[Dugafola]

i do know that dr. djobi teaches a particular slap that we discussed in another thread, which he calls 'topalo'. the sound is in between a slap and a tone and it's a very distinctive sound, with some overtones to it. the topalo sound is central to a number of rhythms of the gouro people in the ivory coast (e.g. zaouli). some others that play that sound well include mamady keita, famoudou konate, nansady keita, thomas guei, petit adama diarra, mohamed diaby, mahiri edwards-keita and fode bangoura.

just listened to Djobi's disc during lunch. he definitely keeps that technique true to the Ivorian rhythms. i couldn't hear him use it in any Malinke/Bamana rhythms on his disc.

[michi]

i'm hearing the different slaps, but i don't think any of them are what we are referring to here IMO. i've seen FK play a lot live and i've heard him deliver that type of sound.

OK, I think I know what you mean. Famoudou varies the overtone spectrum on these slaps to get the different pitches, but the third slap isn't really about overtones but seems to excite a different fundamental in the skin.

Here is a short excerpt from Mamady's "Djembe Kan" video where he uses the third slap. You can see that the hand position changes ever so slightly.



I'm still trying to get that slap, but no success so far. Yet, you definitely don't have to be Mamady to play it... I've heard Monette, Kahlil, and Mahiri (among others) use it too. I definitely need to bug people to see whether I can get any tips as to how to achieve that slap...

Cheers,

Michi.

[Dugafola]

good stuff. that's the SF djembe kan right? fred's reactions during that kan are great.

[bops]

I've gotten pretty solid with it. It would be easiest to show you in person... but what I do is basically imitate my slap technique from about 8 years ago. In other words, try to perfect "poor" technique.

[e2c]

bops -

So far I've been trying out a number of different kinds of slaps for a "3d slap," but it's almost impossible to describe them in words - although it does seem to have a lot to do with slight variations in angle and which parts of the hand/fingers touch the skin 1st. If I were able to video myself, I'd post something. (All of the things I'm trying come - more or less - from frame drum playing.) Don't know what will work over the longer haul, though... or if any of the ones I've been messing with are good for any purpose other than occasional accents.

just listened to Djobi's disc during lunch. he definitely keeps that technique true to the Ivorian rhythms. i couldn't hear him use it in any Malinke/Bamana rhythms on his disc.

Where did you get the CD? He doesn't have any information about recordings on his site... I'd be interested in getting a copy.

[bubudi]

I've gotten pretty solid with it. It would be easiest to show you in person... but what I do is basically imitate my slap technique from about 8 years ago. In other words, try to perfect "poor" technique.

that is a very good description, you know! i've found myself making that sound when i haven't warmed up and play my first few slaps, especially after a training session when my hands are feeling a bit tired before i even start drumming. i've still got to work on it solidly to get some more differentiation and be able to nimbly switch between the two at will.

As for "transcription," I hear you - but by the same token, the whole melodic feel of the actual planibala is somehow lost in translation, no? (I'd think so; it's a very different kind of drum, with a different kind of sound...)

when you listen to mamady on that 2 hour demo/lecture that james posted up here, demoing a hybrid of the 2 binary accompaniments containing the 2 slaps, and the different tones, and the degree of control he has on those, that's just some of what's possible on the djembe... almost making it sound like several drums - in essence almost turning it into a planibala!

with the transcription of forest music to djembe ensemble, especially with the more usual malinke/bamana technique, something definitely gets lost. however, consider that planibala is more of a solo instrument (accompaniments don't need 5 different drum heads). you can still have a melody going, but the instruments have changed and it is never the same.

just listened to Djobi's disc during lunch. he definitely keeps that technique true to the Ivorian rhythms. i couldn't hear him use it in any Malinke/Bamana rhythms on his disc.

Where did you get the CD? He doesn't have any information about recordings on his site... I'd be interested in getting a copy.

i assume that would be george momboye's disc on which djobi features, with guei and others. i'm not sure how many cds momboye produced, but the one i have, abebao, contains 11 tracks of pure ivory coast rhythms and no malinke/bamana rhythms whatsoever. i believe the cd is out of circulation but you could try momboye directly.

Here is a short excerpt from Mamady's "Djembe Kan" video where he uses the third slap. You can see that the hand position changes ever so slightly.

yes, he's doing it there, but the video is horribly out of synch with the sound. is it like that on the original?

[Dugafola]

just listened to Djobi's disc during lunch. he definitely keeps that technique true to the Ivorian rhythms. i couldn't hear him use it in any Malinke/Bamana rhythms on his disc.

Where did you get the CD? He doesn't have any information about recordings on his site... I'd be interested in getting a copy.

i assume that would be george momboye's disc on which djobi features, with guei and others. i'm not sure how many cds momboye produced, but the one i have, abebao, contains 11 tracks of pure ivory coast rhythms and no malinke/bamana rhythms whatsoever. i believe the cd is out of circulation but you could try momboye directly.

jahhahahahahahahah. it's not Abebao from Momboye!!! unleess his name is Loesseni Kone, Lai bi loh or thomas guei.

[michi]

good stuff. that's the SF djembe kan right? fred's reactions during that kan are great.

No, that's the one recorded in Seattle, September 1998.

Cheers,

Michi.

[michi]

yes, he's doing it there, but the video is horribly out of synch with the sound. is it like that on the original?

No, the original is perfectly in sync, as was the sample (MPEG-4, H.264 encoded) that I uploaded to YouTube. It's just YouTube messing things up. (It seems to do this a lot.)

Cheers,

Michi.

[Dugafola]

good stuff. that's the SF djembe kan right? fred's reactions during that kan are great.

No, that's the one recorder in Seattle, September 1998.

Cheers,

Michi.

cool. i have the VHS but don't have a player anymore...

[bubudi]

jahhahahahahahahah. it's not Abebao from Momboye!!! unleess his name is Loesseni Kone, Lai bi loh or thomas guei.

all those guys have played with momboye's company. what cd are you referring to? guelassimou?

[Dugafola]

you're confused.

you assumed Djobi plays on Abebao. i'm telling you he doesn't unless his real name that his momma gave him is Loesseni Kone, Lai Bi Loh or Thomas Guei.

djobi has a disc out or had a disc out with the following rhythms:
lamba
kuku
mendiani
dununba
wolosodon/jondon
flaly
gnege
zaouli
temate
ziblibiti
kan

you probably have it and don't even know it.

[e2c]

[parenthetical note]

Duga and bubudi: geek city!

(We're all djembe/dunun geeks here... me too. )

[/parenthetical note]

[bubudi]

djobi has a disc out or had a disc out with the following rhythms:

what was the title of the cd? i thought i had something of djobi, but the only thing i can find was that momboye disc.

[Dugafola]

I believe it's self titled.

The abebao cd is hot though. It could be my favorite Ivorian recording.