UPNY too. (Western NY-Rochester) We have a West African Drumming and Dance group here called "Bush Mango". They do some great stuff. You Check out their website and swinging by sometime. www.bushmango.org

Which part of UPNY are you in?

[bubudi]

welcome, paco. wow, more than 20 years ago? you're definitely one of the veterans here. you're welcome any time to ask questions and share what you know.

Since, you really can't play African music by yourself, in order to practice the rhytms I had been taught twenty years ago, I starting working with a professional drummer who isn't knowledgeable about any African tradition, but who appreciates the little bit of knowledge that I can bring to him as we work on these rhythms. I hope that Djembefola might help me learn more about the Mande tradition of drumming.

you are right, this music needs to be played in an ensemble, but with the right recordings you may be able to play along with headphones as a substitute that allows you to practice on your own. if you can take the trip to rochester once in a while, do it. bush mango also organise workshops with west african teachers from time to time.

also, be careful... professional drummers in the west take a completely different approach than those in mande. if you are relying on him to set you straight on a few things, you run the risk of changing the music from the traditional way it's played. also, a western trained drummer (especially an accomplished one) will have more trouble adapting to mande music and unlearning the western musical mindset. playing along with him may affect your own playing... try to keep the music as close to what you remember as possible, and do refresh/update your knowledge with some of the resources recommended on this site.

[Carl]

Paco,

Where are you in NY?

I know a few people in "the City" but also people in VT if you are on that side of the state. Myself, I will be living in Milton, NH in a couple of months.

I have been spending a lot of time lately working on connecting the various drumming community in my extended area. If you are in even slightly unreasonable commuting range, let's talk and see if we can get you connected with more players.

On a side note, who were you studying with in Boston? It sounds like we missed each other by less than 5 years, so we might know some of the same people!

Peace,
C