You're Leaving? Let's Party!

On Saturday, we had a small dundunba at the house in honor of Chip, Amara’s friend and neighbor from South Carolina. Chip has been visiting Guinea for the past month, and although he is staying at Amara’s house, he has spent a lot of time over at our house/drumming school. He also accompanied us on our trips to Kassa Island and Kindia. Chip is returning home on Sunday, so the dundunba on Saturday was his farewell party.

The dundunba got underway right around sunset, as several of the drummers who have been working with us began playing some rhythms. Some in the audience got up and danced. When I arrived, Chip was sitting off to the side taking photos, but after awhile he went into the house where the staff are staying. The drumming and dancing continued while he was gone, and eventually he emerged dressed in a full African outfit, including a tie-dyed shirt and pants and leather sandals. These had been made for him by one of the cooks and her family. Chip went to the front and did some dance steps with Amara to one of the rhythms, then walked around and talked to those in attendance.

The drummers continued playing for awhile and both Guineans and Americans danced. The dancing is usually done one-at-a-time, and the dancer faces the drummers while executing his or her moves. The drumming continued until the call-to-prayer came from the local mosque, at which time it ceased while the prayers went on.

Later on, another band showed up to play. They consisted of several traditional instruments. The first was a cora, sometimes called the Guinean harp, which is a large half-gourd with a straight stick attached, and eight strings arranged vertically in two rows of four. It is played by plucking the strings. Another instrument was a bolon, which is similar to the cora, except the gourd is larger and round, and the stick is curved. There are three strings which produce a bass sound when plucked. A third instrument was the krin, or log drum, which is a small hollowed out log with three long slits cut out of different sizes. The log is then struck with two sticks, and various sounds can be produced depending on where the log is struck. A fourth instrument was the gongoma, a good sized half gourd with a flat face, which is often painted in bright colors with local scenes. There is a hole in the middle of the face, and three or four pins that go across the hole. The pins are plucked to produce a twanging sound, and at the same time the gourd is tapped, sometimes with a metal ring, to produce a rhythm. The band included a singer, who sang improvised tunes in a wailing tone, often using a call-and-response with another band member. The singer and soloists were not shy about venturing among the small crowd to ask for tips as they played, either by extending a hat in front of an audience member or by getting on their knees and pleading. This is all part of a West African musical show and good fun.

The good-bye party seems to be a tradition in Guinea, as it is other places I have lived. People take great pride and pleasure is sending someone off, and wishing them well. I believe this is part of the face-to-face nature of social interaction here – most people value time spent in direct contact with others more than the written word, whether in books, letters or e-mails. Of course people like keeping in touch with distant friends and relatives, but it is those that are present and their words that matter most. So, when one is going away, it is cause for a party to show appreciation for the time spent together, and to with them well. The good-bye party is an opportunity to spend a few last moments of fun and joy together, as who knows when we’ll see each other again?