As Flaig points out, the drummers in Guineas ballets where such representative and there are indications that Mamady and Famoudou still feel that way.
Yes. And a large part of it is ignorance, and maybe repression and denial. What would I do in their situation, being twenty years old, with essentially no education, poor as a church mouse, and being offered a chance at fame and international travel and a secure (if meagre) income? I would probably also think that the guy is nice.
But Famoudous sons? I don't think so. They do feel rather as entrepreneurs of the djembe than representatives of their country, I'd guess. And this track called Seckou Toure might be an indication of just that (even though we still don't know what the song is about).
I have no idea how Famoudou's sons feel. It's still disappointing to me though that this track appears on a CD with that title. Not that it's up to me to berate them. And I totally believe that it may well have happened because of ignorance rather than denial. If someone could show them what really went on back then, Famoudou's sons might well be aghast.
Michi, I really appreciate all of your contributions on this forum.
But on this one, I really have an issue with the way you state things and put for instance the words ignorance / mamady keita / famoudou konaté / billy and diarra in one line. I am not a native English speaker, but in my understanding, ingnorance has a perjorative connotation.
It is tempting to classify cases that can not be easily explained in our cultural reference framework as being the result of ignorance.
I rather keep the option open of me being ignorant of their cultural habits and trying to have discussions with them to really find out how they see things.
Following intensive workshops with Diarra, I can be affirmative that he is anything but ignorant about the history of his country and culture. And anyone who has followed workshops with Famoudou and has paid attention when he started telling stories in the evening or between sessions knows that education is not somehting Famoudou lacks. It is true that he did not get an European imposed school education, an education system that rather served at keeping the local population ignorant and away from their own knowledge. A millenia old knowledge transferred orally, and a knowledge that Famoudou definitely possesses of.
