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This is an amazing audio and notation encyclopedia of every djembe and dun dun part for 50 Rhythms!

There are many kinds and types of djembe and African drum rhythms

oldside1

Let’s face the facts. Until Mamady Keita arrived in the USA we were playing djembe ass backwards. For example, Mandiani was more often then not being played  backwards as Soli, (Donba in Senegal) or visa versa. We were doing the best we could at the time as there was very limited  resources available in the late 70′s and very few instructors as well. It was prior to the internet and consumer cmcorders were still [...]

Studying West African drumming in Mali part one

Siaka Doubia and his crew "Young Guns" playing live at a celebration

My first trip to Africa was to Mali ,West Africa. I was always scared to go to Africa even though all my friends and students had already gone and the reports were always very positive. I was scared of getting sick. I heard the horror stories of people getting sick there, the poor hospitals, bad conditions and everything else. But in the back of my mind since I first started playing in the 70′s I knew I would go, I knew I had to go. I was just waiting for the right timing, [...]

Studying in Guinee Part 1

The late great Komoko Sano

Many people often ask me “what was it like to study and travel in Guinee”? And “where did you like better Guinee or Mali”? I love both places to study and live but for different reasons. In Guinee I stayed with the late great Kemoko Sano and his family at his compound in Merveilles. I went to Guinea with an old friend who was traveling with me in Mali. But my friend did not like it there so he left after a few days to another compound. It was very interesting for me to stay in a place where no one spoke english except my teacher whose english was barely understandable at best. [...]

Amazing and athletic dancers solo and perform at traditional "Dununba" drum and dance party @Kemoko Sano's

doundoumba

Very athletic and amazing dancers solo and perform at a “dununba” community drum and dance celebration. Dununba  refers to “strong mans dance” as it was originaly called and used as. This djembe drum and west african dance party takes place at my friend and teachers house, the late, great and legendary Konoko Sano of Ballettes Africans fame.

“Mali Grand Master” djembe class with Brulye and Aruna: Mendiani

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/m…

Aruna and Brulye teach Michael P Mendiani solo technique at a djembe class at Centre Togola in the Sabalibougou district of Bamako Mali. Music, song, djembe and dunun class and djembe lessons are held here every day of the week. If you want to study djembe in Mali, this is the place to go for a djembe lesson or african dance class. These guys and their students really play djembe well! Very [...]

Mali Young Masters: Mali Djembe Drum Music Recording Session

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye

The Young Guns album was recorded at the community center directly outside the huge bustling market place in Sabalibougou, a small local district of Bamako. Siaka is the leader and premier soloist of this smaller group. He goes through a variety of popular yet traditional peices of djembe music as it is played by his age group in Bamako at weddings, ceremonies and group dance performances. This recording session is for the [...]

Super hot Mali djembe and drums, live recording and video!

“Young Guns” #2 recording session. Some of Bamako , Mali’s finest young musicians perform live djembe music. This piece is “Danza” (Mali) also known as Diansa in Guinee. This group is led by Siaka Doumbia on lead with Sekou on 2nd djembe , “MC” on konkoni and Morike on dunun.

Grand Master Drummer M’Bemba Bangoura “Djembekan” (solo)

Master djembe drummer, master of ceremonies and all around fun and good guy M’Bemba Bangoura in a rare performance in his home town and country in Conakry, Guinee, West Africa at a large community drumming event welcoming home many of Guinea West Africa’s wonderful djembe masters and drummers of all ages!

Amazing! Dazling Young child djembe SUPER STAR player solos at show : AMAZING!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye

An amazing 6 year old child djembe drummer solos at Guinee, West African “Spectac” (big show in Conakry, Guinea). Music similar to this and other similar high quality digitaly recorded audio recordings I did in Mali are now available for sale:

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

Masters of Djembe#4: Dancer, Jaques Pt.2 &Dunun solo!! In “HD”!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye

Jaques comes back for his second solo in this all star djembe fola-young masters video form Conakry Guinee West Africa. Please check out part two of the traditional male african dancer and the remarkable dunun solo as well!! I made this durring my 2nd study tour of West Africa where I met and played with several master djembe drummers and djembe folas in Guinea and Mali.

Dununba #1 “HD” Djembe drum and dance party in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sdoumbiacrew

#1 in a series: This is my best quality High Definition video yet! If your computer is fast enough, press the HD button, You can still watch it in regular format as well! This video was shot at a Dununba (aka dundunba) community celebration and dnace party I attended in Conakry, Guinea West Africa while I was studying with the late great Komoko Sano at his compound. I am installing it in [...]

“African Dance”: Young Boy shows his stuff at Dununba Drum and Dance party in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye

Dununba #8:A young boy at a community drum and dance, “dundunba” party shows his dance and acrobatics as well as traditional west african dance technique in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa! I filmed this on my 2nd trip to West Africa. Master Djembe Drummer M’Bemba Bangoura and Jaques play at this one as well! Djembe masters and djembe drumming, too!

“Numu Foly” Mali African Dance, Djembe Drums and Chants#8

Mali West African dance choreography. This piece is called Numu Foly (the black smith dance). This video is from the series West African (Mal)i Dance, Drums and Chants #8. And is from my African drum and dance lessons in Bamako, Mali, West Africa.

Didadee Music of Mali part 3 songs and djembe drum

Sumba Togola from Mali West Africa performs live African chants and dance with her amazing group of traditional Didadee musicians and drummers . This is an excerpt from the new CD, “Didadee Music of Mali” available on www.earthcds.com. Enter:mali, enter: didadee

Djembe Masters#5 “All Folas”! Young Ddjembe Masters of Guinee!

At the end of the West African Djembe drum and African dance show, all the folas (djembe masters) get together in a line and exchange awesome djembe solos. Filmed in Conakry Guinee West Africa by Michael P

Fantastic Balaphone, djembe & dunun players in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/m…

Babara Bangoura (grren shirt), Abou Camara (white shirt) and friends. Fantastic Balaphone, djembe & dunun players in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa. Rehearsing for a big Spectac. A real “djembe lesson” to watch for all who love to learn djembe or like djembe class! Shot on my study trip to Guinea.

BOBO MUSIC OF MALI Released by earthcds

BOBO MUSIC OF MALI Released by earthcds partners. Recorded and produced by Michael Pluznick Audio CD: 74 minutes – 13 tracks

The music for this CD was made at Centre Togola, the local community center, outside Sabalibougou. It is run by by director Kareem Togola. ‘Bougou’ means ‘village’ in Bombara language, although it is located in a city district inside a bustling marketplace on the outskirts of Bamako, Mali, West Africa.

The community [...]

Bobo Mali West African drum and dance ceremony and celebration

All about Mali Didadi (Didadee) music: dance to the drum!

The music for this CD was made at Centre Togola, the local community center, run by director Kareem Togola. It is located outside Sabalibougou. ‘Bougou’ means ‘village’ in Bambara language, although it is located in a city district inside a bustling market place on the outskirts of Bamako, Mali, West Africa.

The community center houses local dancers, drummers and musicians, most of whom play in the center’s award-winning group. Many famous district groups [...]

Mali Baby naming celebration West African dance and drum at community gathering

Mali djembe drumming on west african style djembes drums and west african dance at it’s highest level is shown at this baby naming celebration and community drum and dance gathering. “MC” on lead cow skin djembe. Filmed near bamako, Mali west africa, a beautiful jembe jam, showing the best djembe players

All about “Didadi (Didadee) Music of Mali”

MUSIC OF MALI: DIDADEE Featuring Sumba Togola and Friends Released by earthcds partners. Recorded and produced by Michael Pluznick Audio CD: 62 minutes – 7 tracks

Didadee singer Sumba Togala

The music for this CD was made at Centre Togola, the local community center, run by director Kareem Togola. It is located outside Sabalibougou. ‘Bougou’ means ‘village’ in Bambara language, although it is located in a city district inside a bustling market place [...]

Mali Mendiani drum and dance demo

This is a new video of Mediani drum, dance and chants made in Bamako Mali West Africa. It sounds almost identical to Guinea (Guinee) style mendiani as well. Dancers and singers (Ami Doumbia left and Malodone right) from the award winning Santogoula community center and local group in the Sabalibougou district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based West African dance choreography in Bamako, Mali while accompanied by Aruna, Brulye, Siaka [...]

Spectac (big show) in Conakry Guinea

This video features master drummer Jaques, a unique djembe player  performing with his friends and piers in a West African drum and dance extravaganza!

Bolokada Conde and our west african drum and dance group:

This is a performance of  our group  with master drummer Bolokada Conde, “les Percussions Melenke at the Mill Valley Theater. We play 3 different Konkoba drum pieces tied together and and West African dancers Nabe Bangoura and others from Ballet Merveilles come out as well. From left to right:Rafael, Sean Areneda, Michael Pluznick, Mohamed Kouyate, front: Bolokada Conde. Male dancer: Nabe Bangoura

African dance: young boy shows his great dance moves in Conakry dununba party

This video was shot at a dununba djembe drum and community dance party in Conakry Guinea my friend and teacher, the late great Komoko Sano took me to on my musical and percussion study tour to Guinea. Each dancer at a party takes a turn to show off their “stuff” or dance moves. If someone really likes your moves, they run out and give you money, which is the custom. Also, at the [...]