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| Class Structure | Accomodations and Meals | While Staying in Sangbaralla Village |
| Free Days During the Workshop | Travel Requirements for Guinea, West Africa | Cost |
| Guinea Registration Form 2011 |
Drumming & Dancing Workshop in Guinea
with a trip to Sangbaralla Village
December 17, 2011 - January 7, 2012 (3 weeks)
(Please note December 17th is the arrival date.)
Cost $1,600 US Dollars
Come experience the adventure of a lifetime…...
Join Nansady Keita on an educational tour of his homeland! This voyage will truly be the experience of a lifetime. It is an amazing opportunity to visit the birthplace of the djembe and dununs with a renowned drummer from the Hamana Region. Enjoy the music, dance and song in their traditional settings in both city and village life. Learn about the culture that led to the creation of these instruments. Gain a global perspective by connecting on a personal level with the people of the land.
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Nansady Keita is pleased to offer drumming and dancing workshops in Guinea, West Africa in 2011. Nansady is thrilled to be able to connect his students and his culture through these intensive workshops which offer a unique and unforgettable opportunity to study Malinké music within the cultural context in which it has developed over the centuries and into the present day.
In addition to intensively studying the drumming and dancing of Guinea, this workshop will allow you to experience the sights and sounds of Guinea’s capital city, Conakry, as well as a trip to the small village where Nansady Keita and his uncle Master Drummer Famoudou Konaté were born, Sangbaralla, on the savannah in Upper Guinea.
During our stay in Sangbaralla we will experience the music as it is traditionally played at festivals and celebrations in the village setting. Nansady will give us a personal tour of his village and show what has been accomplished through the Benkadi Project, a project affiliated with the NGO Motherland Rhythm Community (501c3), which is working to improve the lives of children and families in Sangbaralla. People in the village will welcome us warmly as their guests and will be thrilled to share their lives and music with us.
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Nansady is a Guinean djembé-fola (djembé player) and nephew of internationally renowned djembé-master Famoudou Konaté. Nansady is considered a successor of Famoudou as a traditional village drummer. Nansady is from the Malinké ethnic group, and comes from Sangbaralla, a village near Kouroussa, in the Hamana region of Guinea. Nansady has performed and taught around the world (USA, Holland, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Sweden) and toured with Famoudou Konaté's ensembles to Japan and Europe. Nansady is featured on six of the CDs Famoudou has released including most recently Hamana Namun. Nansady's traditional West African performance group "Hamana Kalu" (based in Conakry, Guinea) released CDs in May 2008 and July 2010. Nansady also leads three British based ensembles in the UK, "Nansady Keita's Ensemble" (consisting of Guinean musicians in the UK), "Funkama", and "Meereeya Bedeh". If you're looking to study the traditional Malinké Drum Orchestra from a talented musical professional who is also able to teach clearly and concisely while challenging you, don't miss out on an opportunity to study with Nansady Keita!!
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Nansady Keita will be our instructor. Everyone will have an opportunity to study with Nansady and learn from his wealth of knowledge and depth of experience as a as a traditional Djembéfola and Dununfola of the Malinké Drum Orchestra. Nansady not only presents the historic music of his culture but also the modern music which is played at festivals and for rites of passage today. There is a place for all skill levels in Nansady's workshops in Guinea! Beginners to the professional level are welcome. You will be challenged at your level!!
We will have dance classes with various teachers so that you can study different styles of dance and further deepen your understanding and enjoyment of the drumming music that accompanies the dance.
You'll learn traditional Malinké rhythms on the three dununs, accompaniment parts, djembé solo techniques, introductions, echauffements (the patterns that "heat up" the song) and the “break” or signal from the djembe for each rhythm. In addition, you'll learn songs sung by the griots, or oral historians, that are performed with the drumming and dance music and the historical origins of each rhythm. This workshop is a wonderful opportunity to receive expert instruction on all instruments in the traditional Malinké djembe orchestra while deepening your understanding of the place of music, dance and song in Guinean life.
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Each week we will have 5 days of classes. The remaining 2 days of the week will be "free days". On the lesson days we will have drum class for 3 hours in the morning (10am - 1pm) and afternoon (4pm - 6pm). In the afternoons of the third day of class we will have a dance classes. You are welcome to take dance instruction or to participate by drumming for the dancers. Occasionally in the evenings we will enjoy concerts and performances by various artists. We will arrange the classes so that we have 3 days of class then a break and 2 days of class and then another break to make 5 days of class per week. We will not necessarily have free days over the weekends. They will be spread throughout the week.
If you are interested in studying other instruments such as the balaphone, kora, bolon, flute or gongoma, Nansady can arrange for you to study with a teacher of that particular instrument. You may also arrange private drum or dance classes with local instructors. (These classes are outside of the workshop fee but the cost is typically minimal and well worth the expense.)
At times during the workshop, we may take the class on a road trip with Nansady to traditional celebrations to experience the music and dance in nearby communities.
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While in town we will be staying in Simbaya, a suburb outside of Conakry. The rooms vary in setup from single to double occupancy. The room choices are based on availability. Basic bed linens are provided. We will have traditional outdoor toilets and private bathing areas. Nansady's family will prepare all of our meals, offering traditional West African fare including rice, traditional sauces, fresh vegetables and fruit, fish and meats. If you are vegetarian, they can accommodate your needs. Please be sure to let us know ahead of time. Students purchase bottled water at minimal prices.
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The trip to Sangbaralla is a rigorous voyage as the roads are in poor condition. While traveling it is very scenic and you will get a sense of the diversity of the land in Guinea. We will go from the tropical humid climate of Conakry and travel through the mountains to the savanna of Upper Guinea.
Once we arrive at the village, we will stay at Nansady's home in Sangbaralla. Accommodations in the village are "rustic" and simple. We will be sleeping in a shared bunkhouse which is made of woven leaves. You will need to bring your own mosquito tent and sleep pad for your comfort. Our meals are prepared by Nansady's family in the village.
Village drummers, dancers and griots visit Nansady's compound frequently during our stay to offer special performances and share their talents with us. We are free to explore the village, learning more about the local culture and arts and will be making new friends each day. Nansady will give us a tour of his village and arrange for us to have concerts with the local artists. We will get a taste of daily life in the village.
Free Days During the Workshop
There are many options available to you on our "free days". We may plan a trip to the market, make excursions to various local sites or plan a trip to the beach on the Island Roume (a fantastic opportunity to rest, swim and hike). You will also get the opportunity to be part of local festivals and celebrations or plan your own activity for the day. All day trips are voluntary. Please note - these trips are outside of the workshop fee; however, they are quite reasonable and can cost $10 - $20 (for the entire day) depending on the number of students who wish to participate in the activity.
Travel Requirements for Guinea, West Africa
To enter Guinea
For further information regarding other recommended vaccinations for traveling to Guinea please contact your doctor or travel immunization professional.
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The cost of the workshop is $1,600 US dollars. A deposit of $400 US dollars is required to secure your spot in the workshop.
You are responsible for securing your own flight to and from Guinea. During the winter, the flights are in demand. We recommend that you book your airline ticket as soon as possible after you have received your registration confirmation.
Space is limited. Sign up early so you don’t miss out!
For additional information or registration contact Nansady at Info@NansadyKeita.com or go to NansadyKeita.com. You may also contact Helen Bond at helen@medusadrums.coms (based in the USA) at 001.847.543.0708.
Helen Bond
Medusa's Musical Mysteries
www.medusadrums.com
Copyright © 2011 by Helen Bond (www.MedusaDrums.com)