Musical observations: Week one

We are returning from a weekend on the islands located just off of the coast of Conakry. It was a beautiful weekend, which we spent lounging around, seeing the sights of the island, and listening to the local music. The music played at the resort club from about 6 pm until 3 am and it was impossible to miss hearing it from anywhere in the resort as it was blasted on loudspeaker outside the club. Our rooms were all lining a courtyard facing the Atlantic ocean with the club one one side of the courtyard.

Last evening a very popular band from Guinea, "Les Etoiles de Boulbinet", came to the island to perform for us. It was quite an honor to have them there. I am learning more and more about the position of high honor that our host, Amara Camara, holds in Guinea as he is able to make so many special things happen for us.

I really enjoyed the concert. It is very interesting to see the blend of traditional and world popular musics that the band used in their performance. The instruments were mainly traditional except for the electric guitar. The djembe and congo drums, the balafon (like a marimba with wood bars and guord resonators, the kora (a 21-string lute which has a guord covered with animal skin as a resonator box), the kiriyin (a log drum with slits cut into it which creates various pitches), a small set of two drums resembling bongos played with sticks about the thickness of pencils), and a drum set which was difficult to see because of the placement of the band but appears to resemble the dunun drums used in a traditional ensemble with added cymbals. There were several singers in the group who sang either alone or together in various ways. They didn't sing in harmony, all appears to be a call and response- type of participation resemble American blues or gospel, where one singer sings the main line and others comment with their responses. All of the instruments play a single rhythmic/melodic ostinato (repeating pattern). This is the method employed in traditional Guinean music. Harmony in general is not a factor in the music of North and west Africa. It has been explained to me in the past that this is an element of the islamic influence on the music. Also, the tuning system of melodic instruments has the middle eastern modal flavor.

Unfortunately, my computer time is about to be done, so I must go now.