Wednesday, July 3, 2013

the Kela tree



...and from the mother to the children

Not all the Diabate from Kela become famous artists, but among every generation there are some who are successful. The patrilineage to which Siramori belongs seems to have a special talent for music. Her grandfather Kelabalaba is considered to be the first Diabate ever to be the official spokesman in the septennial recitation of the Sunjata epic. His four sons have inherited this talent . Siramori's father, Bintufaama, was a renowned player of the ngoni, the traditional Mande lute. The people in Kela still mention him as a great artist, and his ngoni is said to have continued to play even after he had stopped playing it. Siramori's agemates El Haji Bala and El Haji Yamudu both had impressive careers as musicians.  They both had their own music group with which they toured Mande.  Among Siramori's classificatory grandchildren, Kasemadi (aka Kasse Mady) is by far the most famous. Kassemadi sang in the 1980s with bands like National Badema A and B. Today he lives in Paris and his records are sold all over the world. His younger brother Lanfia is not only a fine ngoni player, but has also an outstanding voice and features in the Bajourou trio. In the 1980s Lanfia was the singer of Mali's legendary Rail Band.
Some of Siramori's children have "inherited" their parents' talent. Siramori was married to Nankoman Kouyate, a balafon player who played in the group in which Siramori was a singer and dancer. Her two daughters Sanudje and Bintan are considered to be the inheritors of Siramori's secrets. Sanudje is a professional singer, who alternates stays in Bamako and Paris. She has made one cassette in Paris, with Ibrahim Sylla, the producer for many Malian artists. Sanudje's sister Bintan has married a Diabate from Kela and she has acquired a central role in music performances in Kela. Two of Siramori's sons are also active as professional musicians. Her youngest son, Lansine Kouyate, is a talented balafon player who played on Salif Keita's latest album, Folon. Her second son, Sidiki, is a guitar player who travels through the Mande region with his electric band. His home base is his mother's compound in Kangaba.

Jan Jansen

and as it is a family affair 

Siramori Diabaté:
Tira magan 

Lansiné Diabaté & Bintan Kouyaté with El Hadji Yamudu Diabate, Lanfia Diabate &  Kasemadi Kamisoko:

Sanungwe Kouyaté & Kassé Mady:

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18 comments:

  1. Touramagan - Touramakan - Tira Mahan - Tramakang, Tira Magan, Tira Maghan , Tiramagan fasa,

    M Tira Magan, Siaamory Diabaté, Le Mali des Steppes et des Savanes - Les Mandingues, Bärenreiter 1971,
    M Tiramagan fasa, An Bè Kelen, 1994
    M Toura-Makan, Dans l'Authenticité vol 1, Manfila/Keita, 1979
    M Tiramagan fasa, Griot Music from Mali #3, aka Siramory Diabaté, Rec 1974
    M Tiramakan, National Badema, One Day On Radio Mali [Disc 2]
    M Tira Makan, L' orchestre National Badema, Mali Kunkan KO 77.07.07, 1977 (Kasse Mady)
    M Tiramakan, Salif Keita, early years
    M Tiramang - Falie Kuyateh and Nyama Suso, The griots - Ministers of the Spoken Word, Folkways, 1975
    M Tiramakhan, Dembo Konte & Kausa Kuyateh: Kairaba Jabi, 1998
    M Tira Makhan, Foday Musa Suso, Kora Music from the Gambia, Folkways, Folkways FW08510, 1978
    M Touramakan, Sanungwe Kouyaté & Kassé Mady: Kangaba: Sanungwe Kouyaté & Binta Kouyaté - La tradition de Kangaba
    M Touramakan, Bintan Kouyaté & Kassé Mady Diabaté: Kangaba: Touramakan, live Kita, 1998
    M Touramagan, Mandekalou - The art and Soul of the Mande Griots, 2004

    Lit: Diabate, Massa Makan, 1970. Janjon, et autres chants populaires du Mali. (Excellent!)


    A

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  2. As we see with the help of my collection, two cores of Tiramagan:

    The first is Kela/ Kangaba, where Kassemady plays quite a role, too.
    Let's not forget the Gambia, my guess is, that the (mande) kingdom of N' Gabou was here the initializer.
    A.

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  3. great to have here this list-thank you A.
    i can only agree with your remark about the Gabu kingdom,that was founded according to a tradition by Tiramakan Traoré himself.

    http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramakhan_Traore

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  4. @A.

    ( kingdom of N'Gabou was here the initializer. )
    The initializer of...? what ?

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  5. ah sorry, the initializer of the song.

    isn't that a interesting sidenote:

    "la province du Kannyokon, formée au sud de Kangaba, de ce cinq villages (Brazan, Salamalé, Tèguè, Kiniègouè et Sombo) est encore habitée, par les descendant de Tiramakan, répartis en deux groupes lignagers, les Missasi et les Damtoumasi, qui ont une conscience aigue du rôle exceptionnel joué par les ancêtres dans l' édification et la consolidation de l' empire du Mali. "

    Youssouf Tata Cissé: La confrérie des chasseurs Malinké et Bambara, 1994, pages 50.



    Then, Massa M. Diabaté says in "Janjon" (1970) , who sings for the first time the Tira Magan:

    "......Sunjata", ému jusqu' aux larmes, improvisa une chanson, qui devint la faasa de Tira Magan ni Kankejan, ancètre des Traoré"


    I find it interesting, that M' Bady Kouyaté, and his wife Diaryatou, she sings as a griotte, have 2 CDs with "Kora et Chant du N'Gabou, but there is no song like Tira Makan, despite the importance of Tira Makan for the Malinké and especially for N' Gabou!

    Anyone knows the reason?


    BTW: The Vol 1 of that edition looks to be ultra rare..
    A.

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  6. @ A.
    Not yet found time to delve into the exciting story Mandingo, just sometimes looking data on this wonderful soundtrack to gather some knowledge.
    After this introduction that recognizes that you should not take seriously anything I say, I can comment:

    It seems that the sons of Touramakan (I use on Toura when Kela or further south and Tira when on Kita, the way to pronounce in the Khasso) are endless and are in all corners of the kingdom, Sunjata ceded the territories conquered by his lieutenant Turamakan to the same Turamakan Traoré, then Turamakan took wives in those places and by their children he ensured the continuity of his power, Sunjata was content to receive the taxes and maintain administrative power.
    So not only we find descendants of Turamakan at south of Kangaba
    also in Gambia, that was part of the kingdom of Gbou (then the kingdom of Kabou, included Guinea Bissaou)was take by Turamakan after subjecting Jolofin Mansa the king of the Wolof(who had stolen Sunjata's emissaries, sent to buy horses), too then conquered the region now known as Kita and his successors are the Tounkara if I remember correctly.
    Sunjata also gave the kingdom of Sikasso to Turamakan, where he left his sons, then Babemba Traoré might be also one of its descendants.

    All these Fassa songs (Fassya, Fa = father, Sya = Path) relate to each other, as all the historys of the Mandingo people.

    To rest as much data, I'll post a story I picked up about the house Kangaba.

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  7. sorry, I must reply another day,

    after writing the response, and klicking sending, google wanted me to start a account...
    and deleted, what I wrote for 20 minutes....

    A.

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  8. I have allowed to all visitors -google or no accounts,the same access to this comments form.I do moderate spam messages,but that's it.this is outrageous,am sorry A.
    Please keep a record of your writing e.g.to the notepad, before sending it next time.

    ReplyDelete
  9. @ A.
    Certainly Mr.GG every day becomes more unpleasant.
    Visit Le Kabablon to counteract the discouragement.

    http://youtu.be/C9oiMhA67aM

    ReplyDelete
  10. thanks to both of you for your replies.

    don o don tulo be taa kalanso
    (every day, the ear goes to school…)
    here too, I'm listerning to the music and sometimes, I try to understand a bit better, with the help of the letters. I'm aware that they are just a little piece of mosaique-stone from the big picture.
    Therefore nauma and Ngoni, thanks what you bring in, and add in the comments, and please Ngoni: share that story of the roof!

    I understand that Tiramakan's family is spread in the entire mande world.

    The reason I focused on Gambia/Senegal and Kela/Kangaba is, that my songlist in the first reply points to these two places, and makes what I called the cores, for that specific song.

    But then, there is a another reason: I found two places which should be the place of death and tomb of Tiramakan:

    Djibril Tamsir Niane* writes, that "…….on transporta son corps à Bassé, le pays, qui l' avait séduit et c' est là, qu' il fu enterré. " (Histoire des Mandingues de l' Ouest) .. Bassé is in Gambia…

    Wa Kamissoko says in "La grande geste du Mali":
    " …..la tombe de Tiramakan se trouve à Barazan. Et Barazan est distant de vingt ou vingt-quatres kilométres de Kangaba."

    A.

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  11. @A.
    Personally I prefer to follow the directions of Wa Kamissoko he is an artist, Tamsir Niane is a scientist, he need to check the data and seeks the truth, Wa Kamissoko transmits the information as it does, no problem in ensuring that the Soumauro army was composed of Djinns, his stories have not lost the magic, it does not matter if real or not the data, we will be free to interpret or try to understand later, but at least the beauty of the story comes as its entirety.

    I tent to Barazan, for the Tiramakan rest, perhaps is other Tiramakan in Bassé, some son, in old-days always told the name of the father before the son's name.

    I have a little video with a recitation of Wa Kamissoko on Sundiata, but sadly was played by someone else, that steals power and turn it very Frenchified.
    but...

    If you want to see:

    http://youtu.be/NedXYOXV70U

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  12. Ngoni

    thanks for sharing that movie, despite the quite big french "smell", there are some interesting points:

    as in the books too, Wâ Kamissoko works together with Youssouf Tata Cissé, who lives in Paris, these days.

    Then, I am a bit surprised about the musical instruments after 2 min and again after 3 min in the movie. They suggest, that sundjata's exile was in todays Niger… while in "La grand geste du Mali" , Youssouf Tata Cissé writes that Wâ Kamissoko transmitted him the town of Nêma, in todays Mauritania, not that far from Koumbi Saleh, the capital from the old Wagadu - (Ghana) empire
    north of malian Nara.

    In the same book, another link to the Tiramakan-descendants, by Wâ:

    In thé reply of July 6, 2013 at 2:20 , I cited:

    "par les descendant de Tiramakan, répartis en deux groupes lignagers, les Missasi et les Damtoumasi, qui ont une….."

    and again in "La grand geste du Mali" Wâ states, that Missa et Dantouman were the two sons of Tiramakan.


    As you see, I'm with Wâ Kamissoko, too, well I' m a bit biased:

    I have been lucky to travel several days with his son, Lassana Kamissoko, when I was in in Mali in January 2012. Lassana told me about Sundjata's and Tiramakan's Krina battle…

    And a personal story Lassana told me:

    When he was young, he wanted to become a musician-griot and played the bala. (Which fits much in a Malinké-pattern) But later on, his father Wâ didn't allow him to play the instrument anymore; he had to became the griot preserving all the knowledge about Mandé history, culture and tradition and for the sake of its survival, Lassana, who looks like his father, gave up on music.

    The transmission is more important than the individual affinity.

    Once again, I'm amazed about all that was transmitted through centuries, and what culture, what stories you can find behind one song, nauma started with in that blog.
    I appreciate and like very much that deepness, and therefore our exchange.

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    Replies
    1. @A.
      Well,proud to help someone who can study something I like, but I lack the time.
      If I can help some, I like it.

      About the instruments in the movie, these shots, probably from Niger, were taken to heat the room in the movie, are pretty and the French Sudan material was in hand of the filmmaker.

      Sadly I do not remember where, but also I heard Nêma as retreat of Sundiata.

      Indeed Tiramakan descendants, Missasi and Damtoumasi inhabitin Kanniokon, southern Kangaba , according Wadjan.

      The Mandé musically is exciting, and historically also, when both come together are irresistible and beautiful.

      My curiosity in this time, turns to Sundiata as a hunter and as Youssouf Tata Cissé writes, a great bolon player, as well as other great hunter, the same Tiramakan a great dân player.

      So why a Keitá, a Horon should not be a musician?

      Delete
  13. you' re right, Ngoni

    the response is not that easy, and my guess is - at the moment - the most simple:

    because a Horon is not a Namakala.


    I need more time to track the different sources, there is one, which mentiones that the Horon and the griots were initially two brothers, but of course, this is just a source of many.

    BTW: Sumaworo was playing the Ngoni.


    I'm not a student of ethnology, etc, this is just my passion, and I have sometimes to steal the time for it, too. With all that is available, I don't speak bamana, I try to follow the songs, look inside them, explore them at not just one, but many levels.

    And now, the dan:
    du you have a movie on youtube with it, or a tape?
    Just recently, I "discovered" that instrument, which seems to be the "mother" of many calebasse/strings-instruments.

    A.

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    Replies
    1. @A.
      Do not think it's a matter of namakala, if I remember correctly the nyama-kala (the niya, is the original force of nature and ka-la, are those which have the words).
      Then the nyamakala are older than the griots, griots are created from the era of Sundiata, they keep the tradition of the empire, they are the Djeli (blood) which connects all parts of the empire, carrying within the information , since that time become like priests who must maintain the tradition.

      A niamankala are someone worth, a Donso of course too, but the Horon is above the cusp, then he prefers to forget his past as nyamnkala, and accepts the title of Donso as a bonus, it's just a matter of maintaining privileges.

      You can reach the nobility for your actions, but it is difficult to justify the hereditary nobility.

      Salif Keitá is interesting that has managed to justify his noble status, through his own efforts.

      I have a small excerpt of a minute with a wonderful Danfola.
      http://youtu.be/zs3_8Y2dsIY

      BWT: Sumawuro playing the ngoni is new for me!

      Delete
  14. Hi Ngoni

    sorry to be late; but at the moment, I'm stuck in other questions, which are more instrument-related, I try to become clearer on these questions..

    the question " why a Horon should not be a musician?" needs quite a deeper study, it's a bit complex:

    some sources state, that "autrefois, les namakala et les horon appartenaient aux mêmes clans, et répondaient aux mêmes jamu." But that later, some sort of rivalry created two different groupes, with different duties. (Gens de parole, Sory Camara)

    In a djali own praise song, they say that allah made them…

    There are some arguments against a etymological perception of Nyamakala, (in "Status and identity in West Africa"; D. Conrad; B. Frank) as well as some other arguments, like the blood-context. Sorry, I realize now, how much time it takes to get through the many sources… and I have not enough time for it, at the moment

    now, when I said:
    "because a horon is not a namakala,"

    I tried to point to the (rather simple fact) that they need to be "different by definition", because they both need the other.
    And as we all know, they stay different by endogamy and heritage, too.

    Thanks for your movie with the dan; while its been widespread for a long time, it seems to be rather rare, these days.

    Tiramakan was a master dan player, says Wâ in his book from 1991, and "Sunjata aurait été un grand joueur du bolon" (same source).

    Djeli ngara Djanka Tassey Condé, from Fadama, Guinée, who's Sunjata was recoded by David Conrad, said, that "Sumaworo was playing the Ngoni."
    And that "Sumaworo …bringing forth most of the Mande instruments, including the dan…*
    I find it very interesting, that these 3 men, being that important for the birth of the Mande empire, they play different instruments.
    Just coincidence?


    A.

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  15. Interview with Djeli Baba Sissoko:


    MaliNet: Comment a commencè Djèliya?
    
Djèli Baba: Djèliya a commencè par les Niamakalaya. Tout personne qui chante, nous l’appelons djèli, toute personne qui quèmande m' me s’il ne parle pas, il est de djèli aussi. L’action d’être djèli à savoir Djèliya, peut-être rèalizer par tout le monde.
    
Les Traore peuvent faire cela. 
Les Keita peuvent faire cela. 
Toute personne qui parle beaucoupe, qui chante chez nous, nous l’appelons djèli. 
Djèliya et Niamakalaya, c’est moi Djèli Baba. Je ne me promène pas dans le pays, pour Aller chez les gens pour quèmander. Si on m’appelle pour une mission, je vais exècuter cette tache. On nous appelle des Niamakala, et nous vivons de ces actes reconus par la sociètè.Djeli Baba Sissoko:

    MaliNet: Comment a commencè Djèliya?
    
Djèli Baba: Djèliya a commencè par les Niamakalaya. Tout personne qui chante, nous l’appelons djèli, toute personne qui quèmande m' me s’il ne parle pas, il est de djèli aussi. L’action d’être djèli à savoir Djèliya, peut-être rèalizer par tout le monde.

    
Les Traore peuvent faire cela. 
Les Keita peuvent faire cela. 
Toute personne qui parle beaucoupe, qui chante chez nous, nous l’appelons djèli. 
Djèliya et Niamakalaya, c’est moi Djèli Baba. Je ne me promène pas dans le pays, pour Aller chez les gens pour quèmander. Si on m’appelle pour une mission, je vais exècuter cette tache. On nous appelle des Niamakala, et nous vivons de ces actes reconus par la sociètè."

    I couldn't get the link, but I hope this helps...

    A.

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  16. Here' s a interview with Djèli Baba Sissoko:

    "MaliNet: Comment a commencè Djèliya?
    
Djèli Baba: Djèliya a commencè par les Niamakalaya. Tout personne qui chante, nous l’appelons djèli, toute personne qui quèmande m?me s’il ne parle pas, il est de djèli aussi. L’action d’?tre djèli à savoir Djèliya, peut ?tre rèalizer par tout le monde. 
Les Traore peuvent faire cela. 
Les Keita peuvent faire cela. 
Toute personne qui parle beaucoupe, qui chante chez nous, nous l’appelons djèli. 
Djèliya et Niamakalaya, c’est moi Djèli Baba. Je ne me promène pas dans le pays, pour Aller chez les gens pour quèmander. Si on m’appelle pour une mission, je vais exècuter cette t?che. On nous appelle des Niamakala, et nous vivons de ces actes reconus par la sociètè."

    I hope that helps tp reslove your questions

    A.

    ReplyDelete