Singing - lyrics and melodies

[djembefeeling]

Hi folks,

I just read a post in another thread reminding me of a general problem: the forum is yet almost deaf when it comes to the songs. I really like singing and I wonder if some of you would like to share their best songs with the lyrics and a video or mp3 file attached. It would be great to create a data bank of songs and lyrics on the net. what do you think? Mostly, the information on the songs is lyrics only. Of course, its a bit embarassing to take a mic and sing your favorite songs and even post it here, but it would be such a great resource.

For a start, to break the ice, I post this video of the rhythm "Kodonba" along with the lyrics (this is my favorite right now). If this is becoming a vivid thread, I would even take a mic and do the karaoke-styl with the other songs I love so much...

Kodonbale, kodonbale eeeh, iye kodonbale, kodonbale soli bara djara ye djara walero


cheers, jürgen

[bkidd]

Thanks for the video and lovely song. Great idea to focus a bit on the wonderful songs that enrich the music. I'm curious, what is the song about?

[djembefeeling]

Hi kid,

thats a good point. We need to know about the meaning of the lyrics as well!

I try to translate from the dutch in Niels Fleurke's and Mansa Camio's book "Ritmes uit Baro":

Kodonba belongs like the rhythm Soro to the Kassa rhythms. These rhythms are played to accompany the farmers at their work.
The sun rises in the east. The place where the sun rises is called in Malinke: Kodon. The place where the sun rises is also always the place where the thunderstorms start.
When the farmers are almost done with their work in the afternoon and they see the dark light from the thunderstorm coming, they call it Kodonba. The rhythm Kodonba is then played by the drummers of the village and the farmers tell each other:"Let's work fast so we have finished all the work before the thunderstorm and the rain arrive here."

But as often in African lyrics, the topic is directed rather metaphorical. As far as I understand the Malinke lyrics (I hardly know any Malinke, though) they seem to talk about the Kodonba(le) coming and equal it with the threat of a panther (soli) and a lion (dyara) appearing in the middle of the village, the bara -- I assume the men would have to run home really fast to protect their spouses and kids. No wonder you like it, kidd

[bkidd]

Thanks for the explanation Djembefeeling. I wasn't sure if the name Kodonba was the "same" as Konkoba, but with a different spelling. It sounds like they are similar in terms of occasion and rhythm family, although maybe what is played is different. I hadn't heard this story for konkoba so thank you.

I'll be on the look out for panthers and lions next time I play a harvest rhythm.

[Afoba]

Hey Jürgen, nice topic.
I was going to work a bit more on songs again during my last stay, but I didn't really have the time to do so...
Fortunately the song you talk about is on the Senedunun (Sènèdundun) disc of Mansa Camio's. With translation! But you are right (important point!), the translation is not enough to understand the lyrics.
But let's start with it:

Kodonbale, kodonbale eeeh, iye kodonbale, kodonbale soli bara djara ye djara walero

You (as well as the ones who have written the text for the disc) use a Bamanakan close spelling.
I would prefer:

soli bara dyara ye, dyara waledö

. (I wasn't that sure about the translation, that's why I'm quite glad about the disc's proposal).
- They translate Kodonba with "great east", so quite literally. So your explanation is quite important!
- "bara" is not a noun (not the public place of the village), but a modal verb for past tense: "has/have". So it means: "The panther has seen the lion" (taken from the text).
"dyara waledö" - the lion is in the bush (a ye wadö, as I would say). They translate "BUT the lion is in the forest".
I don't know, if this BUT makes sense here. It could be just the other way around (an emphasis of what has been said before):
A panther is weaker than a lion. The panther could stand for the farmers, the lion for rain and thunder. They have seen the "lion" coming and know they have to hurry.
As the "lion" is still in the bush, they can finish their work, if they are fast enough.
Or: The "lion" is in the bush (around), so they really have to hurry!

The rest of the text (solo part) says that neither gold nor money (they say silver, but it's money) can stop the lion and make him sit down (I say "sit down", they say "sit atop" - "si wokan", but I think this is too literally. I would say "si wokan" > sit on something > sit down
So no one can make the storm stop!

My favourite song is on the same disc: (E sor(d)onba e...) sung for Dibon, I mentioned it when describing the Bundiani disc (I'm not convinced anymore that it's a Dibon there, too, after having seen the video again: It's the children's Soliwulen that dance on it, so we might call it Soliwulen - again another version!)

Greets, D

[djembefeeling]

Hi Daniel,

thanks for getting all that straight! Good to have you on this forum.
After your reply I looked for the booklet of the Senedunun CD for the first time. I didn't know there is a booklet hidden in the carton

Right now I am listening to Dibon alias Soliwoulen. But that song doesn't catch me like the other. I like specific melodies, like in the song for Konkoba Dunun as Billy teaches it, or the Wadaba song, the Sisseba song on Baba Tourés album for Madan, that stuff. Mostly though, I like the versions better where the sequence of tones is slightly transposed for western ears. The originals are often a little disharmonic for me. but I also don't like the versions of groups in Europe where the melody has become much to elaborated in our own tradition. Some of my most cherished songs are the songs sung from children. My all time favorite is on Ibro Konatés "Up reis met Ibro Konaté in Guinea", track 17/18.

Hey folks, whats your favorite songs and would you like to share?

[Afoba]

Hi Jürgen,
it is a Dibon on the Senedunun disc.
But the Takura guys play the other tune for the Mendiani girls wearing Soliwulen masks on the vid and disc "Bundiani". The best known Soliwulen version has a quite similar Sangban pattern. I thought it was a Dibon first, because the placement of the closed strokes as I hear it is Kassa/Dibon/Matadio like and not Soliwulen like (well Soliwulen as I play it). The girls are singing the same song, that's all (songs and rhythms aren't always strictly related, and if they are, it might be different in another village. I heard the Sangbarala Daba (Bundiani) song on Dya once in another village...).

Did you hear the Senedunun version of the song? No really, the song and the piece are wonderful to me! The whole disc is not of the kind of music you will sell much in Europe (because the djembé is not turned so loud and the singing is always very present). But I really like it, especially this track.
It's "heavy" and a bit melancholic, even a bit pathetic I'ld say. And the dundun melody is great, too! Something completely different from what we think of first, talking about maninka music, of course.
It's a bit less the "party tune". Sometimes I like this, too. Direction Kobalama singing, for me king and queen of maninka songs (sorry, I have no recording, it wasn't allowed).

[Dugafola]

i like the senedunun disc a lot!

[michi]

My favourite song is on Baba Touré's "Daakan" CD. The track is Dembagnouma (Madan, Djagbe). I have no idea what the lyrics mean. If anyone could help out there, that would be great!

Cheers,

Michi.

[Dugafola]

My favourite song is on Baba Touré's "Daakan" CD. The track is Dembagnouma (Madan, Djagbe). I have no idea what the lyrics mean. If anyone could help out there, that would be great!

Cheers,

Michi.

i think there's lyrics and translation in the booklet...i can check for you when i get home. but remind me if i don't post it in a couple of days.

[djembefeeling]

Dembagnouma (Madan/Djagbe):

Sisseba dembagnouma iyé,
Sisseba dembagnouma,
Sisseba koromi yé kami fan tötö,
Sisseba dembagnouma iyé

Sisseba, the mother hen,
Who takes care of other people's children
As she does her own:
You are a good mother.
Sisseba, the mother hen,
You are a good mother.

[michi]

Awesome, thanks!

Listening to my music via iTunes means that, these days, I often ignore the liner notes. In the old days, you couldn't help but see them when you went to put an LP on the turntable...

Michi.

[bkidd]

Michi,

I like that song too!

I'll add one more note that comes from liner, which is that this piece is "a song in homage to Baba's elder brother".

-Brian

[bkidd]

duga wrote:
i like the senedunun disc a lot!

me too, i've been listening to bundiani and senedunun on my recent commutes and they are greeeaaat!

[Dugafola]

duga wrote:
i like the senedunun disc a lot!

me too, i've been listening to bundiani and senedunun on my recent commutes and they are greeeaaat!

don't neglect the an bada sofoli disc!!!