http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45T1ADiSBf4&feature=related
A good combination. My Suso kunda people, great
Monday, 21 November 2011
Monday, 26 September 2011
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Great Kora players: Sidiki Jobarteh
http://chantshistoiremande.free.fr/Html/sidiki2.php
Sory Kandia and Sidiki Jobarteh
http://chantshistoiremande.free.fr/Html/skoucd2.php
Sory Kandia and Sidiki Jobarteh
http://chantshistoiremande.free.fr/Html/skoucd2.php
VOA's historic archieves on Kora players
http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/projects/african_music_treasures_blog/Demba_Susso_Papa_Susso_Ceddo.Mp3
In late August of 1966, another of West Africa’s great korafolas-perhaps the greatest of his era, and definitely the most popular- came to the VOA studios in Monrovia. Soundioulou Cissoko was born in Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance region of Senegal, in 1923. His father was Baa Kimintang Cissoko who, when the French colonial authorities send him to the Colonial Exposition in Paris in 1931, became the first korafola to perform in Europe. In an interview he gave the VOA in 1966, Soundioulou says ‘although I have been listening to the kora since the day I was born, I didn’t start to play myself until 1944′.
In 1954, after ten years of study with his paternal uncle, Soundioulou moved to Dakar, where he quickly became the city’s most popular korafola. Ten years later, in 1964, he became one of the founding members of ‘l’Ensemble Lyrique Traditionnel’, the first Senegalese national traditional music ensemble. By 1966 Soundioulou was known throughout the region as ‘Le Roi de la Kora’ (the king of the kora), a title that he was given by the late Guinean president Ahmed Seku Toure (many sources give the date as 1967, but in our 1966 interview Soundioulou is already using the honorific ‘le Roi de la Kora’).
By the late 1970s Soundioulou had retired from the Senegalese national ensemble and for the next ten years performed almost exclusively with his second wife Mahawa Kouyate. Together they recorded at least four lps, and released one CD. All of these recordings are out of print. As far as I know, no solo recordings of Soundioulou Cissoko have ever been released (he recorded a set of eight solo reels for Senegalese national radio).
These VOA recordings of Soundioulou are some of the best he ever made. This next track is Soundioulou’s version of ‘Tiedo Dianké Waly’ (the same piece as ‘Ceddo’), and is a good example of his virtuosic playing.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Tiedo Dianké Waly’
Here is Soundioulou playing ‘Mali Sajo’. It is interesting to compare his interpretation to the recording of ‘Mali Sajo’ by Papa Susso and Tamba Suso. Soundioulou and Papa Susso have very different playing styles.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Mali Sajo’
This last Soundioulou recording is also one of his most famous. For many years this piece was used as the opening theme for Radio Senegal. Soundiolou sings, in Wolof (the other two tracks are in Malinké), ‘Boy dem yoobale ma’, or ‘take me with you’.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Sira Ba Bolo’
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Soundioulou Cissoko and Mahawa Kouyate were known as the ‘Royal Family of Mandinka music’. Two years after Soundioulou first visited the VOA studios in Liberia, he returned to Monrovia with Mahawa. On October 23, 1968 they recorded five songs at the Voice of America’s Brewerville studios. Soundioulou’s voice is not as strong as it was two years earlier, but Mahawa sounds great, and Soundioulou’s kora playing is solid as ever. My favorite of the tracks they recorded that day is ‘Kelefa’ (a tribute to the warrior Kelefa Sane).
Soundioulou Cissoko & Mahawa Kouyate ‘Kelefa’
Soundioulou Cissoko passed away in 1994. He was 71 years old. His sons Djeor Cissoko and Nana Cissoko-who were both born to Soundioulou’s first wife Maimouna Kouyate-and his nephew Ali Boulo Santo are keeping the Cissoko kora tradition alive. All three of them were born in Dakar and are trying to expand the modern kora repertoire. Mahawa Kuyate lives in Dakar and is still performing, with both the ‘Ensemble Lyrique Traditionel’ of Senegal, and as a solo artist.
Special thanks to Alhaji Papa Susso and Roderic Knight for their generous help with the research that went into this post. If you are interested in the history of kora you should also check out the publications of Eric Charry and Ousmane Sow Huchard; both of their books are essential resources
In late August of 1966, another of West Africa’s great korafolas-perhaps the greatest of his era, and definitely the most popular- came to the VOA studios in Monrovia. Soundioulou Cissoko was born in Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance region of Senegal, in 1923. His father was Baa Kimintang Cissoko who, when the French colonial authorities send him to the Colonial Exposition in Paris in 1931, became the first korafola to perform in Europe. In an interview he gave the VOA in 1966, Soundioulou says ‘although I have been listening to the kora since the day I was born, I didn’t start to play myself until 1944′.
In 1954, after ten years of study with his paternal uncle, Soundioulou moved to Dakar, where he quickly became the city’s most popular korafola. Ten years later, in 1964, he became one of the founding members of ‘l’Ensemble Lyrique Traditionnel’, the first Senegalese national traditional music ensemble. By 1966 Soundioulou was known throughout the region as ‘Le Roi de la Kora’ (the king of the kora), a title that he was given by the late Guinean president Ahmed Seku Toure (many sources give the date as 1967, but in our 1966 interview Soundioulou is already using the honorific ‘le Roi de la Kora’).
By the late 1970s Soundioulou had retired from the Senegalese national ensemble and for the next ten years performed almost exclusively with his second wife Mahawa Kouyate. Together they recorded at least four lps, and released one CD. All of these recordings are out of print. As far as I know, no solo recordings of Soundioulou Cissoko have ever been released (he recorded a set of eight solo reels for Senegalese national radio).
These VOA recordings of Soundioulou are some of the best he ever made. This next track is Soundioulou’s version of ‘Tiedo Dianké Waly’ (the same piece as ‘Ceddo’), and is a good example of his virtuosic playing.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Tiedo Dianké Waly’
Here is Soundioulou playing ‘Mali Sajo’. It is interesting to compare his interpretation to the recording of ‘Mali Sajo’ by Papa Susso and Tamba Suso. Soundioulou and Papa Susso have very different playing styles.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Mali Sajo’
This last Soundioulou recording is also one of his most famous. For many years this piece was used as the opening theme for Radio Senegal. Soundiolou sings, in Wolof (the other two tracks are in Malinké), ‘Boy dem yoobale ma’, or ‘take me with you’.
Soundioulou Cissoko ‘Sira Ba Bolo’
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Soundioulou Cissoko and Mahawa Kouyate were known as the ‘Royal Family of Mandinka music’. Two years after Soundioulou first visited the VOA studios in Liberia, he returned to Monrovia with Mahawa. On October 23, 1968 they recorded five songs at the Voice of America’s Brewerville studios. Soundioulou’s voice is not as strong as it was two years earlier, but Mahawa sounds great, and Soundioulou’s kora playing is solid as ever. My favorite of the tracks they recorded that day is ‘Kelefa’ (a tribute to the warrior Kelefa Sane).
Soundioulou Cissoko & Mahawa Kouyate ‘Kelefa’
Soundioulou Cissoko passed away in 1994. He was 71 years old. His sons Djeor Cissoko and Nana Cissoko-who were both born to Soundioulou’s first wife Maimouna Kouyate-and his nephew Ali Boulo Santo are keeping the Cissoko kora tradition alive. All three of them were born in Dakar and are trying to expand the modern kora repertoire. Mahawa Kuyate lives in Dakar and is still performing, with both the ‘Ensemble Lyrique Traditionel’ of Senegal, and as a solo artist.
Special thanks to Alhaji Papa Susso and Roderic Knight for their generous help with the research that went into this post. If you are interested in the history of kora you should also check out the publications of Eric Charry and Ousmane Sow Huchard; both of their books are essential resources
Famous Kora players: Yankuba Saho
The late Yankuba Saho, Gambian traditional Kora master.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-D25ZLD0aE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWjOHZfcLg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-D25ZLD0aE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWjOHZfcLg&feature=related
Friday, 2 September 2011
The Mandingo meaning of Dawla and Sawta
In Jaliyaa terms, Dawla means someone accepted, famous, acclaimed, ground breaking and appealing, whilst Sawta means brillaint but not able to break grounds, neither gaining popular appeal. We can say, Tata Dindin is good Kora player but could not break grounds, Tumani Jebateh is good but mainly known in Europe..
His father was also excellent but was also accepted in the upper class circle of Guinea and Mali...Dawla came from the root word Dawlo to be prosperous and famous. Some deeper Mandingo speakers can have a different explanation. In western terms, Bob Mali was a renown Reggae musicians, whilst others of his time fall short of his acclaimed.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
The Doctrines of masquerades in Mandingo Culture
By Suntou Touray
Now coming to the doctrines of masquerades in past Gambian societies, their importance surpasses the limited roles in Circumcisions and entertainment. In fact, unexplained ailments of children usually involves the agency of Ifanbondes.. For instance if child get suddenly sick and all traditional medicament proof futile, usually, the suspicions swaggers to Witches..
And the common term such as (Kun Fanunteh) someone with seven sense or extra ordinary visions are invoke to help fight the all-powerful, night travellers (Witchs). Ifanbondis plays a part in helping restore calmness in such situations because they are the antidotes of Wicthes...They can fight them spirit to spirits...
You rightly noted that, superstitions exist in every society, including the industrial West and human nature tend to create solutions to unexplained scenarios.. The forefathers design their communities such that, strange happenings are explain to make sense to the common people. Ifanbondis identity are known to elders who arrange for its appearances, however, not every lose Tongue elder is made aware of the personality and Identity of Ifanbondis, because the whole narrative of (Kewulo) Male affairs determine what makes a man. Some men can reveal any cardinal secret with the slightest excitement with a Lady.. They will mouth off as soon they intend to boast a bit. Hence, Kankuran Yaa, Ifanbondi culture is also a source of inculcating a habit of patriotic secrecy symbolic of real men.
However, my assertions that, Human being cannot turn into anything neither can they fly is a reality. The idea that, Witches fly from country to country or village to village is a myth. I will explain:
Today, some people venerate certain Marabous even classifying them Walew or Wale (friend of God) because of certain strange things they are able to do. Those strange behaviour of telling people intimatee secrets, being the source of people's problem solving, etc are all embedded in the past traditional Chief Priest abilities. And Witch Craft is also an art. Just like the Ifanbondi is alleged to involves the agency of spirits meaning Jinns, the Witch Craft also involve this same agency, the Marabou today involve this agency, the Voodoo expert involves similar agencies..
What is the difference here then? According to those experts in the field, there are good spirits and evil ones. Those who intend to harm people involve the evil demons to act as agents of destruction, ie socking the blood of living person, causing mental illness, marital disharmony, lose of job, impotency etc etc.
Whilst the good Jinn helps in fighting evil jinns, hence the human element is that of the invoker of good or evil. The proof here is, test any so-called grand Marabous with wanting a job or wish to make someone lose his job. With the right payment he will tell you he can do either of the two. What will he use? Evidently, not the word of God.
Ifanbondis therefore use a well kept plan of coordinating with trusted helpers to scare evil advocates at Night, but sometimes, he appears in broad day light. This is to ward off the plans of the Wicthes and bad people.
Esaleen, this is a wide topic with regional variation. Kankurans are the people friendly, they can dance well, sing well and sometimes expose their face a bit, but Infanbondi cannot do any such under no circumstances. There roles are many.
Our ancestors utilised what they thought was appropriate in maintaining peace and harmony in their societies, although the written laws of Islam and Christianity motivated them to change some of the practises, however, Islam did not change everything, neither was that necessary. Since Islam regulates the spiritual but leave the material aspect to local customs except in trade dealings involving usury. Thanks
Suntou
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