In Drawing on Culture, artist and ethnomusicologist Dave Kobrenski takes the reader on an artistic voyage into the heart of West Africa.

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The Book: Drawing on Culture -

The Book: Drawing on Culture

An Artist’s West Africa Travelogue

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I Am Africa - This drawing is a tribute to the women of West Africa. Their graceful beauty is matched by their strength, courage, resilience, and often joyful determination in the face of a life that is anything but easy. Their work is tireless, and often thankless. Without their work, everything would stop; they are the true backbone of the village (and of the country). During one of my trips to Guinea, there was a nationwide women’s strike in response to unfair prices that the government had set on some staple food items. In a massive word-of-mouth movement, the women of Guinea collectively stopped working. The country ground to a halt; people went hungry. It lasted all of three days. Their demands were met, and everyone went back to work, singing and laughing as usual.

I Am Africa

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Griot with Kora - The griots in West Africa are masters of the word, the keepers of the oral history of the Malinké people. Here, a griot sings while playing the 21-string kora, the harp of the Malinké people.

Griot with Kora

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Dununba Barati Dancer - For the Malinké, the Dununba is the “dance of the strong men” — here is shown one of the barati from the Kouroussa region of Guinée dancing in a dununba festival.

Dununba Barati Dancer

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Famoudou Konaté - Famoudou Konaté is a world-renowned djembé player from Guinée, West Africa, and was my teacher in West Africa for more than a decade, over the course of many trips. We remain friends and I visit with him whenever I’m back in Guinea.

Famoudou Konaté

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Lancine Condé - Lancine Condé is the name of my dear friend and long-time mentor in West Africa. My studies of the traditional tambin (aka Fula flute, or Fulani flute) led me to seek Lancine out in 2005. He was renowned for his abilities on the instrument, having taught himself how to play as a young boy, and is a true virtuoso on this expressive and unique wind instrument. Over the years, my apprenticeship with Lancine formed into a friendship that has continued ever since, and I go to spend time with he and his family in Guinea whenever possible. In addition to being a great mentor and friend, he has also served as my reliable guide and translator on subsequent adventures into the West African countryside. Lancine played a large role in my 2013 book, Djoliba Crossing.

Lancine Condé

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Facily Condé - I met Facily Condé in the Faranah region of Guinea, West Africa. A respected elder in his village, Facily was also renowned as a great djembefola throughout the region. I met him because he was the teacher of my own teacher, Sayon Camara, who has, in turn, taught many others about the musical tradition. In this way, the tradition continues, in the same way it always has: being passed from generation to generation. In this drawing, I was inspired by seeing a group of elders meet in the village center to discuss matters of importance to the village. It was early morning, and the bright sunlight was just beginning to stream between the village huts and baobab trees that encircled the meeting area (bara) in the village. As I regarded Facily’s expression of concern, I thought about how the “greater good” of the community as a whole was always at the forefront of conversation.

Facily Condé

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Dununba: Barati Dancer with Djende - Dununba is a family of rhythms played on the traditional Malinké drums: djembe, sangban, kenkeni, and dununba. The dance that accompanies the dununba rhythms (referred to by the same name) is performed by the strongest men of the village, who dance with members of the age group to which they belong. Day-long feats of endurance and stamina, the events were once used to settle disputes between the age groups, in sometimes bloody contests — but today are showy (and impressive) events in which it is the dancing of the men alone that proves their strength. In modern times, the dance has become popular in urban areas, and both men and women dance the dununba. Here, a member of the barati age group dances the Dununba with the traditional axe (called djende in Malinké).

Dununba: Barati Dancer with Djende

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D’où vient la joie? - “Where does joy come from?” While drawing this portrait of a joyous woman from Guinea, West Africa, I thought a lot about this question. It’s one that I find myself asking quite often while I’m traveling in West Africa, and for good reason: despite what most people would see as oppressive poverty and a difficult way of life, the people of Guinea always seem to find joy in their everyday lives. Perhaps it is their immense pride in their families and communities, or their vibrant music, dance, and cultural traditions. Others would tell me that it stems from their courage in facing life with a smile, with the ones you love around you. Une telle joie? Il faut avoir de courage ! Such joy? One must have courage!

D’où vient la joie?

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Dembadon II: the Djembefola - Part two of the Dembadon series. The Dembadon is a pre-marriage festival for the bride-to-be that is quite common in Conakry, Guinea, accompanied by much drumming, singing, and dance. The djembe is the drum played with bare hands that typically plays the “solos” that interact with and speak to the dancers. A djembefola is “one who makes the djembe speak.” Behind the djembe player in this drawing is also the dununba player. The djembes are always accompanied by three “dunun” drums (the bass drums played with a stick and that have a bell mounted on top). The dununba is the largest and deepest of the three dunun drums.

Dembadon II: the Djembefola

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Dembadon I: the Sangbanfola - The Dembadon is a pre-marriage festival for the bride-to-be that is quite common in Conakry, Guinea, accompanied by much drumming, singing, and dance. “Sangban” is the name of the drum played by the man pictured here, and sangbanfola means “one who makes the sangban speak”, and is a compliment to the abilities of the player. Dembadon festivals are an important part of how musicians in the city earn an income playing traditional music. The musicians are fed before the event, and during the festivities, money is thrown at or placed on the drummers and dancers, and is then collected to be split up equally by all the musicians.

Dembadon I: the Sangbanfola

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Dununba Dancer in Flight - “Dununba” is the name of a Malinké festival and family of rhythms that accompany it. It is known as the “dance of the strong men”, and I have written extensively about it in my book, Djoliba Crossing. Here, a dancer hailing from the Kouroussa region of Guinea, West Africa, gets airborne while displaying his strength and prowess as a dancer in this exuberant festival. The festival is always accompanied by the traditional Malinké drums: Dununba, Sangban, Kenkeni (the skin is played with sticks and each has a bell attached to the drum), and the djembe (played with bare hands).

Dununba Dancer in Flight

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L’amitié (Friendship) - “L’amitié est l’un des beaux cadeaux de la vie.” Friendship is one of the greatest gifts in life. Friendship is a universal thing. There’s something about visiting another culture, where the language and customs seem so different from your own, and seeing two friends walking together, hands interlocked and beaming with joy, to make you realize that we are all the same. I came across these young friends walking down one of the dusty paths in the village. Even though we did not speak the same language and had grown up an ocean apart, in some way I felt connected to them because I understood how friendship feels. “To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.” The people in this simple village have a great wealth of friendship and family. All the money and material possessions we have in the West pale in comparison.

L’amitié (Friendship)

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Imam Singer/Drummer - In the village, there was a huge celebration one day honoring the chief 40 days after his death, as was the custom. The festival was interesting to me on many levels, not the least of which being that it was a display of the unique co-existence found here of traditional “animist” beliefs and Islamic practices. Muslims and non-Muslims gathered together to celebrate with music and dancing. In this drawing, an Imam leads a group of dancers in song, keeping time with the traditional tama drum (sometimes called the “talking” drum for its ability to “talk” as the player squeezes the drum to change its pitch).

Imam Singer/Drummer

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Ibrahim et son petit-fils - Ibrahim is a friend of mine from a small village in the Kouroussa region of Guinea. Something about him fascinated me. He had an aura of knowing something, or perhaps seeking to know something that was just beyond knowable. His eyes always held a faraway look, but also had a glimmer and a light. He’s lived quite the life, and told me many stories. He left the village when he was younger in search of work, and spent 15 years as a merchant marine, and saw the world…before returning home to the village to be with his family. He was worldly and kind; children always flocked to him.

Ibrahim et son petit-fils

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Le Vieux Forgeron du Village - In Malinké culture, the blacksmiths (forgeron in French, or numuw in Mandenkan) play an important role in the village, and are greatly respected. Traditionally, the numuw are part of a social group called nyamakala, which consists of skilled artisans who work with spiritually-charged materials such as wood, metal, clay, leather, and even words. The man pictured here belonged to a well-known blacksmith’s family and was widely respected in the village. I found him to be both kind and wise, and he assisted me with some important tasks on my last trip. He is also the younger brother of the blacksmith who is featured on the cover of my book, Djoliba Crossing.

Le Vieux Forgeron du Village

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Donso: le chasseur - Donsoya is the art and knowledge of the hunt, and the Donso are initiated hunters who play an important role in Mande society. The hunter in this drawing came to honor the chief of the village in a grand fête that lasted all day, with much music and dancing. This man’s powerful rifle was constructed by hand in the village by a local blacksmith, and he fired off several shots to honor the village’s chief, who had recently passed away.

Donso: le chasseur

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Le Vieux Fermier - In the villages in Guinea, much of daily life revolves around tasks related to subsistence farming. Rice, manioc, sweet potatoes, yams, and many other dietary staples are grown in the village. The work is hard, and it is not uncommon to see both young and old at work in the fields. Here, a man sorts through beans that will be sifted and then pounded with the mortar and pestle, and made into that evening’s stew…

Le Vieux Fermier

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La Griotte II - For the Malinké, dancing plays a very important role. Music exists for dancing; in fact the word for song, donkilo, is made up of the root words don (dance) and kilo (to call), so could be loosely translated to “come dance.” The music calls both young and old to participate in a joyful and healthy act of expression and joy. Here, a griotte woman shows her joy for the music at one of the many festivals that take place throughout the year.

La Griotte II

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La Griotte - For centuries, Griots and Griottes have been important members of Mande society due to their role as oral historians and keepers of the traditions. Nowadays in the cities such as Conakry, they are also dynamic and powerful singers and performers, and always orchestrate the Dembadon festivals that take place just before a marriage. This woman had a powerful voice and was an accomplished singer and respected griotte.

La Griotte

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La Grand-Mère - In the mornings, when the village was bathed in a soft golden light and the air was still cool, I would go walking down the dusty paths that led between the clusters of small round huts. Since greetings are so important to the Malinké, it was a good opportunity for me to practice my Mandi’nka language skills — saying ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’ and ‘how did you sleep’ and ‘how is your health’ and on and on, to everyone I met! This woman was so delighted to see a foreigner speaking to her in her own language that she lit up with joy. She was quite a radiant human being.

La Grand-Mère

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Belle Femme du Village - At festivals in the village, which were almost always accompanied by much drumming and dancing, the women of the village were always singing and playing their karignon — a hollow tube of metal tied to their finger and stuck rhythmically with a striker. Dozens of these bells played together by many women, with their joyous singing and the exuberant sounds of the traditional djembe and dunun drums, forms quite a powerful musical ensemble.

Belle Femme du Village

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Balafon Player - The balafon is an ancient instrument that resembles a wooden xylophone, with gourds used as resonators. It has roots dating back to the 13th century, and factored heavily in the epic story of Sundiata and the creation of the Mande empire. The balafon is typically played by griots (members of a hereditary caste of oral historians and musicians). Training to play the balafon is intense and takes many years. This man was a virtuoso musician who had likely trained since he was very young. He performed at a festival in the village honoring the chief.

Balafon Player

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Numu: le forgeron - The numuw, (blacksmiths) play an important and complicated role in Mande society: their job of creating the tools that everyone depends on for work, farming, etc makes them indispensable, but their knowledge of and association with the occult often makes them both feared and respected. I came to watch this young blacksmith perform his grueling work at the forge one day, while I was visiting a neighboring village.

Numu: le forgeron

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La Chanteuse - This woman was a powerful and charismatic singer that I encountered at a festival honoring the village’s former chief 40 days after his death, as is the custom in the village. She led a group of women that came to pay homage to this chief through song and dance. Her drumming kept time as the women echoed her chorus in a lively call-and-response song.

La Chanteuse

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Sanankoro Village - This is a depiction of the village where I mostly stayed on my 2016 trip to Guinea, West Africa. The contrast between the architectural styles of the simple round huts and the elaborate mosques intrigued me. It mirrors in many ways the contrast between old and new belief systems in the village.

Sanankoro Village

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Woman with Mortar and Pestle - In West Africa, the mortar and pestle is an essential component of daily life. It is used to pulverize ingredients like cassava, hot pepper, and various herbs and spices used in traditional cuisine. The rhythmic sound of the mortar and pestle can be heard from sun up to sundown throughout the village! Women working together on multiple mortars often use the pounding sound to create deliberate poly-rhythms by opposing their motions, and sing while working.

Woman with Mortar and Pestle

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Kalifa Kourouma - One day, we met with all the village elders to discuss current issues of life and work in the village. It was a bright, blue-skied morning but the temperature had not yet risen, and there was a chill to the morning air. The men wore heavy jackets and huddled close, even though the temperature was about 60º F (balmy for me, coming from the New England winters!). This man’s face, humility, and kindness I will never forget. His name is Kalifa Kourouma.

Kalifa Kourouma

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La Visiteuse - In the mornings, when the day was still cool and the light was soft, I would often go walking through the village to explore. One day, I was met on my walk by this woman and some of her like-aged companions. Her eyes and mysterious beauty captivated me. I do not know her name; my companions from the village believe she may have been visiting from another village.

La Visiteuse

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Jeune Fille de Kouyasidia I - The children were curious and inquisitive, and wanted to be with the new visitors at all times. This young girl made an impression on us with her kind, gentle ways and playful spirit, and her innate ability to altogether bypass language barriers as she quickly endeared herself to us!

Jeune Fille de Kouyasidia I

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Jeune Fille de Kouyasidia II - This radiant young girl was engaging and confident, always at the center of attention, despite not being able to speak. Her joyful spirit and courageous ability to overcome what many people would view as a disability made a lasting impression on me.

Jeune Fille de Kouyasidia II

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Homme de Kouyasidia I - One day, we met with all the village elders to discuss current issues of life and work in the village. This man spoke passionately and at great length to the crowd who had gathered.

Homme de Kouyasidia I

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Chanteuse de Kouyasidia - Quite often, the entire village would gather for special occasions, with much singing and dancing. The dust would rise high into the air as the festivities progressed throughout the afternoon and into the night. This woman sang joyfully, accompanied by the traditional drums.

Chanteuse de Kouyasidia

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Le Sage de Kouyasidia - Often, the elders of the village would assemble to discuss important matters pertaining to the community. I was always impressed by the depth of wisdom and patience of these “wise men”.

Le Sage de Kouyasidia

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