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Published: December 27th 2007
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Sega and Matche
Drumming masters young and old Hi Everyone!
So we've been here for a few days now, how many? It's easy to lose track of time in a way. We all keep forgetting what day it is. We're really happy staying here with Jeremy and Tewa and their family at the Djembe Hotel, we heartily recommend it! They are lovely lovely people, welcoming us into their home, bringing in excellent drum and dance teachers, taking us to interesting things, and cooking fantastic food!
Its been a very rich and memorable time overall. I'll try to post some pictures here. We're trying to be very respectful with the camera, as some folks in the town would prefer not to be photographed, and not to be on the internet, so maybe not as many photos as we would like to. But we'll carry a lot of moments home with us not on film.
Kevin has been having drum class every morning and again in some afternoons or evening. He's learning with a couple of djembe masters, Sega and Matche, both very traditional and more contemporary style. There are also a couple of other travellers here learning the drumming so they have been in the classes too,
which makes the jammin' full-on drumming sound that is coming from the courtyard as I write. Awesome! Each morning we wake up (we're still fighting a bit of jet lag) at around 8, have bread, butter, jam, eggs, and excellent sweet coffee, and then they have a drum class. The drumming is really constant here, we hear that every neighborhood has its drum crew and that there are hundreds of teachers. It's so cool that the tradition is really alive and beating at the heart of Bamako!
I've been off to the market each morning with the women and girls to pick up veggies, salt, fish and meat for lunch and dinner. There is an open air market a couple of blocks (would you call them blocks?) away with stalls that have all sorts of veggies, spices, oil, meats, dried fish, fruit, firewood, soap...The vendors, women mostly, go out to buy the produce from farmers in the afternoons and evenings and then bring them in here to the city to sell in the mornings. You have to go early to get the best cuts of meat. I love all of the bright colors, people, and smells. Many people are
Les femmes
With the Djembe Hotel family friendly and love saying ca va, hello, how are you, and shaking hands, especially the older women. There are lots of greetings in Bamana that I can understand but I'm not able to remember to say too often, or when I say them there is a lot of laughing, so I'm not sure what part is funny, just me being white and talking with and accent or that I've said something totally different😊
Yesterday I had a dance class with Issa who is an excellent and well known dancer in Bamako. We danced on the shaded porch between the morning drum lesson and lunch time, "Italian" style, which means that we didn't have drums, but Issa sang the rhythm out for us. It was totally awesome! He was really patient, a great teacher to my clumsy feet, and a lot of fun too. After 2.5 hours I was exhausted, and my ears ached from smiling! I really need to get some practicing in today because I have another lesson tomorrow. Super super fun!
In the afternoon, we'd planned to see one of the traditional drum ballets practice, but as plans mostly change here, opportunity blossomed and we were
swept away to another crazy adventure! Just as we were about to peel ourselves up from our post lunch haze (beef and fresh peanut sauce, peanuts that one of the drum teachers ground himself from his farm, and veggies, over rice, on a communal platter that we all sat around and dug into with spoons, yum!), Jeremy got a call that there was a spirit possession ceremony about to take place and we were all invited! How totally cool! Really, a spirit possession ceremony!
We went off via 3 motos (ie motercycles) and a taxi, with Jeremy's drum in hand too, not too far from here to where the ceremony was happening. It was already underway, but we were invited (so warmly) in to have seats in the front out of the sun. There was a PA and microphone and a man and women singing beautifully, several raging djembes, a jeli dundun, talking drum and two calabashes floating on water in basins that were whacked rapidly with fresh sticks. Wow! We were right next to the calabashes, which may have been one of the loudest sounds I've heard. It was an initiation for four folks who were seated in the center, wrapped in white sheets over thier heads. There was a lot of dancing, as the spirits struck people, some possessions, pretty wild to a white girl, and some chickens. The whole thing was very very wild, beautiful to see, at times a bit scary. The audience was generally not moving much, clapping from time to time, and I found out maybe why when I was standing in the back swaying to the music. Some of the older women saw me swaying and suggested that I go out in the center to dance and maybe get possessed! Eeek! They really seemed to think (not that I'm really sure since this was gestures and Bamana) that it would be very good for me, but I declined. Ah well. Maybe it really would have been good for me? The whole affair was super super special to see. One of the wildest things either of us had ever seen. Possessed dancing with drums into a deep African Sunset. I think that we were lucky to have our guide and to be welcomed so warmly to view this tradition at play.
We returned back to our cozy home and its courtyard, shared some beers and fantas, and drummed and danced some more. Had yummy roast filet minon sandwiches for dinner, chatted, and slept happily. Ah!
Other adventures have been a bit less colourful. We spend the better part of the afternoon the other day trying to change our money. I think the main problem was that it was Christmas, and despite the majority Muslim population, it was a great excuse for a holiday so banks were closed. We did find a great deal changing our Euros on the street, I think a friend with us had a slightly less good deal with dollars. Kevin returned from the second trip victorious after dealing with a crowd of money changers counting piles of notes all in French--it was an exciting ride on the back of the moto and to return home with money like Santa. A note to other travellers, I think Euros and Visa ATM are the way to go, in combination. Although the books say there is only one ATM, it is old, and there are several, though they may not work all of the time. The street can be a good place to change money if you *know the rate* although some folks give bad deals, so move right along. It's confusing when there is a serious crowd of onlookers and you are counting cash, so some notes on how much you need, different amounts, can be helpful.
Other things that we're planning on in the next few days: figuring out how to get to and from Timbouctu, meeting Orion and Jess when they arrive on the 29th, Sharon and Jack on the 2nd, shopping for some clothes, having them made, going to see the ballet rehearse, visiting with an ecologist working here from the UK. And more just hanging out with folks talking about the way things are, women's experiences with education, work, kids and men, drumming traditions, people stories, political problems and their effects on Guinea, Mali etc.
We're blessed to be on this journey and loving it! Miss you all too, and sending you love,
Kara & Kevin
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Paul Militello
non-member comment
Holidafrica!How Great.
Thanks for the direct connect, I am so happy Kevin finally made it that was a real quest and may the fruit be ripe, fresh, and plentiful, and with the most awesome companion to share it, this is life's best work. In time thanks again have fun be safe tell everyone rhythmfamily blessings pls. N happy New Year! Peace, Paul