Music in Bamako

[kosta]

Hey all,

I came across a couple of really cool videos from a group called Bwazan from Bamako



Really like their sound and musicallity. However, I am a bit confused...

Since I haven't been to Africa yet, my source of education is the net, my teachers and CDs/DVDs. Like most of us I guess. My perception of Mali drumming and music is the "sweet", melodic and swang rhythms. I know that music is evolving and the Guinean style (which I also love) is becoming more prominennt. However, I can't undersatnd why the Malian new generation of djembefolas is not sticking with their tradition and getting influenced by the Guinenans. I understand that the music is the same and you can call it a natural progression however it just doesn't seem right to me.

Can you please enlighten me, especially the guys that have been there?

Cheers
Kosta

[rachelnguyen]

Kosta,

I don't think the frenetic energy of Bamako is because of an influence from guinea. There are other factors at play.

I have had some conversations about the Bamako style with my teacher and he tells me that one of the things that make playing in the city so different from the village is that the repertoire of the musicians has to be huge so they can play the traditional music of all the ethnic groups and regions in Mali. If they can't, they wont last long as professional musicians. I suspect that this exposure to and ability to play a huge range of traditional pieces means that they are less likely to feel compelled to adhere to the traditions quite so tightly.

In a village, there is far less competition with other drummers trying to make their way in the world. In the city, there is the constant need to set yourself apart, which I think pushes the envelope in terms of speed, skill, repertoire, etc. The competition for work is fierce and a drummer needs to be extraordinary to get the work.

Most of this is just my opinion based on observation. I would be very interested in what other folks have to say on this subject.

Rachel

[djembefeeling]

can't tell for sure, but my best guess is that there has been a transnational competition for quite some time. I have been told that drummers from the Senegal and especially the Ivory Coast used to make fun of those from Guinea and Mali (slow motion-, old men's style), because they drum much faster than those from the Maninka cultures. The National Ballets might have competed already, and the migration of drummers from the fast drumming cultures would have spured the others in Bamako and Guinea. Another possible influence is us: the guy with the most sensational sounds, speed, and power used to catch the attention of djembe tourists for concerts and teaching. As almost always, tradition is valued the most when it is disapearing...

[djembeweaver]

I think the answer is that this is ballet and the stuff you've heard previously has been more village-style.

The ballet-style that young people are playing in Conakry is worlds apart from what you'd hear in villages in Hamana or Wassolon. To me it's like the thrash metal of west african drumming but that's what all the kids in the cities are into these days.

Anyway, this is clearly a peformance troupe which is very different to ensembles like Drissa Kone et al, who I believe mainly play for ceremonies and stuff (rather than performing on a stage).

So maybe the answer is that there's more money / opportunities these days in ballet-style performance than in playing for traditional ceremonies.

Also, because of its proximity to Guinea, Ivory Coast and Burkina, Bamako's bound to be a bit of a melting-pot.

[kosta]

In the city, there is the constant need to set yourself apart, which I think pushes the envelope in terms of speed, skill, repertoire, etc. The competition for work is fierce and a drummer needs to be extraordinary to get the work.

I totally agree with you Rachel. I think in the main urban areas the competition is much bigger than the villages. However, the thing that I dont undrestand is why this competition is not driving djembefolas to a total respect of the traditions instead of playing the Guinean style. Maybe its our fault, "the whites", that we are seeking these elements (speed, endurance etc). We shouldnt forget that we are and our money the ticket to a succesfull carreer (in most cases)...unfortunately!

I know that the old school guys can be as fast but there are specific moments for that and always in respect of the music.

But like I said, I havent been there and that is my understanding of the situation.

Cheers
Kosta

[kosta]

Another possible influence is us: the guy with the most sensational sounds, speed, and power used to catch the attention of djembe tourists for concerts and teaching. As almost always, tradition is valued the most when it is disapearing...

DjembfeeIing I think you hit the nail on the head

[kosta]

The ballet-style that young people are playing in Conakry is worlds apart from what you'd hear in villages in Hamana or Wassolon. To me it's like the thrash metal of west african drumming but that's what all the kids in the cities are into these days.

Djembeweaver:There is nothing wrong with thrash metal but its not my cup of tea either

I agree that the ballets in West-Africa have really pushed things and influenced the young generation but I dont recall the ballets especially in Guinea back in the 60s-80s having this frenetic style. I think white influence played a big role in this "evolution".

Cheers
Kosta

[djembefeeling]

I think white influence played a big role in this "evolution".

I would't overdo our influence in this. I think it is minor to other factors. Playing the devils advocate I could state with at least as much plausibility that "traditional" drumming wouldn't even exist anymore without flocks of foreign drumming students flying to West Africa...ask Famoudou, Mamady or Mansa about it. Isn't "faster-and-bigger" the tendency of our time? Watch TV shows from, say, 30 or 25 years ago, how much time they take telling a story.