Discover the magic of West Africa


Djoliba Crossing e-book

Discover the magic of West Africa

Free e-book download

Take a journey off the beaten path, and discover an enchanting land of cultural treasures…and hidden dangers.

Download the e-book for free! Your next reading adventure is moments away.

Djoliba Crossing E-book

 

About Djoliba Crossing

★★★★★ “Djoliba Crossing is an excellent and beautifully-crafted introduction to the world of Malinké music and dance.” — Indie Reader


Discover the music and culture of West Africa in this beautifully illustrated account of an artist’s adventures in the Niger River valley.

When artist and musician Dave Kobrenski first set out for Guinea, West Africa, it was simply to learn the djembé music of the Malinké people. What he found instead was a land of ancient traditions where spirits mingle with the living and the souls of ancestors reside in sacred groves of trees. He soon learns that intense poverty and rampant political corruption are a mixture with explosive potential in Conakry’s inner-city. When bloody clashes erupt, no traveler is safe. For Kobrenski, the result was a two decade musical adventure that would test his resolve and draw him into a quest of cultural understanding.

Djoliba Crossing is Kobrenski’s travel-worn collection of stories, paintings, drawings, and rhythm notations. On the surface, it is a travelogue, adventure story, and a celebration of Mandé music and culture. Looking deeper, Djoliba Crossing is about glimpsing in the everyday dust of existence the potential for diverse ways of being. It is an invitation into ancient traditions still guarded by a culture dancing on the edge of modernity, a culture which understands that who we are is who we were.

Djoliba Crossing is both an adventure memoir and a guidebook for the music traditions of West Africa. Descriptions of ancient music and festivals are enriched by original artwork, historical research, and rhythm notations for the djembé, dununba, sangban, and kenkeni drums. Together, they offer a glimpse into a world hidden off the beaten path, and chronicle an artist’s journey deep into realms of the unexpected.


NOTE: The e-book version is intended as a companion to the paperback version. The e-book does not contain illustrations. To purchase the full-color hard copy of the book, click here.