Fefo - Fe Foli - Fakoly

[dleufer]

Hey,
I've recently half-learned these three rhythms from videos, recordings and playing with Jeremy Tomacsk during the summer. When we played with Jeremy and Francois we played a rhythm they called Fe Foli. When I asked them if it was the same as Fefo they weren't sure. Can anyone clear that up? Seems quite plausible that Fefo culd be the shortened name for Fe Foli.
If they are different what are they sangban parts/cultural differences etc?
I've noticed a few different sangban parts being used for Fefo on videos, recordings etc.
Among them:
x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.
o..o....o.o.o...

x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.
c..o..o.o.oo..c.

For Fe Foli Jeremy used the same break Famoudou used for Fefo when he did a private concert for us in Bamako (I've been considering uploading that recording, lots of dununba, maybe if I put it up someone else might volunteer a jem of their own)

Are these correct? I've never been actually shown the part just listened to recordings or watched people playing it while I was on kenkeni.

Also, how is Fefo related to Fakoly? Obviously they'e both big kickin' celebration rhythms but are each of them associated with different occassions?

Also, any recommended listening? I'd love to check out Fadouba's new DVD, I believe he's got Fakoly on there (and Kawa)

[michi]

I'd love to check out Fadouba's new DVD, I believe he's got Fakoly on there (and Kawa)

No, Fadouba's DVD contains Soko, Kawa, Konkoba, Sofa, and Kala. Fakoly isn't on there.

I have one DVD recording of Fakoly, on "M'Bemba Fakoli - A Musical Journey Through Guinea".

On CD, I have Fakoly on:

• Epizo Bangoura, "N'NA Nin N'FA", track 2
• Billy Nankouma Konaté, "Siyara Manden Mansa", track 3
• Fadouba Oulare, "Fadouba Oulare", track 2

Fefoli appears on Ballet Warraba, "Bonya-Respect!", track 5.

Listening to Fefoli by Ballet Warraba and Fokoly by Fadouba Oulare, I'd say they are the same rhythm. I don't know whether Fefoli is abbreviated to Fefo, but it seems feasible.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Dugafola]

i don't think fakoly and fefoli/fedon are related at all.

fakoly is originally griot music played to honor Fakoly Daba, the head of the Kourouma clan (also Doumbia, Sissoko, & Bangoura). he played a vital role in the Sundjata Epic in that joined up with Sundjata to help defeat the sosso king soumaro kante. i've learned at least 5 different versions of "fakoly djembe" ranging from straight 4/4 to 6/8 to somewhere in b/w.

"fe" rhythms originated from songs women would sing with the big half gourds with string and beads/cowries attached as accompaniement. the djembe/dunun parts were added later and vary from village to village. Famoudou has a couple different "fe" as well as mamady too.

[Daniel Preissler]

hello Dleufer and Michi,
I agree with Duga, it's probably not related.
You can find a Fèfö from Kouroussa on my youtube account (danielkonate). By the way, I only know one Fèfö version - it's the same in Kouroussa, Sangbarala, Baro and Babila/Fadama/Fissadou at least.
Another rythm that can be played is Tasaba.

Fakoly is a rythm for the Kourouma clan and also for féticheurs (there are lots of Kourouma féticheurs). It's been played on Tyèuru/Kèuru drums before, not on dunduns. Today it can be played instead of Koma for the Koma mask (I think these two rythms were one Kèuru rythm before).
Billy has put it on his last disc as a binary rythm. Maybe he has heard it once that way, but I think he changed it with the mates in CKY, because it is so close to a binary rythm - I only heard it as a ternary one during fêtes, but once in class they showed it as binary (than it's close to Nkokè/kassa II). A friend of mine has got a recording of it in the binary style, but that was during a concert like fête and they were fooling around a bit, so I still don't know if this binary version exists in Hamana/Gberedu traditionally.

BUT: Tasaba can be played for the mask (1), for the girls (2: Fèfö) and for féticheurs (Soro fête), so this could be a little relation. but I'm not convinced.

Fakoly manyi! Kunatè kanyi! d;-)

See you,
D

[guedom]

a ternary Fakoli is in Sangbarala Baradö the latest cd by Diarra Konaté, avaible to be listened in his myspace.

Here a little Fakoly story about (in french with a spanish traductor)

Fakoly_Contexto.mp3

(4.95 MiB) Downloaded 199 times

[kononen]

i was study this rytthm whit Diarra one time........but is diferent a FAKOLY... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ......this fakoly have two diferent parts for sanbang and dunumba.........but are the same family.........

[kononen]

you can see in the solos of Nansady............his solos are sicronized whit the feet of the dancin.........because are a tradicional solos for fakoly..........spectacular NANSADY......

[Dugafola]

x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.
o..o....o.o.o...

This is the sangban for Fadouba's Fakoly djembe and very similar to the one Bolokada teaches.

x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.
c..o..o.o.oo..c.

this is one of the sangban patterns for Fefo/foli.

[michi]

x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.
c..o..o.o.oo..c.

this is one of the sangban patterns for Fefo/foli.

That's almost identical to the Fefo sangban Famoudou taught last year. The only difference is that Famoudou has a closed stroke in place of the first open.

Michi.