Posts by Category: Anthropology
Behind the Music
Sorsornet and Faama Denké
Music, Anthropology Jun 20
A detailed look at the classic Mande song Faama Denké and the Baga rhythm, Sorsornet. Includes drum notation, sheet music, lyrics and translations.
Dununba
Dance of the Strong Men
Music, Anthropology Feb 2
The dununba is an event that belongs to a family of about thirty rhythms and dances, aptly referred to as “the dance of the strong men.” These are day-long feats of endurance by the strongest men of the village.
Video: Finding the Source
Videos, Artwork, Anthropology, Africa Jan 15
In this engaging mini-documentary, Dave Kobrenski shares his two-decade musical and artistic journey in West Africa. Under the tutelage of master musicians like Famoudou Konaté and Lanciné Conde, Dave became proficient in the djembé, Fula flute, and kamale ngoni. But the real lessons were far greater than that. Join Dave on his adventure into culture, healing, and the stories that inspired his latest book, “Finding the Source.”
Kamalengoni
La harpe des jeunes de Wassoulou
French, Anthropology Aug 2 2017
The kamalengoni is a type of harpe-luth played originally by the Bambara people of the Wassoulou region of Mali. Here is its fascinating story. (French and English)
Kassa: the Harvest
Video with English translation
French, Anthropology Aug 1 2017
Video: For the Malinké people of Guinea, Kassa is the name of a family of rhythms and dances that accompany the work related to farming and harvest. The rhythms are played on the traditional djembe and dunun drums. Watch this video (with English translation) here.
Toneholes and Tradition
How a 40,000 year old flute leveled the playing field
Articles, Anthropology Apr 7 2016
Sometime between 40,000 and 45,000 years ago, a group of early humans on a migration route out of Africa, along the corridor of the Danube River valley, carried with them a small but significant object: a flute. Carved from the bone of a griffon vulture, with…