Sun March 04 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Guinea|Guinée Conakry, Ballet Sanké. Dance and Percussion.

Flag Guinea

Wednesday, december 13 2006

2 years, 4 months, 21 days

Conakry, Guinea

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 49,154km

Trekking 333km

Ferry 803km

Train 150km

Other cars 26.065km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > guinea > 20061213-conakry

Where am I in Africa? Guinea|Guinée

Map, N'zérékoré, Macenta to Conakry.

Download GPS (KML) track/waypoints.

Conakry, capital of Guinea, the country that has had only two presidents since independence was declared on October 2, 1958. Wikepedia.

Dead-end street country I said earlier, but these days really Sierra Leone and even Liberia have become open to travelers.

I arrive afternoon the 4th of Dec after passing multiple police and customs checkpoints, avoid paying a dime again and again, I am not new to Africa anymore. From where Conakry starts, the first police post, it takes another 2 hours to arrive at city centre or some 40km. Half of Conakry then is confined to a narrow overcrowded peninsula. But traffic this afternoon is ok-ish, to avoid rush hours congestions go in in the afternoon, drive out in the morning, someone has told me.

Really I come to stay for a week then head north to Bissau and then do a bit the north of Guinea on my way back to Bamako. This is my plan. - What a nice place it was.

I am exhausted and park the Landy near commissariat central. 30 police all dressed in black combat gear, they do look frightening to me, but friendly they are, volunteer to gard it. This is Africa, you chat/joke/smile/exchange niceties/take time. With all the police around this must be safe to leave my Landy. I need to eat/drink/find a hotel/have a beer after 5 hours nonstop drive from Kindia.

Liz Barker holding a pack of Guinean Francs.
The Photo from Liz, with the pack of notes.

5 minutes later in Patisserie Central just opposite I meet Dan and Liz, English, backpacking. And we become friends. Mission Catholique is where they're staying. I go with them. But I need a Charwarma first.

And as so often all will change. I will stay 3 weeks in Conakry. And it will be Dan and Liz joining me in the Landy going back to Bamako.

But slowly, still nothing indicates just that yet.

I like Conakry's Charwarmas at the Lebanese's.

I like the beer in a city, its bars (B52) and live music scene (Foutrget Magic).

I like the company of my new friends.

So the next morning Dan and Liz and I go on a tour together, visit the Faysal mosque and its first muezzin is happy to show us round. We're allowed to take pictures after talking to the muezzin's father, the Grand Imam of the Mosque Faysal. "I like you beard" tells me the Imam, "just like a good Muslim" I reply, we both laugh.

Mosque Faisal, Conakry, Guinea.
Mosque Faysal.
First Muezzin Mosque Faisal, Conakry, Guinea.
First muezzin.
Daniel Enness amd Elizabeth Barker, Conakry, Guinea.
Dan and Liz, taxi in Conakry.

back to top

Ballet Sanké, Conakry.

On our way back to the mission catholique we cross Jardin du 2 Octobre, "a nice green park" Dan has said.

As we stroll along we hear drums. There's people playing the djembe/djembée and girls dancing under a large corrugated iron cupola. And in the back a rusty carrousel whose days seem long gone.

We decide to listen and watch.

I would come back nearly every other day for the next 3 weeks see them rehearsing. With time I would notice that once again I have been extremely lucky.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Sanké Ballet, percussion ensemble.
Djembe player, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansine, heat is rising.

Lansine is 22, he is the chief of the rhythm group: "I wake up at night, often, and I have a new rhythm in my head," meaning he is constantly working on new arrangements for his group.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansine.
Ballet Sanke, Sangban player, Lansana, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansana and sangban.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansine.
Ballet Sanke, djembe and sangban, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansana and Lansine in the front.

It is Lansine and Lansana I become friends with. We spend a lot of time together. They take me to Doundounbas (fiestas) in the afternoon and local bars in evenings.

back to top

Percussion and Dance.

They call Conakry the world capital of percussion and Guinea the land of percussion. Artistic groups, drummers, dancers exist in every village or quartier, every community and street and the selction process beginns just there.

Ballet Sanké drummers and dancers meet to repeat their arrangements for 3 hours daily 5 days a week. Just like artists do elsewhere.

Sanke dance group, 6 African girls jumping at once, Conakry, Guinea.
Ballet Sanké, 6 in the sky. low my cam position.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Rehearsing for Concours National de la Percussion.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Yarie and Ilira.

Ballet Sanké is a dance company. The girls are so fit. Bofe as well. But that alone does not do them justice. They're not just acrobats that move to the rhythm, it is a play, a drama, with characters good and evil, witches and "strong men", envy, love, agony and joy. Body language and facial expressions are as important as exact timing of turns and steps and jumps.

For every scene or episode there is a proper choreography or dramaturgy in place.

After watching them rehearsing for a week, the boss Jeanne Macauley one day announces that a competition some 7 days ahead will be held in Conakry, a festival: The Concours National de la Percussion. Overwhelmed by joy and excitement the performers suddenly seem flooded with fresh energy and seriousness.

I am very happy to be part of all that.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Yarie and Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Bofe Mohammed Camara.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
heads up the dancing.

back to top

Jeanne Macauley.

Jeanne Macauley, Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Jeanne Macauley.

Jeanne on the very first day has a go at me, because I have not asked for HER permission to take pictures. Well I have asked a half a dozen other dancers and drummers, like Lansine, when Jeanne has not even been there yet ... Anyway she has had to make the point here. SHE is the boss. And she has a very loud voice indeed. But as I speak French well enough and with wit I manage to take all the brutality out of her arguments. In the end she cannot but start laughing while still pretending to have a go at me, to the best of everyone's amusements. Already after lunch we have become friends.

And she is the boss, has founded and rebuilt Ballet Sanké.

Jeanne Macauley was une danseuse étoile, a prima ballerina, she already danced and sang abroad when she was a teen, "she has travelled the 6 continents" some guy discloses to me when she first has a go at me. Later she tells me "I have eaten with Bob Marley in Kingston, and Michael Jackson in NY. Marlon Brando invited us to his villa to perform, ... , food and drinks all day long".

Jeanne is the boss, shouts about when she feels like, not just at me. When Jeanne talks everyone shuts up. "Discipline" is her most used word. But every now and then even the youngest gets his chance/even is forced to speak up. A group dynamic like game, Ballet Sanké is a big family and 25 people need a strict hierarchical order - discipline.

She knows her/their business. All she can do now give back her knowledge. And she knows that if someone or a few get a deal one day in Europe they would be gone. And some will. And she has no bad feelings about this.

Jeanne Macauley Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Jeanne Macauley shows how.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Speaks the boss.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Jeanne Macauley among aspirants.

Jeanne Macauley Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Jeanne Macauley very funny.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Group end of day summing up.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Group end of day summing up.

back to top

more Ballet Sanké Rehearsing.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Bofe.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Bofe.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansine talks.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Lansana.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Drummers.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Saran Sanguiana.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
- what has been her name?

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Cloe, not much money in it.
Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Day after day after day. I like it.

Ballet Sanke, Conakry, Guinea.
Well, this is me, at the repetition ground ...

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > guinea > 20061213-conakry

back to top