Day 6: Pyramid of Rhythm, a photo blog.

After a fun-filled, yet heavy night I woke up to get ready for our final Pyramid class. The day started with announcements from Kelvin as to what we should expect from this evening's perforance: A lot of energy and chaos was the crux of it...

It was then Mamady's turn to speak with us. By now we had spent five days learning new rhythms and phrases and carefully stacked them  one on top of another. It was now time to go over this from the top and iron out any creases.

After an initial, rather rusty run through we had to get ready to stand up and play because that's how it was going to be at the performance. Hence, we strapped up and got into our formation. On stage were the intermediate students, some of the advance students and the dununs. Below, right with the audience were the soloists and Mamady himself.

After two rehearsals, we got ready for lunch and departure in our carpool groups from the previous night. At lunch we met mother Robin from Bhoomi Sehat, the NGO for  whom we were playing and raising money. She is an extremely driven and down to Earth woman. I think a life dedicated to a purpose does that. She gleamed with a sense of calm and strength and carried it with grace and dignity. I felt proud to be able to give something back to the local social labyrinth. It was then time to leave. The venue, located in the centre  of the  city awaited us...

This was where we were to take centre stage. Sue marks the spot!

As the performers trickled in, I thought I could make the most of the waiting time and bring back some memories of the people I met from this times workshop... Here's Michi Henning from Australia...

The cool and calm, James 'Karinka' Kwan from Hong Kong... (He was the one who would solo after me. My slot was solo # 3 in the rhythm Kuruni. I was to start after 'Kay' from  China. Honestly, I don't remember how I did but all I do remember is Mamady's words... "Play for your country, carry your flag, like in the Olympics and play with joy." So after taking his blessings I played. There are many things I would do differently when I think about it now... But that is the fruit of practice and experience; fluency under tremendous adrenalin flow!

... Onward to team Japan, Ken Tokuda to my right and Hiroki Murai to my left. Both these souls led with grace and strength; inspite of a cold and flu, they marched on.

... With Djembefola and Djembe maker extraordinaire, Jeremy Tomasck. Some of you in India, (Satyajit and Bipin) shall have his djembes very soon...

... This is with the charming and supremely talented Tara Tucker, director of TTM Cairns. A little birdie told me we are going to get to see her soon this year... So, keep watching for more...

... All of us strapped up and took our positions on stage and in front  of the stage. From this perspective I was in front of stage to the extreme left and hence not in this photo but you get the picture... don't you...? The rest is history. I have no specific memory of the performance but all I remember is that each and every one of us played our hearts out and made sure that we gave it all our energy, happiness and love because that's exactly all that has gone into this week-long process of creation and learning...

...After the performance and after gradually winding down we made our way to Bebek Bengil, a lovely restaurant that served a special dish called the 'Dirty Duck,' which was fried to perfection and served with a sautéed and spiced piece of sweet lime that made the experience crunchy and juicy all at the same time. As if this was not enough, we were in store for a performance by our fellow student, Chatur's band. The band showcased music from Senegal and created the perfect ambience for some conversation and most importantly, some dance moves... Mamady and then Kelvin joined them for a song...

... It was only a matter of sometime before the TTM heavy weights joined the band for a section each... Next was Sekou's turn...

... Next was Jeremy... While all this was happening yours truly was leading what seemed to be a growing dance population with some Bollywood moves...

... Linda Nathan, Australia's second certified TTM teacher laying down some chops...

... Even Mamady could not contain the dancer in him; at least not until he passed the dancing groups on his way to the loo... Sekou did the honours on the Djembe... The party continued until we were all danced out and had our go at the Djembe and the Bollywood dance moves. Big up to the band for supporting us whole-heartedly and with vigour from the first note will the last... What followed that night back at the resort was a wonderful gathering of people from all over the world around the big swimming pool singing songs from their culture and sharing the joy and love that each and every one of us created ourselves. This would after all, be our takeaway from this workshop; the people, connections, memories and rhythms...

The next day, I woke up with groggy eyes and a heavy heart to see some of the people off, with whom I spent only a short while with but whom I have come to know and love very deeply... We set up a photo booth where all our goodbye pictures would be taken. This one is with Namory and Kelvin...

... Here's my brother from another mother, Derrel Sekou Soumah Walker...

... This is with Namory, sporting the Taal Inc. T and me sporting a "controversial" T; but my Indian friends, you'll know that it is completely harmless, isn't it?

... And finally, this is one with the Master himself. This time around I felt closer and more connected with Mamady. I begin to understand more and more what the Djembe is and what being a Djembefola represents and entails...

Thanks to Mamady and each and everyone present at Mini Guinea Camp Asia, Bali 2012 and all those back home in Pune from  Taal Inc. who support me, I walk this path with my head held high, keen ears, a heart full of love and a rhythm on my mind...

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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Day 5: Kechak Ke-Chak Kech-Ak

A thousand apoplogies for my delay in prompt daily blog entry updation. But as Day 5 started every thing gathered a new momentum and required my 100% percent presence for total honest recall in this blog and in my future of Djembe playing. Hence it is for the greater good! So here goes; this is how Day 5 started...

After a fruity breakfast of champions, we warmed up to Djansa once again, trying to be graceful, despite our rusty joints and muscles. We then went on to dance to the rhythm of Sunun (a.k.a Goi), a rhythm of the Kassounke people from Mali and the Kaye's region. It is now a popular rhythm that is played in many festivals. The choreography was mellow in comparison to yesterday's rhythm, Soko. This was an intentional choice by Sekou so that we could concentrate on the djembe rhythms and most importantly, the pyramid class. Come to think of it, the past three days I have been waking up early, drumming, dancing and meeting wonderful people on the similar path all the time... I sure hope to continue this discipline once I'm back in India.

Immediately after the dance class, we had our advance class session with Mamady. We finished the breaks and the technique phrases for Tiriba (the rhythm played yesterday) in class today.

This is what Mamady has made it sound like with his ensemble Sewakan:

We had our up and down moments through the session. Each time the group faltered, Mamady did not spoon feed us with the hand order or the sound but told us what we needed to hear to dig deep within and bring out what was necessary to get the break precisely and correctly.

It is amazing how Mamady can hear he sound of every drum very clearly through the crowd and make his judgements very calmly and calculatedly. He knows when to push and when to be soft and tolerant. I sense this when he works with simple parts with students of different levels. The crux of our learning was (is) to be clear about what we are playing and not hesitate or second guess ourselves; else we leave the group behind and the entire purpose of the ensemble is lost.

The Intermediate class after us finished their technique phrases for the rhythm Sewa. From a third persons perspective, he was pushing both groups to achieve way more than their league and hence push themselves to truly get better that their playing before a Mamady Keita workshop.

It was a busy and administrative afternoon for me after the intermediate class. As soon as I was back in the resort I went to the class venue and worked with some of the intermediate level students with some of the pyramid rhythm phases. I remembered how important this was (is) for me when I did not get my head completely around a rhythm or a phrase and I had no mentor to go to.

It was then time for our almost final pyramid class before the last evening ur with all the participants and for the special occasion of being witness to a Kechak dance performance. We got around reaching the end of our pyramid structure. Due to the lack of a sufficient amount of time we managed to do four rhythms with breaks and respective techniques in the rhythms.

On a personal note I am happy to know that my efforts during the recent past are going noticed. More importantly, I am aware of the path that lies ahead of me and the discipline I have to inculcate to make that dream / ambition a reality.

We reached a lovely venue with a large sloping roof for our dinner, apart from getting photos with new friends and old, from all over the world. Mamady led the evening with a toast to each and every person present in that venue for having dedicated a fraction or great deal of their lives to the mission of the Djembe; an instrument that knows no boundaries and does not discriminate. His mission is one of spreading joy and peace and awareness of culture, of nature and it's great powers.

As we finished dinner the Kechak performers got ready and a large group of performers came to the stage while singing a highly syncopated acapela 'keChak ' , 'keChak ' part while one person kept a pulse with a 'Shirr Po' sound and depicting the entire story of the Ramayana, an ancient story from Indian Hindu mythology. Amongst the dancers were Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram and Ravana. They have a beautiful but slightly different version of the depiction of the Ramayana and I will point out this difference once I have done some basic research on the version I have grown up with. Until then this is what it looked and sounded like:

They looked so amazingly in sync with each other that their parts seemed almost random yet minutely precise.

Here's what they looked like:

As a result of impeccable planning by TTM Singapore staff, we were pre divided into groups to go and come back from the venue. Thanks to my chat with my carpooling group Suraya (queen of the Kenkeni), Zen and Fin (the documentary film shooting crew) on the way to the venue I learned a little bit about Malay, Indonesian and Chinese culture and especially predominant Hindu preservation in Bali.

As we got back to the resort, there was a buzz in the air all around. Everybody was bustling with energy. I could hear laughter in the horizon to my right, some muted djembe phrases to my left and some shouts of, 'Campei' straight ahead. Ten points for the one who guesses which sound I followed.

I will only say this and I quote Michi from team  Australia, "I haven't laughed as hard as I did on Saturday in a long time!" :-). Team Australia wins the 'Best Entertainer in an Overseas Djembe Camp' Prize.

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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Day 4: A test of mettle

By now, the rate of perception of the days passing by is inversely proportional to the amount of sleep one gets. Every morning, eyes gets groggier and hands feel heavier but the smiles cannot be seen diminishing from each and every one of us...

We started with the second TTM curriculum class where we ran through some level 2 rhythms. We warmed up with Soli De Manian, which is the Soli rhythm of the Manian people (an ethnic group from South, forest Guinea, namely the Beyla and Kerouani regions)

We then moved onto one of my favorites, Soliwoulen. This is a rhythm of the Malinke people where a fetish maker (red panther) dances and frees a person or a village of evil spirits.

Next on the list was Djagbe, a Malinke rhythm that is usually played at the end of Ramzan or the Tabaski festival. This has now also become a rhythm that is played to welcome a visitor to a village.

The next rhythm to be payed was a rhythm from a higher level called Kontemuru. This is a Malinke rhythm from the Faranah region about a dancer who created his own dance and travelled from village to village spreading his dance and joy. This is a very skilled and acrobatic dance.

Going through each of these rhythms is such a boon, considering the wealth of experience and love that underlays the transmission of this knowledge. Obviously, one has to play these rhythms for a long period to actually get into the feeling of the spirit of the rhythm.

Next was the Inrermediate class's turn to play. They continued playing Mamady's technique for the rhythm Sewa. Here's where I tried to get some rest and also run through all we did so far considering there were only a few more days to go to end the workshop.

As the advance class session started, we learned the final technique for Koma (the rhythm we played during the previous class) and then moved onto Tiriba. This is a rhythm of the Landuma people from the North West of Guinea (Boke and Bofa regions). This beautiful dance created by a man called Tiriba. When he wore his costume, he would be called by the name, Tiriba. He would tour the villages dancing this dance. He would not play for money, but to spread joy. The second reason this rhythm is played is to mark the end of the initiation of young girls. Hence this is also a dance that is danced by the young initiated girls and their mothers. The popularity of this rhythm kept growing and now it's played by many other ethnic groups as well. As the heritage of a rhythm changes from east to west, apart from the feeling, the phrasing of a rhythm changes drastically. As a culture differs from another, so does a rhythm. Having said this, just as there are differences there are unifying factors that break all cultural barriers. The Tiriba Dununba pattern is hauntingly similar to the Dhol pattern played during the festival of Lord Ganesha in India.

Mamady then spoke about the use of the mind, heart and conscience along with the muscles while playing a rhythm or more importantly, a roll phrase during a solo. More than blisteringly fast solos what mattered was that one is voyaging as close to where the rhythm comes from to transmit the feeling of that rhythm to wherever one is at the present moment. Mamady then broke into a flawless, fluid and soulful expression on his Djembe to end class. Throughout this solo, it did not matter whether there were cameras or people gathering around him. What mattered to him was his village or land in Balandugu. Nature, he said, is above all. It inspires, creates, destroys and shows the way for everything. That's where he plays and makes he Djembe talk, like you and me.

Through lunch, I caught up with James Kwan (aka Karinka) from TTM Hong Kong. James is a very calm, centred and soft man. A multi talented musician, trombone player in Hong Kong told me how his journey with the Djembe started and how it was Mamady's excellence and humility that attracted James to him. He also told us how as TTM directors it is their responsibility to bring such people together to share the mission of the Djembe, of one world and one rhythm.

Today was our penultimate pyramid class and so as expected, things began to heat up. We finished the rhythm Fe' 2's technique and moved to Soli De Manian. I can't wait to bring this pyramid back to India and perform it with the Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble for their next gig. (heads up!)

After pyramid class we had our customary Mamady Q'n'A session over dinner. Here's when people get to know their master better. The topics discussed were the true qualities of a master djembefola, his philosophy and responsibility. Today with the viral nature of the djembe there are many quacks in the name of djembefolas and it is our duty to be clear as to our intent of learning. It is important to know if one wants to learn the traditional, street or ballet style of playing. All said and done, this process that Mamady is taking us through is rooted in tradition and built for the future.

Mamady told us about his journey as a Djembefola since he was 12 years of age. He had to leave everything he knew since he was the youngest, most talented Djembefola in the region and was selected to play with Harry Belafonte's ensemble and so he packed his bags and went to train with his fellow selected musicians. Soon after things changed and he was a part of Ballet National Djojliba that travelled touring the world bringing West African music to the world. Mamady has been on the move all his life, in body, mind and spirit... A true dedicated master.

Speaking of dedication, since time was short, Sekou wanted to share with us (the bunch of enthusiastic dancers) as much info and dance moves as he could. It was decided to have a night dance class. Kelvin, Jeremy, Namory, Hiroki, Sue, Bing and Michi stayed back after their harrowingly long day to drum for the class. We danced the rhythm Soko. This is a Malinke rhythm from the Faranah region and is a pre initiation rhythm; a rhythm and dance that's performed once the date for circumcision has been decided.

We finished With class at about 11:30pm, tired, sweaty but pumped and ready for more. The atmosphere was full of positive and conducive learning vibes. Like Jeff (from team Australia) said, "We'll sleep when we're on the plane!", as we went through the vibrant and elegant coreography. Unlike most folk dances from back home in India, West African dance is way more physically challenging. Musically and rhythmically it is very beautifully syncopated, so much so that a dancer and a djembefola will not even consciously know the complexity of his or her achievements. It must be so to retain its charm and beauty.

I decided to wind down with some cultural exchange with team Korea (led by Namory), Jeff, Kumbana, Nini and Benjie.

Tomorrow morning we prepare for our last dance class and our final day of intermediate and advance level classes.

I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Linda to be the second person from Australia to be certified as a TTM teacher by Mamady Keita today. Good on her for her courage, calm and hard work.

With a mind full of rhythms, a heart full of joy and some Bali moonlight, I bid you, goodnight.

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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Day 3: Dance baby dance!

Dance class started 15 minutes earlier than scheduled so that we had time to cool down before our Djembe session with Mamady would begin. Very thoughtful, but this meant a half hour less of sleep... (A sacrifice well worth it as you will soon discover). With groggy eyes, I went to the breakfast buffet and decided to be smart and have only fruits so as to fuel my body with the right nutrients to make it move gracefully and rhythmically...

We started with a warm up routine with the rhythm Djansa. This one is one of my personal favourites and I pretty much danced my way up to the venue. Sekou is a perfectionist and it shows it in his every mannerism. Having said this, he makes sure that everybody in the class is with him, leaving nobody behind. This is what makes a great teacher.

'If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk you can dance!' This was put to test today for all of us. There students of all levels in the class. As a first time participant, apart from the basic moves (which were achievable), I was trying to absorb as much of the micro movements of the smaller sets of muscles that made the dance step come alive. "Lead this step with your rib cage," said Sekou. I couldn't even begin to fathom how this was possible, as I start realizing the existence of new muscle groups in my body.

We then moved to a super groovy rhythm called Sente, of the Nalu ethnic group. This is a baby-christening rhythm. Almost all ceremonies that have to do with a baby or infant are done in witness of Sente. Up until now I thought that keeping track of the pyramid class patterns were difficult, but the choreography, purely because of my lack of exposure to the same, sure took the cake. I find it extremely important that a Djembefola knows the dance and the dancer knows the Dunun and Djembe parts. Only then does the rhythm come together. As we performed the steps with the breaks, this realization became clearer and clearer.

The session ended with the entire group being divided in two halves and a final run through of our short sequence followed by a customary salute to the musicians who supported us through the class providing live energy through their playing... This is something I am used to considering that it is the first thing a Bharatnatyam dancer or a Kathak dancer (traditional Indian classical dances) will do before starting his or her performance. Oh what a beautifully invigorating way to start the day...

After a quick cooling down session (for me = bath) I quickly made my way back to the class for the advance class with Mamady. We immediately started the Malinke rhythm of 'Koma'. This is the name of a mask that belongs to a secret community of the Mandingue. In Guinea this rhythm is not allowed to be played without the permission of this community. This is the reason Mamady did not teach this rhythm for a large part of his teaching career. The unveiling of this mask could be seen only by the members of this secret community. This experience is said to be the most powerful fetish that one can find. The spirit of the mask is said to protect the village from evil spirits and is used for healing. The rhythm is a traditional one but the technique has been created by Mamady himself.

* In my last blog I had put up short MP3s of the rhythms played. Now, since I am blogging from an iPad I find it difficult to sort out all the format conversions and things to put everything up given the time constraints. I will however, do this once I am back in India in one consolidated blog update.

After our class, just when I thought I would get some rest... I heard Mamady start the rhythm 'Sewa' with the Intermediate class. Whether it was the rhythm or my insatiable hunger for djembe rhythms, i still don't know but I soon found myself beside the class lawns practising my dance moves courtesy Mr. Sekou from Portland.

Later, Koumbana my roommate (who has been christened so by Mohammed Bangoura after the great Sangban player Kumbana Konte) and I went around town on my royal steed in search of the best percussion instruments Bali could offer us.

We made sure to get back in time to fortify a decent seat for the Pyramid class. Before I continue, a special mention must be made to Kelvin and TTM Singapore (Lila Drums), the TTM directors and the Bhanuswari Resort for the impeccable care taken for every minute detail in terms of the organization of this entire workshop despite mental and physical fatigue. Hats off to you all.

So far in the pyramid class we finished Kudani and Kuruni. Today we added Fe' (number 2) and some wicked technique patterns from the heart of the Wassolon Region, from where Mamady hails. It took us a while to get past the last humdinger of a half-loose-flam roll phrase but all's well that ends well and this called for some celebration. So, after dropping Sekou to the TTM villa (since he wanted to get a taste of a Bali bikers experience), team Australia (represented by Jeff, Robin, Simone and Jack) and team India/China (yours truly and Kumbana) decided to treat ourselves to some jazz at the bar in Ubud.

The evening was full of Latin passion, salsa, West-African dance practice, down beats, singing and a whole lot of muffi... Pardon me, monkeying around.

I couldn't think of a better way to end the long, physical workout of a day but by having a dip in the pool that was outside my room.

God bless Bali and the wonderful energy at this Djembe workshop...

This brings to 50% of our workshop and once again time is flying by like it does during most pivotal times in life.

Anisu everybody!

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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Day 2: The time of reckoning and a taste of things to come...

My day started nice and early today. I caught an early breakfast and got ready for our first TTM level assessment class. This class is dedicated to students who want to have a structured learning experience with the TTM grading. It is a well thought of curriculum and helps categorize the rhythms in a way that makes it easy to learn and for students to feel small successes along the way.

This class was taken by the TTM directors. We started off with the basics and went through the level one rhythms first. Each director took turns in teaching/demonstrating the rhythms. Each director exuberates a certain calm yet dynamic energy; one that implies a long journey within to find one's rhythm and learn and accurately transmit the art of Djembe playing. I personally got to learn a lot about their individual teaching styles and methods.

We made use of time to go through rhythms until Mamady came in. It was then time for the intermediate class. Mamady taught them the warrior rhythm of Sofa with some of his introduction technique and breaks. Koumbana (my roommate from China) and I could hear the drumming from the privacy of our rooms. We could even record the parts clearly; some advantages of 40 drummers playing at once.

In the mean time I was preparing myself for the Advance level batch. I knew that Mamady really pushes his students, no matter what level they're at but even more so when the stakes are higher. Since I am on the path to certification I knew that I had to push it. This was my way of testing myself. Honoring self choice, students are given the first day as a test. If Mamady feels that one does not belong in a certain group he bumps him/her up or down depending on their over or under achievement.

As the students took their seats I could sense the heat in the air. Mamady held no quarter as he started 'Lekule', a rhythm of the 'Gerse' ethnic group from Southern Guinea. The original instrument of the Gerse people is the 'Bala', an instrument similar to a medium sized djembe, made out of cow or antilope skin, with many tiny djembes attached all around it. The story is that there was this great Gerse percussionist who came up with and dedicated many a rhythm to his wife. He also sang her many songs. His wife's name was 'Lekule'.

The Dunun section is an adaptation by Mamady. The djembe rhythms were themselves the not very common ones... But it was only until he started his solo technique that things really started heating up. Many a googly was thrown, there were many forehead cringes, many embarrassed smiles but at the end of it all I think we all came through more realistic about our own level in the whole scheme of things. There's always more to learn and newer milestones to pass... What's most important is doing the best one can do every single day and the rest takes care of itself; mainly because, the reason say, a harvest rhythm is played is to celebrate a great harvest, or motivate the farmers and not to secretly judge the level of another as they played. Only joy was and shall continue to be the reason the Djembe speaks... Like you and me.

I felt happy to get through the advance class knowing that I can apply myself to keep achieving more and being as clear, precise and accurate about the material that I perform and pass on to my students.... Because, there are miles to go, before I sleep!

After a heavy lunch and some rest, Koumbana and I went through all we had done before to make sure we would be prepared for the Pyramid class to come. Our pyramid class started with Malinke language course 101. Here's what we learned:

Isogoma / Isoma: Good Morning (when said to one person)
Aisogoma / Aisoma: Good Morning (when said to many)
Initele: Good Day (when said to one person)
Ainitele: Good Day (when said to many)
Inigura: Good Evening (when said to one person)
Ainigura: Good Evening (when said to many)
Inisu: Good Night (when said to one person)
Ainisu: Good Night (when said to many)
Tanate: How are you?
Tanacite: I'm well / fine
M'ba: Thank You (to be used by men)
M'se: Thank You (to be used by women)

P.s. I'll be testing my students randomly in Malinke..., so be prepared!

We continued our stacking of technique patterns during our Pyramid class for Kudani and added a new rhythm called Kuruni. The performance is taking shape well as we gear up for our local performance on the 5th of August. Already we have a very supportive audience in the happy hotel staff all singing djembe breaks and air drumming... Let's hope we have the similar effect on the Balinese audience who comes out to watch us.

After class Tara and I went to visit Mr. Aan, our djembe maker. His family hosted us with such love and grace that we had to show our love, the only way we knew how to... By playing Djembe....

After a long ride along the Balinese countryside, in the search for the famous, 'Big Baby Statue,' we got home in one piece without ending up on another island entirely.... Phew.

Tomorrow I have my first West African dance class with Sekou the super fit, calm, hawk eyed TTM teacher from Portland, USA. I can't wait...

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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