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The Politics of Representation and Transmission in the Globalization of Guinea's Djembé

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THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION IN THE GLOBALIZATION OF GUINEA'S DJEMBÉ by Vera H. Flaig A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Music: Musicology) in the University of Michigan 2010 Doctoral Committee: Professor Emeritus Judith O. Becker, Co-Chair Assistant Professor Christi-Anne Castro, Co-Chair Associate Professor Vanessa Helen Agnew Associate Professor Charles Hiroshi Garrett Associate Professor Mbala D. Nkanga © Vera Helga Flaig All rights reserved 2010 Dedication To Deborah Anne Duffey the wind beneath my wings; Herdith Flaig who encouraged me to be strong and independent; Erhardt Flaig who always believed in me; and Rainer Dörrer who gave his life for the djembé. ii Acknowledgements Given the scope of the research that preceded the writing of this dissertation, there are many people to thank. Of all the individuals I met in Germany, Guinea, and across the United States I am sure to miss a few. There are not enough pages to be able to name all people who have: helped me find directions, connect with informants, provided me a place to stay, shared their food, and compared notes in a djembé workshop. To all who remain nameless, I thank you for making this project possible. I would like to thank the Rackham Graduate School and the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan for generously funding my graduate work. I was honored to receive a Board of Regents Fellowship as well as several Teaching Assistantships which helped me to reach candidacy. I was also honored to receive the Glen McGeoch memorial Scholarship during my final semester as a Graduate Student Instructor. I am also thankful for the support I received after candidacy: First, the Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant made it possible for me to attend Mamady Keïta’s “Mini Guinea” drum camp in Ramona California in April of 2007. Second, a Rackham Conference Travel Grant allowed me to present a paper, based upon the preliminary research I conducted in Germany, at the Society for Ethnomusicology National Conference in 2007. Finally, a Rackham One-Term Dissertation Grant made it possible for me to finish this project. iii My research in Germany would not have been possible without the generous assistance of Uschi Billmeier. Her enthusiasm for the project led to many great discussions not only during lessons and classes, but also during our many long walks. I came to Munich in March of 2007 because Uschi had scheduled workshops with guest teachers, Billy Konaté and Rainer Polak, during that time frame. The day that I arrived she invited me to have dinner with her and Billy. From the first moment I stepped foot in Germany she immersed me in the daily activities of her drum school Djembé! Schule München. I am also very grateful to Billmeier’s student, Akiko Yotsumoto, who hosted me during my stay in Munich in June of 2007. I would also like to thank Thomas Ott who spent an afternoon with me at his home in Berlin to discuss his work applying Guinea's djembé as part of an alternative approach to music pedagogy. Thomas later sent me all of his published articles for reference. Although I only worked with Thomas Gebele and Rainer Arold very briefly, the vast knowledge and insights they shared with me about the djembé in Germany brought incredible depth to chapter four of this dissertation. Special thanks also go to anthropologist/ethnomusicologist Rainer Polak, who invited me to observe his djembé master-class at Billmeier’s djembé school in Munich. It was Polak's article about the globalization of the djembé that first inspired me to take on this project. I was thrilled to be able to meet Polak and study the urban djembé style from Bamako with him. The students attending this class were some of the leaders of the djembé scene in Germany. This two-day workshop by Polak thus presented a rare opportunity to get to the heart of some of the issues surrounding the transmission of djembé music in Germany. In June, I had the fortune to meet Joachim Uhl, better known as “Uhuru,” whose initial contact was made for me by Uschi Billmeier. Even though he had never met me in iv person, Uhuru invited me to come and stay at his home in Ulm. There I was quickly welcomed as part of the family during my four-day stay. Uhuru introduced me to his two very talented sons who, like their father, play djembé, dunun, drum kit, and keyboards. The two boys, who are just entering their teens, make up the performing duo called, Die Löwenstarken Trommler. When they performed for me on a couple of occasions I was amazed at the fullness of their ensemble – they sounded like a four-piece band. Uhuru was extremely generous with his time, granting me two or even three interview hours per day. Thanks also to Eva Mantel and Ingrid Celustek who accompanied me from Munich to Uhuru’s home outside of Ulm. Much of the research at Famoudou Konaté’s drum camp in Guinea was greatly enhanced with the help of Rainer Dörrer. His openness to the research process was crucial to my comparative work in Guinea. Shortly after passing on the reins of Konaté’s Guinea camp (which he had run for almost twenty years) to Helen Bond, Dörrer passed away suddenly in January of 2009. His legacy to the globalization of the djembé cannot be underestimated. Where it not for his persistence, Konaté’s music would not be known and enjoyed around the globe today. All who knew Dörrer, enjoyed him for his honesty, easy going nature, passion for the djembé, and his affection for Guinea. The global djembé community has lost one of its most passionate leaders as a result of his passing. Many thanks also go to Helen Bond (Greys Lake, IL) who was, and continues to be, my primary teacher in the United States. It was Helen who first introduced me to Famoudou Konaté. During the times I was on my own in Guinea (after Konaté’s camp ended), it was a comfort to know that she was still in Conakry, just on the other side of the city at Konaté’s compound. Thanks also to Alan Tauber who hosted the six-day v intensive workshops for Konaté in Boston. Thanks also go to Anna Melnicoff who hosted both Famoudou and Billy Konaté in Toronto, and offered me a last-minute interview between classes. Thanks also to all of Konaté’s students from the Boston workshops and the Guinea drum camp who gave up a portion of their free time between classes to be interviewed: Monique Grössl, Barbara Hess, Grant Ellerbeck, Liz Pacheco, John Ward, Annegret Baier, Allen Boyd, and Linda Shoemaker. Michael Markus made my first introduction to Guinea much less stressful than it could have been. He was eager to provide all the resources that I needed, while at the same time, making sure that I also gained confidence to find my own way around. I would like to thank M’Bemba Bangoura for allowing me to come to his camp as a researcher. I truly appreciated Bangoura’s willingness to provide me with an interview during my second visit to Guinea. I would like to raise a toast to my wonderful roommates, Susan Nesbit, Janessa Olsen, and Sharon Hughes, who made my first experience in Guinea much less overwhelming. French Canadian, Catherine Veilleux, was an inspiration to me as a female drummer and researcher alone in Guinea. I would also like to thank Karen Baird with whom I rehearsed many complex dunun parts on the roof of the compound between classes. Last but not least, my knowledge of the African American drum and dance scene in New York would have been less informed where it not for the many discussions I had with Ray Philip, Robin Gee, Hasan Baker, and Karen Love. Thank you all for sharing your insider’s view of this historically significant drum and dance scene. I would not have been able to pursue such an in-depth study of the djembé without the enthusiastic support of Mamady and Monette Keïta. During the Mini-Guinea vi Drum Camp in Ramona California, Mamady spent three evenings answering student's questions in a large group interview. The fact that he allowed all the students to freely audio and video tape these sessions, made my job as a researcher feel less intrusive. Monette’s careful translation of student questions and Mamady’s responses was vital to the success of these evening “interview” sessions. Mamady also helped me by impressing upon the students, the importance of their interviews for my research. As a result of Keïta's encouragement and enthusiasm, many students volunteered to be interviewed by me both in California and in Guinea. Many thanks to all the students who entertained my interview questions with their thoughtful responses: in Guinea: Ali Thomas (CA), Cliff Koufman (OR), Bernard "Tomo" Wertheim (England), Peter Bruys (Holland), Géraldine Grifoni (France), Martin Turšić (Croatia), Nenad Kovačić (Croatia), Krunoslav Kobščak (Croatia), David Dar-Fu Sheun (Taiwan), Lee Chi Chuan (Taiwan), Peter Schaup (South Africa), and Lisza Reutenauer (France/U.S.A.); in California: Rita Petrosik (OR), Xavier Eikerenkoetter (CA), Valerie Kane (CA), James Mallory (CA.), Tyler Braun (UT), Djenne Hearne (ID), Adrianna Hernandez (Mexico), Beto Escobar (Mexico), and Noritsugu Tomari (Japan). Special thanks go out to my three roommates at “chez Mamady” (the nick-name we gave Mamady’s compound in Guinea – due to the indoor plumbing and nightly cocktails we enjoyed there.): Geraldine Grifoni, Ali Thomas, and Akiko Hiyama.
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