There are many things this trip is confirming for me, but one of the biggies is that in order to learn this instrument, knowing the language is paramount. Remember this?: Somos peruanos y somos dueños de este conjunto primoroso del amor!
Famoro once said to me as we were listening to an Ensemble Instrumental track: “you see? the bala is singing here” and then proceeded to sing (in words) the melody that the balafola was charting. It sure would be easier to recall melodies if I had words to attach to them.
Michael and I have yet to confirm how many of my uOttawa courses can be applied to the York degree, but if I do in fact have to take another course after this, I think it makes good sense to propose that it be a directed reading (directed [or at least aided] by Toronto's and Ottawa's Malian communities, perhaps?) in which, using Parlons Bambara, Un Peu de Bambara Sans (Beaucoup de) Peine, and J’apprends le Bambara, I embark on a serious study of at least one of the Mande languages. Admittedly, it would make better sense that the language I learn be Maninkakan, but the materials for that language just aren’t there. Susu might be another option, but again, materials are scant. Besides, most Maninkakan speakers I ask (as well as my friend Saiba Suso, a polyglot and native speaker of Mandinka) suggest that Bamanankan is the most versatile of the Mande languages. (Hey . . . maybe a part of that directed reading could involve some kind of linguistic/ melodic analysis of Bamanan songs wherein I search for patterns that might facilitate the learning of sung bala melodies. I need to check my iTunes catalogue to see where I have written lyrics for heptatonic tracks in each of Bamanankan, Maninkakan, and Susu.)
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I've also heard Abou Sylla refer to some of the bala parts as the "singing" part, because it follows the pattern of the vocal melody.
Here's a short clip on youtube of the singing class at a drum camp where you can hear the Sorsonet vocal verse, and later you hear Abou playing that verse on the bala. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvbsecKf75w
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