Tiriba

This is the rhythm we are learning right now in my West African drum class. Yeah, it is a hard one. All the rhythms we have learned until now have been in fours or eights. This rhythm is in 12/8, I think. Heck, I don't even know what that means. It's in threes, the lead hand changes from left to right and fast.

Man.

The beat goes on.

Fanga

We started learning a new rhythm last night in my West African drum class. I am excited, as I have been wanting to learn this one for some time-I guess since January or so when we had our Moribayassa recital at out Public Meeting. Jay, Meko and Jonny played djembe with the worship band. Jay seemed to be controlling the volume and tempo, and we all know wht he likes, loud and fast. I remember how impressed I was with DJ, thumpin' his bass, belting out the lyrics.

Anyway, here are some videos that demonstrate it (djembe 1, djembe 2, djembe 1 & 2). We only got as far as the djembe parts; we did not have time to start the dununs.

If you have five minutes, watch, or just listen to the fourth video below. It is by this kooky-cool storytelling, drumming and singing duo called "Alafia." They are funny and informative. Check out that background, where are they? Jay told us a real similar story last night about Fanga.

Feel good!

I Am Ahead, I Am Advanced

I was digging my West African drum class last night. I dig it every time more or less, but it has been different somehow lately. For one, Jay changed the format a little bit. He is no longer dividing the classes into eight week cycles, during which we learn a new rhythm. Over the past three weeks, Jay has had us working on "Kuku," (the rhythm we started at the beginning of this eight weeks), then working on "Moribayassa;" a rhythm that most of us learned last winter. We are working toward learning a repertoire of rhythms, which consists of

Kuku, Moribayassa, Yankadi/Macru, Tiriba, Fanga, Gidamba, and from there, Kassa, Djole, Dununba and Soli.

The goal is to have a group of people that know these rhythms so that when opportunities to perform (cultural events, school assemblies, protests and whatever) arise, Jay will have a group of musicians ready to perform. He would also like to integrate these rhythms and dances into the life of the church. Traditionally these rhythms are not played for their own sake, like how a band plays a concert that people just watch, rather they are played in support of a dance associated with each rhythm. The dances are danced for specific purposes and occasions such as baby naming, birth, death, fishing, farming, circumcision, weddings, and all kinds of other daily activities in the community.

Jay did a little bit of talking last night during class. He started talking about West African drumming and how it reflects West African culture at large. The rhythms that we are learning to play are referred to as "polyrhythms," that is, members of the ensemble are playing different parts simultaneously that lock in together and make a cohesive rhythm.

Check out these three videos below; the first two are djembes one and two played separately. The third is the rhythms played together, as they would be in an ensemble. This is two djembe parts for Kassa-a Malinke rhythm from Guinea, West Africa that is played when crops are being harvested in the field.

So ya, you have to know your own part really well, but you also have to know the other parts and how they all work together. This is a fairly simple example of polyrhythms; the version of Kuku that we are learning has three djembe parts, three dunun (bass drums) parts, with bells, some verbal call and response, with some djembe soloing winding in and out of the rhythm as well. There is a lot going on.

In traditional West African culture, individuals are encouraged to excel-know their djembe part and play it well, but they are also expected to work with others toward the success of the entire community-be able to play as part of the ensemble. In traditional West African society, if an individual or family has a problem, then it is thought that the entire village has the problem. It seems like a healthy way for a community to operate.

Then we went outside and turned some cars over and threw trash cans through store fronts. No, I'm kidding about the trash cans.

But ya, this is what we learn, the ways of indigenous people (before they were destroyed by colonization) and how cultures that we once needed to "civilize" and decimate make a lot more sense than many of the institutions we live in today.

Of course there was more and Jay was a lot more articulate and passionate, but I wanted to express that class is more than just drumming.

Why is the Why?

Drumming at the Croatan last night took a bit of a turn. I am not sure why, but I like it. Major personality flaw-I always wonder about the "why." That is probably the most minor of my major personality flaws; most recently labeled at least.

But the change, class was set up to teach a new rhythm every eight weeks, leading to teaching a repertoire of rhythms. That seems to have melded into a more progressive approach, where we nail down, tighten up rhythms and breaks we already know, while adding new material as we go along. Last night's class was really good. I dig the change.

I am starting to hear the djembe a little better. I am starting to pick up on where the various parts lock in, what responds where.

I am going to this guy's (below) class tonight at Freedom Theatre; I am going with Meko from church. He also takes the djembe class from Jay, but has been taking classes from Menes Yahudah for a time. Meko said there is a lot of focus on technique and also some stuff dealing with the spiritual nature of drumming. Weeee. We will have to see what's too much.

This photo and biography are from the Farafina Kan website. I hope he smiles like that in class.

Menes Yahudah
POB: Baltimore, MD
DOB: 6/26/76
Role: Tech & rehearsal director & lead Djembe soloist

Menes has been drumming since the age of 2 and has always been interested and committed to drumming. Menes is a former lead soloist for Baltimore’s Sankofa Dance Theatre and is currently the Director of Urban Foli and an instructor with Tam Tam Mandingue, USA in Baltimore. Menes has performed nationally and internationally in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. He has spent the greater part of his adult life learning Djembe music and is fluent in other musical languages as well. He currently teaches drum classes in Baltimore, Philadelphia and continues to travel nationally and internationally performing and studying traditional arts.

I know you are all interested in this stuff, or I wouldn't bother writing about it! I jest! I will report on the class soon. I need to make up a song for this dununba part for Kuku that I am trying to learn. I know the parts, I just can't play them right.

Beat your face private!

This is the Drum

Here is a picture of my djembe. It is sweet. Last month I went to Wula Drums in Brooklyn and spent about two hours there, playing different drums and talking to their drum tech Galen. This is the drum I bought. They wrapped it up real nice for me and I and brought it back on the grey dog.

I have been taking West African drumming classes since November. It has changed my life; Sarah says "it's one of your top five life changers." Life Changers. But ya, I take classes with Jay Beck at the Croatan Studio located at Circle of Hope. It has been very interesting. We are not only learning to play djembe rhythms, but we are also learning about West African culture.

Playing the djembe has been challenging and very relaxing. I have never found anything that I could completely lose myself in. Gee, and I have tried. It's good. I can just go bass-tonetone--slap bass-tonetone--slap bass-tonetone--slap bass-tonetone--slap and I don't have to think of anything else.