Joe Luther Williams Jr., Doctor of Philosophy, 2006
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ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: TRANSMITTING THE MANDE BALAFON: PERFORMING AFRICA AT HOME AND ABROAD Joe Luther Williams Jr., Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Directed By: Professor Carolina Robertson School of Music This dissertation examines the role of balafon performances in the transmission of Mande traditional knowledge about music and culture and how this process affects the formation of identity. My study focuses specifically on the Susu and Malinké peoples of Guinea, two ethnic subgroups of the Mande of West Africa. The Mande balafon is a heptatonic traditional xylophone. Its origins are traceable to the Sosso Bala, an instrument believed to date back to the founding of the thirteenth- century Mande Empire of Mali. The Sosso Bala is still preserved in Guinea as a national treasure and symbol of the unity of the Mande peoples. Mande balafons are played by members of the jeli caste of hereditary musicians and oral historians, who have traditionally passed down knowledge of musical and cultural heritage among the Mande. Today, balafon performance is an important aspect of identity formation among the Mande, both in Africa and in the diaspora. Drawing upon African philosophy and performance studies, I examine how Mande jeli performance serves as a context for the creation of a contemporary African identity that balances the twin obligations of preservation of cultural heritage and maintenance of individual subjectivity. I also address issues of interconnectedness in African artistic performance and how they are reflected in the rhythmic structure of Mande music. Transcriptions of selected pieces from the jeli repertoire contribute to my analysis of how key elements of Mande society are revealed through their music. Fieldwork I conducted in Guinea informs my research into the historical origins of the Mande balafon and the shift in emphasis on development of the instrument from the rural Mande heartland to Guinea’s urban capital, Conakry. My field work in the United States focuses on the work of my teacher Abou Sylla and his preservation and dissemination of Mande musical culture through inherently African, interactive teaching methods. I also examine how Abou, by taking his students with him to Guinea, facilitates a cultural tourism experience that serves as a context for the transmission of identity from himself to his students, reinforcing a type of community he is building through his workshops. TRANSMITTING THE BALAFON IN MANDE CULTURE: PERFORMING AFRICA AT HOME AND ABROAD By Joe Luther Williams Jr. Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2006 Advisory Committee: Professor Carolina Robertson, Chair Professor Erve Chambers Professor Jonathan Dueck Professor Marie McCarthy Professor Robert Provine © Copyright by Joe Luther Williams Jr. 2006 Dedication For Abou Sylla – n wal i ii Acknowledgements I must first and foremost thank my wife, Shannon Novey, for her inspiration, patience, love, and enduring support throughout this whole process. My advisor, Dr. Carolina Robertson, has also provided invaluable support to me, whether through her insightful comments, constant encouragement, or a hug when I really needed it. Dr. Jonathan Dueck, who read drafts of most of this document, has been extremely helpful. His salient and timely commentary encouraged me to clarify my ideas and rethink some of my more nebulous assertions. My teacher, Abou Sylla, has, of course, been indispensable throughout this whole process. My friend, fellow balafonist, and co- conspirator in Guinea and the United States, Olushola Camara, has helped me tremendously throughout the research process. Our many discussions about synergy through teamwork, corporate organization, crisis avoidance and management, computer and recording technology, African/African-American relationships, and African music and culture have provided me great insight and good common sense. Bangali Sylla, merci pour votre patience, gentillesse, et amitié. Professeur Namankoumba Kouyaté, merci pour votre sagesse, hospitalité, et encouragement. Lansana Sylla, merci à vous aussi pour votre gentillesse et les bons vêtements. My good friend and research associate, Siafa Koly Ballah, has a generosity of spirit, keenness of intelligence, and strength of will that made my second trip to Guinea more worthwhile than it could possibly have been without him. Dr. Boden Sandstrom’s willingness to share her knowledge of popular music and gender studies has helped me throughout my matriculation at Maryland. I would also like to thank the David C. Driskell Center at the iii University of Maryland for providing me with a generous travel grant that made possible my first trip to Guinea. The following family, friends, advisors, and scholars who have helped make this study possible are listed here: Dr. Robert Provine, Dr. Erve Chambers, Dr. Marie McCarthy, Fodé Camara, Ousmane Sylla, Hadja Sylla, Djonta Diabaté, Mamadou “Big” Sylla, Alseny Sylla, Mahawa Camara, Brian Carey, Baba Djimo Kouyate, Akua Kouyate, Amadou Kouyate, Famoro Diabate, Cheick Hamala Diabate, Mahiri Fadjimba Keita Edwards, Dr. David Gordon, Dr. Carol Burbank, Dr. Jennifer DeLapp, Dr. Eric Charry, Dr. Steven Friedson, Dr. Charles Blanq, Dr. David Nelson, Rebekah Moore, Michael Vercelli, Corinna Campbell, and Julie Strand. Of particular importance to my success is my immediate family: Dale Williams, Patrick Williams, Joe Williams Sr., Wendy Williams, Blake Williams, Brax Williams, Alicia Smith, Jerome Novey, and Joanna Novey. Your never-ending faith in me sustains me always. Last, and most importantly, I must acknowledge my beautiful daughter, Ruby Caroline – my pride, joy, and constant inspiration. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF FIGURES vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose and Justifications 1 Personal Background 6 Literature and Mande Oral History 9 Theoretical Background 12 Research Methodology 14 Theoretical Concerns 16 Overview 19 Chapter 2. GROUNDING AND LOCATION 22 Who Plays the Mande Balafon? 26 Issues of Gender in Jeli Performance 28 Interaction in African Musical Performance 29 African Artistic Interconnectedness and Rhythmic Cooperation 32 Griot Performance as a Means of Cultural Preservation 36 Phenomenology of Mande Griot Performance 38 Performing Africa in Various Contexts 41 Ideas about Contemporary African Subjectivity 49 Summary 58 Chapter 3. THE ORIGIN OF THE MANDE BALAFON AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN GUINEA 62 Origins of the Mande Balafon I: Importance of Secrecy 63 Origins of the Mande Balafon II: Importance of the Supernatural 68 Susu/Malinké Relationships in Guinea 71 The Dökala Kouyatés and the Sosso Bala 74 Ideas of Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary West Africa 79 Guinean Independence and the Shift in Focus to Conakry 83 Abou Sylla and the Transition from Guinea to the United States 88 Summary 92 Chapter 4. THE REPERTOIRE OF THE MANDE BALAFON: ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS 96 Transcription Methodology 98 Terminology 103 The Transcriptions – Sunjata 106 The Transcriptions – Lamban 113 The Transcriptions – Boloba 121 The Transcriptions – Kalata Mori 127 The Transcriptions – Nanfulen 131 Summary 134 Chapter 5. TRANSMITTING THE MANDE BALAFON IN THE UNITED STATES 138 Abou Sylla’s Balafon Workshops and Paul Gilroy’s “Ethics of Antiphony” 138 Cultural Tourism and the Transmission of Identity 142 Welcome to my Ethnoscape 145 The Phenomenology of Jeliya 146 The Mande Jeli as entre-soi 151 Abou Sylla as entre-soi 153 Conclusion 155 Chapter 6. TYING IT ALL TOGETHER 156 The Many Faces of Complicity 157 With One World Ahead and Sunjata Behind 164 Ultimately, It’s All about Bringing People Together 167 REFERENCE LIST 169 ADDITIONAL SOURCES 176 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Maudo Suso’s Accompaniments to Sunjata 106 Figure 2. Bala Dounbouya’s accompaniments to Sunjata 107 Figure 3. Abou Sylla’s Accompaniments to Sunjata 108 Figure 4. Abou Sylla’s Acc. 8 to Keme Burema 111 Figure 5. Abou Sylla’s Acc. 6 to Saka Dougou 112 Figure 6. Maudo Suso’s Accompaniments to Lambango (Lamban) 113 Figure 7. Siriman Kouyate’s Accompaniments to Lamban 114 Figure 8. Abou Sylla’s Accompaniments and Dunun rhythm to Lamban 115 Figure 9. Abou Sylla’s Extended Accompaniment (Acc. 5) and Accompaniments with Runs to Lamban 116 Figure 10. First Accompaniment type – Lamban 117 Figure 11. Rhythmic Repeated-Note Pattern # 5 118 Figure 12. Abou Sylla’s Acc. 2 – Keme Burema 118 Figure 13. Maudo Suso’s Accompaniments to Kura (Boloba) 121 Figure 14. Bala Dounbouya’s (1 & 2) and Siriman Kouyate’s (3&4) Accompaniments to Boloba 122 Figure 15. Bangali Sylla’s Accompaniments to Boloba 123 Figure 16. Kalata Mori – Abou Sylla’s Accompaniments 1 and 2 and their variations 127 Figure 17. Kalata Mori – Development of Run 2 Variations 129 Figure 18. Abou Sylla’s Nanfulen Accompaniment 1 – showing harmonic structure and transition points 131 Figure 19. Titiba accompaniment patterns 133 vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION I’ll never forget when I decided that someday, somehow, I was going to learn how to play the balafon. It was the last weekend in April of 1997, and I was on the New Orleans Fairgrounds attending the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The Festival had recently started featuring music from a different country each year, and the country highlighted that year was Mali. It was a hot day, so in order to come in out of the sun and hear some music I wasn’t likely to hear again anytime soon, I walked into the small tent where a group from the National dance ensemble of Mali was about to perform. As I sat down to watch the performers, a few dancers came onto the stage accompanied by a man carrying some sort of xylophone. When he sat down and started playing, I was transfixed. I watched him intently the whole time he was playing. At one point in the performance, he looked up at me and smiled, and I knew then and there that some day I would learn how to play that instrument.