The Djembefola.com CD for Feedback give away

[James]

Hi Guys, we're looking for feedback on what you'd like to see more of on the newsletter and the site in general.

If you're kind enough to do so you'll be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of Monette's new CD, Coup D'Etlat.

I've attached a poll, for ideas but please let us know if you want more of something that's not on the list... Everyone gets 3 choices...

[guedom]

About interviews would like someone with new masters drummers (if possible their opinions of traditions and new performances rhythms styles about)

PD: if possible with english subtitles (I know is a hard work)

Thanks James

[michi]

An upcoming workshops section would be nice. I realize that doing this for a world-wide audience is difficult. But may be at least the longer workshops, say five days or more, could be listed.

Cheers,

Michi.

[carelspe]

Some discussion (video examples) of regional (or other) differences between rhythms that are called the same, but have differences in how they sound.

[dharma]

As a djembe player, I would like to see more tutorial djembe rhythm videos, more videos and talks by master djembe players, like Mamady Keita.

[atam]

I would like to read some really personal testimonials from some experienced players. Like what was the most important thing (or person, experience, CD, ...) that attracted them to the (serious interest in the) djembe. Or how their path to proficiency developed. Or how they even survived while being devoted to the djembe and such. It do not necessarily have to be african masters to answer. Experienced american/european/other non-african people might be equally interesting, including some people from this djembefola.com forum, like bops, Bubudi, Karl, e2c, Michi etc.

[rachelnguyen]

I would dig it if, when we were talking about a particular rhythm, people would upload mp3s or videos rather than try and use notation alone. I have always found, given the fact that this is an aural tradition, trying to decipher the written notations has been very difficult. Having both would help a lot.

[Steve Harrison]

Hi, and hi to any body reading this. i have read some of the feed back written by others, and yeah i think leting us "the player" have a unique spot of our own in giving information about the Drum and what it has done for us. There are some excellent players out there and it would be good that there hard work and journey into finding what they do best is noted and shared, if they so choose. This i have found that, still there are so many people that are amazed at this under rated instrument. Which is quite funny considering its one of the oldest instuments known to us.
( the drum ). I would like to know if there are any like me out there that have and teach technique in getting the sounds from the Djembe and not just play rythmn. I teach theory and the sience behind it and explain the why into the alpha and beta and theata rythmns. We call it the ZONE, or i call it FREE FORMING.
Otherwise so far i am happy with the site, as and when i get a chance to see whats new.
Steve ( glastonbury England )

[michel weelen]

i agree with Steve & Atam ....
Off course we must keep the vision off the "traditionalists", but also lets hear from those who started years ago ... let speak about the how & the why, lets speak about this long path those guys (i'm one off them) have been walkin on ....
Now there are so many workshops eveywhere including in Africa .... but when i started & went to Sanbgbarala with Famoudou, the cats there never saw a white french drummer .....I think we have some things to tell, stories ....
Another topic could be what do we do with the Djembe in "modern music" ???
How do we teach ?, What do we teach ?

So many people are attracted bye this instrument, we have to think about the future because i know we wont be satisfied in beiing "African imitators" ... or folowers .... or wathever you call it ....

Otherwise your doing a great job dude i like this site, a bit to much around Mamady (if you want my advise) ... but it's kind off "normal" .... There is lots off great great young drummers here in Paris mostly from Ivory coast & Guinéa .... those cats plays like hell .... You have to give them a place to talk .....

[Djembe-nerd]

a bit to much around Mamady (if you want my advise)

What resorces can you (plural) suggest for people who haven't got the chance to go to Africa and don;t have good teachers around their area.

The best and most accesible material is his, so I guess more talk about him than other good drummers.

[Dugafola]

Otherwise your doing a great job dude i like this site, a bit to much around Mamady (if you want my advise) ... but it's kind off "normal" .... There is lots off great great young drummers here in Paris mostly from Ivory coast & Guinéa .... those cats plays like hell .... You have to give them a place to talk .....

i think everyone is open. let's hear it...

there are lots of incredible players all over the world...but they wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between soli and mendiani or dansa and madan.

[atam]

Don´t know if it is fair to have a second entry in this topic, but I agree with Michel, that this site (although being probably the best international forum by far) is too much Mamady-centric. On the other hand, the whole scene is like that... I agree his material is most accessible (and numerous, and ...advertised..), but don´t think it is most traditional. Please don´t misunderstand me, I have big respect for Mamady and his huge work, but ... there are (or were) other masters, some of which never played in ballets, who could also speak A LOT about the tradition and its substances. Some of them are dead (e.g. Yamadu Bani Dunbia, Jaraba Jakite), but they had some excellent students, like e.g. german Rainer Polack. And some are still alive. Sega Cisse, Sega Sidibe, Drissa Kone,... Or again, their excellent students (e.g. austrian Gerhard Kero-studying with Drissa for YEARS), whoose speach can be much more undenstandable for europeans/americans/other non-african djembe lovers, because the context of their lives is much more similar to the average CV of people reading this site. Those are the people, whose insights I would like to read. Maybe we could start with Michel, who it seems to me is ready to share his experience..

I am sure that appart from grand african masters we need to hear our "white" masters to AVOID being just ""African imitators" ... or folowers .... or wathever you call it ...."

Another possible topic for the newsletter: more info on the contents of djembefola.com forum - there is already so many topics and threads, that I doubt a common reader (like myself) is able to follow all of them, or even be aware of them - this is visible also in this particular topic: people are speaking about teaching here, but maybe they don´t know that there are threads and topics about teaching on other places on this forum.

[michel weelen]

Thanks Atam for your reading "between the lines" ....

I have also great, great respect for Mamady, but let's say he is the luckie one ... I met other great, great masters who dind'nt get the chance, did know how to do, to be in the light like Mamady ....
Never mind this is not the place to start an argument .... Mamady desirve his place ... by far ....

But yes i guess i have a lot off stories to tell, i was the first europeen drummer to go to Guinée, i took back Famoudou in his village after 25 years (the film Djembe Fola came out of this adventure), i was there for the recording off Mogobalu, i went to Faranah to bring Fadouba for the recording, i organised one off the first workshop ever made in Ivory coast with "ballet Koteba" .... & many more ....

@ Djembenerd .... to tell you the truth .... travel by your own man .... go to the source and have a nice trip .... Africans are really nice people if you give it a try .... Think, that everything that come to you is already transformed ... you want the real feeling go there Dude !!!!! Do it !!!! If you can't travel, for one or another reason (no jugement) then stay open & just think that what you get is a very very small part of it ......

If you are interested people i can make an interwiev off Sega Sidibé, i will play with him on stage around Christmas in France, he is one off the traditionalist, he never played for ballet .....
We are going to take part in an event called "Noel Mandingue" (bring a Christmas to our African friends) and we are wrinting a musical suite around Sunu that will fit for begenners, medium & advance players ..... So let me know Adam ....

[rachelnguyen]

Hey Michel,

I completely agree that it is best to go to the source and experience the music in Africa yourself. I have had only a tiny taste of it (2 weeks in Bamako) and even that was enough for me to know that everything I thought I knew was a drop in the bucket. And it was such a joy to be there!

Keep us posted about the Christmas project. It sounds really interesting.

Love,
Rachel

[Dugafola]

sega sidibe! yes!