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Posted: **Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:14 am**

Hi there

Why don't we talk about Djembe and share knowledge and experience?
I would love to share sheet music too.
I will have a website on West African music soon and I still have some data missing. I might need help.
Ok, Let's start the discussion here.

See ya

Posted: **Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:50 pm**

Hi Akdom...well I played for about 7 years with the Chuck Davis Afro American Dance Co. out of New York City. I got to meet Ladji Camara and see the Ballet du Senegal...You want to see jimbe played, go see the Senegalese Ballet if their in your town....there are many great Jimbe players, another one is Mustapha Tetty Addy of the famous Ghanain family of Addy. My first Jimbe teacher was Yomi Yomi Awoldwo from the Bronx,, he was the lead drummer for Chucks Company, and then I studied a bit with Ritchie "Pablo" Landrum at I.S. 201 in Harlem as part of the Jazzmobile program. Paid one dollar for lessons with some major musicians,Pablo- Charlie Persip -Dr. Billy Taylor and others.....I still have my ID card for it. They don't have things like that today for the youth,and they wonder why the get all frigged up and stupid. But anyway, here is a bit of my history with the Jimbe....JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :;):

Posted: **Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:09 pm**

Hi JC

Unfortunately, I leave in place(s) where ther is not even a cd store.... so forget about live shows.... Anyways, I don't really want to hear about djembe, but just share things such as sheet music, info on origins of some rhythms etc.... Iwould like to see more people involved in djembe playing at a serious level.
Anyways, thank you for your reply, you seem to be the only one active in this forum:D

Talk to you soon

Posted: **Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:02 pm**

Akdom...there are many here at this forum, don't get so dissapointed so soon.. Where do u Live?..Do u have a CD player?....Maybe I can burn you some music, and maybe some of the others here can help out, if music is not available for you.... :;): JC JOHNNY CONGA.....

Posted: **Wed Aug 18, 2004 1:10 am**

Hi JC, thanks for the offer, I might be tempted.
To try to answer you question, I am French, I lived 4 years in Geneva Switzerland (where west african music was great!) and after that, 6 years in a village in Belize central america (whre the only CD available was Britney yuckspears) then guatemala and now mexico (which is not that bad, but the percussion scene is inexistant and cd stores only sell ranchera music...

)
I am glad to hear that there is not only you and me in here...
I have a laptop, so I can read CDs. I have quite a collection of african (Mammady keita, famadou konate, farafina etc...) and latin (fania, mongo, ray barreto, ruben gonzalez, etc...) but I would love to have new material to listen to.
But once again, I am more into chatting about djembe playing and west african music in general than just listening to it. I mentionned that I will have a site soon and that I might need some help to get some info. This is more what I am looking for. And also sharing experiences.
Just so that you know, I don't have a resume as brillant as yours, but I played Djembe for 14 years, congas for a few less and teaching west african music for around 10 years. I had many bands through the years (reggae, latin jazz, funk, fusion, traditional african, traditional west indies...) I recorded on several CDs in Belize and my favorite was 'Grand Master lee, Just like that" produced by stonetree records.
Since I am often on the move and in places where this kind of music is unknown, I have never been able to work on something on the long run.

Well well, I hope more people will join the team JC and thanx again for beeing in touch.

Big B
:cool:

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:18 am**

Hey JC,

Can I be honest with you?
well, When I first read your postings I thought... Well here is another guy bragging ...
I looked up some websites and I have to admit...... Nice CV you have here! I can only show respect to this kind of experience.
Talk to you soon.

PS: Do you know drumdog?

Big B

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 3:17 pm**

OK, Here are some questions for you guys.

These are west african rhythms. I need some more info on them for my soon coming web site.
Please if you have anything on them, let me know.

Thank you in advance.

Abioueka:
Country of origin?
Comments on the rhythm?

Abondan:
From Baoule or Baga people? (maybe they are just the same?)

Adjos:
Comments on rhythm? (played for a king…)

Balakuladyan:
Country and tribe?

Balasonde:
Malinke tribe?
Famille dundumba?

Bao:
Notation, Origin, Tribe etc

Bolon:
Malinke?
Country?
Comments?

Damba:
Country?
Dunumba?

Didadi:
Mali?
Bamanan?
Comments?

Djaa:
Is there an “original”? Kouroussa?

Djabara:
Tribe?
Country?

Djagbe:
Anything?

Djansa:
Kasonke, Bambara???

Djelidon:
Tribe?

Fanga:
Tribe?
Fanga? Funga?

Fankani:
Tribe?
Country?

Garagedon:
Tribe?
Country?
Comments (shoemakers…)

Gidamba:
Somba soro (same?)
Malinke?

Gine fare:
Context?
Same as Mane?

Kanin:
Dunumba?
Tribe?
Country?
Context?
Notation?

Kawa:
Maninka tribe?

Kenefoli:
Anything?

Kokobasajo:
Anything?

Konden:
Dunumba?
Malinke tribe?

Konkonba:, Konowulen:, Lafe, Lamba:, Mamaya:, Molekanimani:, Moribayassa:, Nantalomba: Senefoli:, Siwe:, Soliwulen:, Sorofoli:
Anything?

Sogolon:
Notation

Wasulunka:
Bubuninca ??

Zaouli:
Tribe?

Thanks in advance.

BigB

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:31 pm**

In order to know about Djembe,there is not need of investigate every Tribe,since some of the Tribe were not the creator of the instruments,or the percussion patterns,they just assimilated in to the main Civilizations which absorved them.I been teaching Djembe percussion patterns as part of my percussion instruction,and performed with percussionist from Ghana,Guinea,Senegal,South Africa,Nigeria,Brazil,India,etc.,with my Percussion Ensemble.Also the Yorubas are part of West African(even when you didn't mention them),and did have some influence in culture and the music perform by the Djembe-Tribes.

Edited By zaragemca on 1093299387

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 9:12 pm**

Hi Zara

I know all that, but as you say, SOME tribes were not the creator of the rhythm, but they assimilated it. But some tribes DID create rhythms. These are the ones I am looking for.
I also know about the Yorubas and the influence they had in west african caribbean and central and south america.
I am just trying to gather as much info as I can. For example it would be wrong to post info saying that the Koreduga is a harvest rhythm or the liberte a traditionnal rhythm for circumcision. This is what I am looking for.
Some people helped me a lot already (especially Paul Nas) and I am in contact with some professional African djembefolas to find what I miss.

Thanks for the posting anyway.

Posted: **Fri Aug 20, 2004 4:40 pm**

There is not one person which could give all that information,with the amount of differents languages involves for those Tribes,and for some of them,they are not going to give you that much specifics,unless you belong to the Tribe.But you always could try.

Edited By zaragemca on 1093020233

Posted: **Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:58 pm**

Yo Akdom...no problem, a lot of people think I"m bullshit, but my History "speaks" for itself.....I can't help you with the Djembe info you seek,goto Djembe.com for any other info u may need...peace...JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :;):

Posted: **Fri Aug 20, 2004 7:15 pm**

Hi Zara,

You would be impressed to see the info I already collected. Tribes history and migrations, rhythm history, how, by whom and why are they player, economic politic social and art life of tribes, tradition of mask dances etc....
I'll give you guys the link as soon as it is up.

See ya

Posted: **Sat Aug 21, 2004 3:02 pm**

Dr. Fernando Ortiz de Cuba, wrote 11 books on La Musica Cubana y La Musica Afro-Cubano.....I have one of them. He talks about the Moors and even there influence on Cuban music. His books are hard to get and they are all in Spanish(Castellano). So it makes for a bit of hard reading....but very informative...if you can find his books.....JC JOHNNY CONGA... :;):

Posted: **Sat Aug 21, 2004 3:30 pm**

Hi Zara

You would impressed to see the amount of info I already gathered! Trust me, it is a very long process, but I am getting there.
The site I am working on will have rhythm notation, origin, context, tribe history, migration, art, politic, social info etc......
I am presently in contact with many professionals and I am getting quite a lot of help.... but not enough.
So if you don't think it is possible, wait and see (I didn't think it was possible
myself). I'll post the link as soon as I have it.
I know that our way of thinking and seeing things might not be compatible with west african culture, but what else can we do? I am trying to be a accurate as possible and I want this site to have as much info as possible.
I am just a percussion lover and I think we all need a site which gathers as much as possible.

Thanks for your reply,

Let's keep the music alive

See ya

Posted: **Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:20 pm**

well JC, I think you went to far on yourself,I haven't seen any post where anybody said that you are bullshit,also the books which you mentioned about Dr.Fernando Ortiz are in relation of this Tribes and peoples after arriving to Cuba,it doesn't reflex the whole migratory story of this Tribes in Africa,this studies are concentrated in the group of tribes which were in Cuba around (14) at that time,many of the tribes this person is mentioning in this post never went to Cuba.

Edited By zaragemca on 1093544517

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