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Doundounba and the Concours National de la Percussion, Conakry.

Flag Guinea Ballet Sanké, Concours National de la Percussion

Wednesday, December 20 2006

2 years, 4 months, 28 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!

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

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
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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 49,232km

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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 > 20061220-conakry

Famadhi.

Famadhi, Conakry, Guinea.
Famadhi.

Mission Catholique is a busy place. This is where I meet Famadhi. Guinean living in Germany for 25 years. He teaches drums in Munich, plays in bands and recently joined André Heller's Afrika Afrika ensemble. His career, so traditional: joined one of the Ballets as teenager, toured for many years in Africa and Europe and eventually jumped off in Europe.

Currently back in Guinea on vacation. a group of his German students will join him here.

Soon I take him to the Ballet Sanké rehearsals. In general we do many things together, among them going to Doundounbas.

Doundounba.

Doundounbas are fiestas or ceremonies where we invite a group of drummers, dancers and griots, weddings or promotions, or just a fête de village. Well - drums are djembées (jembe, tam tams), doundouns (bass drums), sangbans (smaller base drums), balafons (xylophones), griots are to chant the praise songs, and dance is -- dance is for everyone.

Listen to some drums.

The amazing thing is, they (pretty much all) wear light blue colours on this late Saturday afternoon, on this pre-wedding doundounba, for the women only.

It is the djembees that make every limp of their bowies vibrate, old and young get down to their knees. bang their heads, shake their hair, sweat off, sweat till total exhaustion, again and again. Lined up in a row the women approach the band of drummers and the griot donate money for the band and singer(s), then perform their thing and run away laughing about their own (wild) performance.

It is less the bride and more the music, the band, the djembees and the griot(s) that are at the centre of interest. The bride herself, with her group, more then once approaches the band, donates performs a wild dance ritual and backs off again.

So it goes and I am happy to be at the centre of it, and that all are dressed in light shiny blue colours.

Old woman dancing on doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Wedding, Conakry.
Lansine/Lancinet plays the djembee, doundounba Conakry.
Lansine Keita.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Low cam position.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Just always telegraph lines.
Dundunba in Conakry, Guinea.
Brown earth.
Dundunba in Conakry, Guinea.
Blue colours.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
it's the djembées ....
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
... that make them ....
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea. ... go completely.. ..
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
... crazy.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Lansana, sangban.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
In the mood.
Women on a wedding in Conakry, Doundounba.
Women, wedding, Conakry.
Doundounba, 3 girls on a wedding in Conakry.
3 girls, doundounba, wedding.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Djembee.

Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
THEY'RE MARCHIN' IN.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
for a doundounba.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
a wedding.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Telegraph lines above.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Heating up.

Old drummer, teacher, Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea|Guinee, .
He taught them all play the djembée.
Jeremy Yung from Tasmania in Australia, painting of old drummer at Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea|Guinee.
Jeremy Yung's painting.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Old man, "strong man", leading 4 women.
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Funny character.

Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
One after the other ....
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
.. does her thing ....
Doundounba in Conakry, Guinea.
Tam Tam make them dance.

This is what Lansine and some 5 friends do, play Doundounbas. They're booked most days. "There are not many groups that are booked all the time, like us". So Lansine and Lansana do Ballet Sanké till 2 in the afternoon, Doundounbas later and evenings.

So-far it is the Doundounbas where my friends earn their money.

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Another Doundounba and another one....

1 week in Conakry. Really I feel more and more like going home back to Vienna. At home is pre Christmas (silly) season. The calls to return are getting louder. Hasna, my wife is 6 and a half month pregnant with twins. But for days there is this feeling that something is in the making here in Conakry. Something is out there.

1 week and a half in Conakry. The Concours National de la percussion is set for next week, 28 ensembles, ballets, drummers for all of next week. They started running ads on TV for that. Now I know why my 6th sense made me stay. And we would see all of it, Famadhi and I, we are both exited and super content.

Repetitions of the Sanké Ballet have become so serious now, the big event nears really fast. There is another wedding this afternoon. Again and again not much sleep.

Loading the drums onto the Land Rover.
I have a role, driver of the band.

End of 2nd week in Conakry. Lansine asks me to drive the band in the Land Rover to the edges of Conakry for just another doundounba. Hmmm. Now I am part of the band, - I am the driver.

On the doundounba I am allowed to strike one of the smaller doundoun/dunun drums too. It is not that easy initially to keep the beat. But I manage and quite enjoy it.

Actually I would love to stay on and learn play the djembée. In Lansine and Famadhi and really all the others I'd have the best teachers I could hope for.

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Ballet Sanké on the National Percussion Competition.

Wednesday more then 2 weeks in Conakry. The competition has been on since Monday, organised by Festi-Kaloum a Guinean event organiser and promoter who strives making Guinea known as the country of percussion. I happen to get to know Joseph Camara a director at Festi-Kaloum: "Many of the world best percussionists originate from Guinea, and many work in the major schools of percussion across the world. But we have not had many events yet in Guinea itself underlining this very fact. This we intend to change."

Ballet Sanké is on Wednesdays. The closing act on Wednesday 20th of Dec. To me the best show so-far. Training was all worth it. Jeanne's iron hand, her years of experience. Jeanne's dramaturgy touches what is inherent to Conakry: Garbage, waste, dirt which is everywhere, why? Let's clean it up! Do something about it. A definitely political subject. Modern. A bit of Zeitgeist.

Sanké Ballet is hotter then ever. They have a solid fan base here. The first time in 3 days that I see the crowd freak out completely.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira, Bofe.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanké.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Bofe.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Mohamed.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Front girl.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Close-up.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.

Lansana plays a sangban, a medium sized doundoun drum, he tells me: "When I am on stage, even when I stare at you, I stare through you."

And he puts up this distorted look suggesting, "I am not here, but in my dream world".

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Lansana and Lansine two drummers action.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
The girls do as they rehearsed it.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Even though the stage is so much smaller.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira in front.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
They are popular.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
with the audience.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
The end comes quickly.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Only 15 minutes per group.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.

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After the show.

This morning at the rehearsal Famadhi and I said to them that we would invite them out after the show, -- if they played well. Maybe this is why they were so hot in the end. And so we deliver and everyone of the group comes along, Jeanne Macauley and her 25 peolpe. Artists need sponsors, mentors, financiers.

I as for me, I know once again that I have been really privileged being part of all that, that I have lived with the group for 3 weeks and that I can call them friends. And I want to return.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Cloe and Yarie.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
detail.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Cloe.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Yarie.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Ilira before the show.

Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Jeanne Macauley, Ilira.
Ballet Sanke, National Percussion Competition Conakry.
Lansana and girlfriend.

Turn page for more impressions from the percussion competition.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > guinea > 20061220-conakry

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