...an African drumming

    experience in New Hampshire

Foté

Music Downloads

The Music

The rhythms that we play are from various cultures and ethnicities in the West African countries of Guinea, Mali and the Ivory Coast.  We individually learned the rhythms from instructors such as Mamady Keita, Famadou Konate, and Sidiki Camera.  The basic ensemble is composed of one to three Dununs and an equal number of Djembes.  The complexity of the music lies in the relationship between each of the parts and the collective relationship to the downbeat.  As westerners, we may be listening for a heavy downbeat, but sometimes in West African music the heavy beat is everywhere except the downbeat.

From our performance as a 6-man group at Dover Apple Harvest Day, October 1, 2005!

An earlier interpretation of Wassolanka and Soko.  Brian, Carl and Scott only.

An older original song from when Foté was just a 3 man group.

An earlier adaptation from the Hamanah region’s Kurabadon.  Brian, Carl and Scott only.

From our performance as a 6-man group at Dover Apple Harvest Day, October 1, 2005!

Mendiani                                                                        click links here–—->

Kuraba-what?

Original Composition

Wassolanka-Soko

Konowulen