Tag: Kora

ROOTSMANDING did not (!) perform at the Rudolstadt Festival in 2022 due to difficulties; review on African-music artists there

»Sie hat das nicht verdient, die westafrikanische Bechertrommel Djembe, die bei uns zu einem allüberall zu hörenden Esoterik-Instrument verkommen ist. Zuhause begleitet sie Tanzmusik ebenso wie Die Jalis, die zu Koraklängen ihre alten und aktuellen Geschichten erzählen. Daran knüpft Djembéfola Alpha Oularé aus Guinea mit seinem Ensemble an.« (She didn’t deserve it, the West African goblet drum Djembe, which has degenerated into an esoteric instrument that we can hear everywhere. At home she accompanies dance music as well as The Jalis, who tell their old and current stories to the sound of kora. Djembéfola Alpha Oularé from Guinea builds on this with his ensemble — this year’s Rudolstadt announcement for the ensemble is not a citation by Mrs. Claudia Kästner as stated at the festival website.)

As well the intended line-up »Alpha Oularé, Mohammed Sylla [!], Ocas Sylla [!], djembe, voc; Sam Jarju, kora, voc; Diehi Tanguy Franck, dundun, voc; [then apart:] Mario Wiedemann, sangban« could not attend the festivities due to logistical, personal and financial problems during the preparations; a travel and stay to/at Rudolstadt could not be realized. The ensemble, beside, had been enlisted only as part of the Street Music festival and, we must admit, not been considered as payed artists in this year’s festival program. Artists and audience regret, after year-long participation, not to have been able to meet each other; Alpha Oulare is very sorry about that and feels his reputation at Rudolstadt to have received damage.

Anyhow, here a list of this year’s other Africa-music performers at Rudolstadt for your review, they’re only three representatives:

Groupe RTD, Mélissa Laveaux and Ezé Wendtoin: beside the absent Rootsmanding the only other African musical artists at Rudolstadt in 2022 — could there be more next year?

Groupe RTD (Ensemble from Djibouti) — The Dancing Devils from Djibouti,

Mélissa Laveaux (Singer, Songwriter from Canada / Haiti) — official Google Inc. YouTube channel.

Ezé Wendtoin (Singer, Songwriter from Burkina Faso / Germany) — official Google Inc. YouTube channel.

Wonder how, that has been all, nothing more! We feel for this, that ROOTSMANDING seriously have been missing, looking forward to next year’s accreditation, respectfully, under ordinary conditions.

You can phone-call Mister Alpha Oulare on this…

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Offer: West-African Musical Instruments as Tools of Trade — you can contact Mister Alpha Oulare to purchase these quality items manufactured by African musicians!

Übersetzen in deutsche Sprache · ou Traduire en Français ?

MERCATORY OFFER: These are photographs from the Rehearsal and Workshop rooms of Alpha Oulare and his musical colleagues at the Hupfeld Center area in Leipzig (district Leipzig / Böhlitz-Ehrenberg, D-04157, Ludwig-Hupfeld-Straße 16, building entrance C; the building complex is guarded by security corporations), no concrete online shop… If certain instruments awake your interest, if you have been searching for the approbiate musical device for long and to find here, if you wish musical demonstrations, need help on repair and further modifications as tuning and enhancement / decoration you can contact Alpha Oulare directly to make an appointment into a concrete meeting at this place… Have a look into this living collection (technical note: images might possibly load slowly here at first if not having been cached yet):

Djembé drums from West Africa
These Djembé drums sound good!
They here stand alike eight men.
On top here Kalimba / Kalebasse drum.
Doundoun, Sangba, Tenkenin, tools…
Bolong 4-string harp, in goat fur.
Kora, N’Goni and Bolong harps, more…
All instruments are handled carfully!
Shakers / Shereke, tools…
Not for sale: Awesome Tapes from Africa.
A view through our window…
Occasional here also recordings…
(Visual impressions)

A few more images shall follow. The Balafon, so it is said by musical West-African legends, has not been invented / first-made by Man himself, it is of supernatural origin… Underneath its wooden and tuned sound bars lay resonating jugs of clay each to create this fascinating rich sounds. A short audio sample recording of Alpha playing the balafon next:

(Note: Alpha Oulare is demonstrating the African Balafon in free improvisation. He points out not to be a very skillful player himself (yet), rather still student at this particular instrument. It’s a life-long learning. You hear a plain cellphone recording with added reverbation/hall effect, sounding as if from far away…)
Alpha Oulare playing the Balafon, in picture two Kalebasses.
The Balafon owns a special bag for rest and transportation.
During his Percussion Workshops Alpha Oulare mostly plays the Djembé drum with his students, partly also Doundoun and Sangba, Tinkening. (All photographs having been taken on Saturday, June 25th, 2022, in place.)

Contact Mister Alpha Oulare to test-play and and purchase these original, traditioally manufactured West-African musical instruments, each item is unique and sounds authentically good:

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Message has been sent!

You can call Alpha Oulare also directly so in this issue. Click here to dial his number!

LAST NOT LEAST WORD ON PRICES: Prices. These are fair and not too expensive, no amoral profit shall be made, but the African manufacturers and importing trading/messaging helpers find their acknowledgement. We regard it to be a better solution to obtain and purchase these instruments from first hand other than as from musical stores and major Internet distributors, cheapest used defect items of unkown origin, or non-african forgeries and replicas, or so-called special editions of drums at over-sized pricing… You will always also find help and advise in/on maintaining the instrument healthy and in good sounding shape, loving it as musical friend and partner.

Alpha Oulare on the phone. He is always friendly, and kind to all customers and musical students.

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