dleufer Trip Update

[dleufer]

Iniké!
I've finally made it out of Guinea after a very interesting 3 months so I thought I'd give a quick update on the trip so far. I arrived in Bamako yesterday morning and it's refreshing to back in the world of paved roads, running water, electricity and phone coverage!
I spent almost 7 weeks in Baro with Mansa Camio starting in November. I arrived just as the Konden fete was starting so for the first few days there was lots of music. On the first evening they play the rhythm Konden from about 9pm until sunrise, moving around the village from house to house. It was mainly just Konden with other rhythms ocassionally like Numuka Bolon. A couple of days later the actual mask came out and there was a big fete. It's definitely something to try and see, really impressive theatrics between the 3 (or 6 in Baro) masks (Konden, Balnee, Touraning Balanee). I'll post some videos when I get back.
I also got to take part in a Kassa fete. Very interesting. Like most fetes it involves a lot of eating!
After that there weren't so many fetes until mid December when the Baradasa started. It's 3 days of Dununba and each village holds the fete, usually at different times. I got to see the Baradasa in Gbendo and Morimala and acheived my goal of playing Kesedeni for an entire Dununba fete ( i only screwed up twice but I had a very angry looking dununbafola staring me out of it all the time)
In Baro I was taking classes one on one the whole time. Very intense but obviously very good. Soooooooooooo many dunun variations! I almost cracked twice on Konkoba and again on Bando. Trying to finish the djembe chauffe in the right place on Bando nearly drove me insane
Then in Conakry I was with Petit Mamady Keita. The speed difference between Baro and Conakry was crazy at first but Mamady is a fantastic teacher. His number one rule is 'there is no economy in djembe'. The classes and fetes were really full on, he does not tolerate taking it easy. In one month we only did 4 solos (Sinadon, Tiriba, Yankoba and Kawa). Repeat repeat repeat, faster, faster ,faster.
After that I went to Takura, a village close to Kankan and took classes for 2 weeks. THey have so many rhythms there I had never heard of and their versions of rhythms are massively different in some cases. They have one very odd Dja rhythm with has the same sangban as Mamady's (and most people's) Mendiani with a downbeat dununba. I'll post a recording when I'm back.
Next up is Burkina for one month and then back to Ireland.
If anyone has any recommendations for teachers (relatively cheap!) in Burkina I'd be grateful.

[michi]

Man, thanks so much for the update! That's just jaw-dropping stuff! I wish I could do the same…

I bet your playing must have improved out of sight by now!

Good luck in Mali and Burkina!

Cheers,

Michi.

[James]

Hey Dan,

Great to hear from you Sound like you've had a real experience most will never know (including me )

What do you mean by:

His number one rule is 'there is no economy in djembe'.

I hope our paths cross soon and you can teach some of that good stuff

[dleufer]

Hey James,
`No economy in djembe`means that there`s no taking it easy, its 100 per cent all the time. That can also include playing slowly and quietly, you can still give it your all. When you see him take a solo he really really really goes for it and he really pushes students to do the same. I guess when I first arrived i would play softer when it got fast or try to economise so that I wouldn`t tire out when the rhythm got fast. But what I found out was that if you go 100 per cent then often you don`t tire out you actually get right in there and when it speeds up you`re with the music. By the end of the month i could play accompaniment much faster and harder (and for longer) than I thought i`d be able to.
An intense teacher but really excellent, even with beginners but especially for advanced solo stuff. We often spent over 2 hours on just one phrase, over and over again, louder and faster.

[Paul]

Good man Leufer... Mamady sounds like my kinda guy, not just music, its an olympic sport..

[HawaOuti]

Hi Daniel!

Good to hear that your trip is going well! It was nice to meet you, pity that we didn't have more time to play together, it was fun!
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

We got back to Finland mid-January, it is REALLY cold here....

Outi

[djembefeeling]

I guess when I first arrived i would play softer when it got fast or try to economise so that I wouldn`t tire out when the rhythm got fast. But what I found out was that if you go 100 per cent then often you don`t tire out you actually get right in there and when it speeds up you`re with the music.

I really like that! This is exactly what I cannot replace here in my private studies. I can play along different recordings, slow them down or speed them up, and can get really deep into phrasing and swing, having the masters repeat them as often as I like. But the bootcamp aspect is almost exclusively limited to a private teacher like Mamady in Africa -- not or at least hardly in workshops - they all tend to be smooth and like a wellness trip with some local resp. ethnic color.

[dleufer]

they all tend to be smooth and like a wellness trip with some local resp. ethnic color.

Exactly! In workshops it's rare that you get pushed beyond your comfort zone but with a private class there's no limit other than how much you're willing to put yourself through

[the kid]

Sounds amazing

Hands must be in decent shape now

I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing

Your missin another lovely winter here

[James]

it's currently -8 degrees here and dropping

Enjoy!

[bkidd]

congrats on the very successful trip so far. enjoy the rest of your time in mali and burkina!