Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides showcases five videos of traditional Balanta (West African) music and dance. Information about the Balanta ethnic group is also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post and thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
* I just happened upon these videos of traditional Balanta music and dance while "YouTube surfing" for African music/dance videos.
Additions and corrections to the information found in this post would be appreciated.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/02/homage-to-omar-mane-senegalese-balanta.html for a related pancocojams post on Senegalese (Balanta) vocalist/composer Omar Mané.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE BALANTA ETHNIC GROUP
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanta_people
"The Balanta (same spelling in Guinea-Bissau Creole and Portuguese, balante in French transliteration), meaning literally “those who resist”, are an ethnic group found in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and the Gambia. They are the largest ethnic group of Guinea-Bissau, representing more than one-quarter of the population. Despite their numbers, they have remained outside the colonial and postcolonial state because of their social organization. The Balanta can be divided into four subgroups, three of which are Balanta Kentohe, Balanta Ganja, and Balanta Brassa, the largest of which are the Balanta Brassa.
Archaeologists believe that the people who became the Balanta migrated to present-day Guinea-Bissau in small groups between the tenth and fourteenth centuries C.E. Oral tradition amongst the Balanta has it that they migrated westward from the area that is now Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to escape drought and wars. During the nineteenth century, they spread throughout the area that is now Guinea-Bissau and southern Senegal in order to resist the expansion of the Kaabu kingdom. Today, the Balanta are mostly found in the southern and central regions of Guinea-Bissau...
Music
The Balanta play a gourd lute instrument called a kusunde. On the kusunde instrument, the short string is at the bottom rather than at the top, the top string was of middle length and the middle string is the longest although it was capoed by the middle length string and its open sounding length is therefore the same as that string. The tones produced by the instrument are in all: top string open F#, top string stopped G#, middle string open C#, middle string stopped D#, bottom drone string A#/B. The Balanta kusunde is similar to the Jola akonting. The Balanta also play the Balafon which is composed of 24 layers instead of 12 or 14 found in the Mandingue community.[1][3]"...
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: MikeBennett presents...Balanta Dance
omarmane Uploaded on May 3, 2008
This is the dance from the Balanta tribe...captured by Mike Bennett in Gambia, West Africa
****
Example #2: Balanta Dance
poppyplace Uploaded on Jun 16, 2010
****
Example #3: Casamance: La danse de l'éthnie BALANTE à THIAR
Amo Published on Nov 4, 2014
Un concert qui a eu lieu à THIAR, un village pas loin de Dattacounda, département de Goudomp. Avec le groupe Njama Naaba. à THIAR comme dans toute la casamance chaque personne parle au moins 3 langues différentes de sa langue maternelle. Dans ce concert les manjacks, les madingues, les peuls,les mankagnes dansent parfaitement la danse balante.C'est ça l' intégration, culturelle.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English
A concert that took place in THIAR, a village not far from Dattacounda, department of Goudomp. With the group Njama Naaba. In THIAR as in all casamance each person speaks at least 3 different languages of his / her mother tongue. In this concert the manjacks, the madingues, the peuls, the mankagnes perfectly dance the balante dance. That is integration, cultural.
-snip-
Casamance = Senegal
****
Example #4: Danse Balante
Alphousseyni Seydi Published on Mar 13, 2015
Balantacounda
Created with MAGIX Video deluxe 2015
****
Example #5: Test KatMandou
Siga Massaly, Published on Nov 8, 2015
Le groupe Katmandou de Balantacounda fait de grandes choses avec le peu de moyen qu'il a. Il mérité d'être soutenu , n'est-ce pas ?
-snip-
Translated from French to English:
The Kathmandu group of Balantacounda does great things with the little means it has. He deserves to be supported, is not it?
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label West African music and dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West African music and dance. Show all posts
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Friday, February 22, 2013
West African Roots Of The Harlem Shake Shoulder Movements
Edited by Azizi Powell
Since the Harlem Shake video craze erupted on the internet in February 2013, there has been renewed interest in the origins of the Harlem Shake dance. The "real" Harlem Shake dance emphasizes rhythmic shoulder movements. This rhythmical dance is in stark contrast to the just-for-fun mish mash motions that mostly costumed people do in the recent Harlem Shake videos.
The Ethiopian Eskista dance is often cited as the source for the "original" Harlem Shake of 1981, which was then popularized in 2001 by its inclusion in a number of Hip-Hop videos. However, in my post on the Harlem Shake The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html, I suggested that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances.
This post showcases seven videos of songs from Benin, West Africa. While the music is worthy to be listened to on their own merits, and the entire videos are quite interesting to watch, in this post I would particularly like to direct viewers' attention to the shoulder movements that are performed by the dancers. I'm not a dance historian, nor am I a dancer, but it strikes me that these shoulder movements* are quite similar to the Harlem Shake's shoulder movements.
*Are these shoulder movements called isolations or popping?
This is not to say that these Beninese dance movements are the direct or even the indirect source of the Harlem Shake. This also is not to say that these Beninese dances are the only examples of dancing that includes shoulder movements in Benin, West Africa or in traditional dancing from any other African nation.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Example #1 alekpehanhou agbon hou agbon
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 28, 2009
****
Example #2: Abomey Hogbonou
vignon2000, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
A Benin: bomey Hogbonou
-snip-
Here are three comments from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1T3UQ61uJc
fanhopem 2008
"I like this song because it talks about reconcialition between ethnics in Benin."
**
Rasprogress, 2009
"Come to think of it, Haitian Kreyol sounds so much like Fon. I've been enjoying this clip so much. Me do Apke mon confrere."
-snip-
"Fon" is an ethnic group and a language. Click http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/fon.htm for information about Fon.
**
Outreachat, 2010
"This is exactly like the bolojo music of the Egba-Egbado, the Egun's neighbours in Nigeria. There are elements of the old sakara tradition of Yusuf Olatunji in it as well. Those of us in Nigeria must continue to hope that the renewed attention that Tope Alabi is giving bolojo in her gospel music will elevate the quality of modern interest in the form. Bolojo (at least that's how I know what I've just heard) is a very fine, intricate form of call-and-response music."
-snip-
Unrelated to the dance movements in this video, I just want to say that I love those women's hair styles which contemporary African Americans call "Nubian knots".
****
Example #3: Didolanvi Félix
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 21, 2009
****
Example #4: Anice pépé Nayé
BENIN CHANNEL Uploaded on Aug 30, 2009
Benin Musique
****
Example #5: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji (Benin)
Chapeauson, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2010
Tous mes Respects à Gbessi Zolawadji et ses talentieux chorégraphes.Notre tradition fait notre force!!!
-snip-
This video also showcases body patting the source of African American patting juba (commonly known as hambone). Some forms of pattin juba can still be found in historically Black Greek lettered fraternity and sorority steppin’ routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/hambone-african-roots-contemporary.html for a post about the Hambone - African Roots & Contemporary Examples
****
Example #6: Benin- Ange Ahouangonou - Kpagbe se
yel Yel, Uploaded on Apr 24, 2008
kaka music from benin
-snip-
“Kaka” is a type of rhythm.
****
Example #7: BENIN SAGBOHAN Miétonouwè
Frere Kandevie, Uploaded on May 29, 2008
Extract from Roots (West Africa)
-snip-
This vocalist's/musician's name is Sagbohan Danialou ("Danialou" is his personal name & "Sagbohan" is his surname).
ADDENDUM
Here's a quote from http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html about the Agbadja rhythm & dance that I believe is performed in video example #5, and perhaps also in other videos on this post:
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!..."
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewe_people
"The Ewe (Eʋeawó "Ewe people", Eʋedukɔ́ "Ewe nation"[1]) are a people located in southern Togo, southern Benin, and south-eastern parts of the Volta Region of Ghana."
-snip-
With regard to the Agbadza dance being called the "chicken dance", it should be noted that the 2006 African American dance "Chicken Noodle Soup" is based on the earlier Harlem Shake.
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/langston-hughes-note-on-commercial.html for a post about the Langston Hughes poem "Note On A Commerial Theatre" (also known as "You've Taken My Blues And Gone". That post also includes my critique of the Harlem Shake video craze.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the featured artists for their musical legacy. My thanks to all the vocalists, musicians, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the commentaters who are quoted in this post and to the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Since the Harlem Shake video craze erupted on the internet in February 2013, there has been renewed interest in the origins of the Harlem Shake dance. The "real" Harlem Shake dance emphasizes rhythmic shoulder movements. This rhythmical dance is in stark contrast to the just-for-fun mish mash motions that mostly costumed people do in the recent Harlem Shake videos.
The Ethiopian Eskista dance is often cited as the source for the "original" Harlem Shake of 1981, which was then popularized in 2001 by its inclusion in a number of Hip-Hop videos. However, in my post on the Harlem Shake The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html, I suggested that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances.
This post showcases seven videos of songs from Benin, West Africa. While the music is worthy to be listened to on their own merits, and the entire videos are quite interesting to watch, in this post I would particularly like to direct viewers' attention to the shoulder movements that are performed by the dancers. I'm not a dance historian, nor am I a dancer, but it strikes me that these shoulder movements* are quite similar to the Harlem Shake's shoulder movements.
*Are these shoulder movements called isolations or popping?
This is not to say that these Beninese dance movements are the direct or even the indirect source of the Harlem Shake. This also is not to say that these Beninese dances are the only examples of dancing that includes shoulder movements in Benin, West Africa or in traditional dancing from any other African nation.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Example #1 alekpehanhou agbon hou agbon
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 28, 2009
****
Example #2: Abomey Hogbonou
vignon2000, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
A Benin: bomey Hogbonou
-snip-
Here are three comments from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1T3UQ61uJc
fanhopem 2008
"I like this song because it talks about reconcialition between ethnics in Benin."
**
Rasprogress, 2009
"Come to think of it, Haitian Kreyol sounds so much like Fon. I've been enjoying this clip so much. Me do Apke mon confrere."
-snip-
"Fon" is an ethnic group and a language. Click http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/fon.htm for information about Fon.
**
Outreachat, 2010
"This is exactly like the bolojo music of the Egba-Egbado, the Egun's neighbours in Nigeria. There are elements of the old sakara tradition of Yusuf Olatunji in it as well. Those of us in Nigeria must continue to hope that the renewed attention that Tope Alabi is giving bolojo in her gospel music will elevate the quality of modern interest in the form. Bolojo (at least that's how I know what I've just heard) is a very fine, intricate form of call-and-response music."
-snip-
Unrelated to the dance movements in this video, I just want to say that I love those women's hair styles which contemporary African Americans call "Nubian knots".
****
Example #3: Didolanvi Félix
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 21, 2009
****
Example #4: Anice pépé Nayé
BENIN CHANNEL Uploaded on Aug 30, 2009
Benin Musique
****
Example #5: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji (Benin)
Chapeauson, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2010
Tous mes Respects à Gbessi Zolawadji et ses talentieux chorégraphes.Notre tradition fait notre force!!!
-snip-
This video also showcases body patting the source of African American patting juba (commonly known as hambone). Some forms of pattin juba can still be found in historically Black Greek lettered fraternity and sorority steppin’ routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/hambone-african-roots-contemporary.html for a post about the Hambone - African Roots & Contemporary Examples
****
Example #6: Benin- Ange Ahouangonou - Kpagbe se
yel Yel, Uploaded on Apr 24, 2008
kaka music from benin
-snip-
“Kaka” is a type of rhythm.
****
Example #7: BENIN SAGBOHAN Miétonouwè
Frere Kandevie, Uploaded on May 29, 2008
Extract from Roots (West Africa)
-snip-
This vocalist's/musician's name is Sagbohan Danialou ("Danialou" is his personal name & "Sagbohan" is his surname).
ADDENDUM
Here's a quote from http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html about the Agbadja rhythm & dance that I believe is performed in video example #5, and perhaps also in other videos on this post:
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!..."
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewe_people
"The Ewe (Eʋeawó "Ewe people", Eʋedukɔ́ "Ewe nation"[1]) are a people located in southern Togo, southern Benin, and south-eastern parts of the Volta Region of Ghana."
-snip-
With regard to the Agbadza dance being called the "chicken dance", it should be noted that the 2006 African American dance "Chicken Noodle Soup" is based on the earlier Harlem Shake.
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/langston-hughes-note-on-commercial.html for a post about the Langston Hughes poem "Note On A Commerial Theatre" (also known as "You've Taken My Blues And Gone". That post also includes my critique of the Harlem Shake video craze.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the featured artists for their musical legacy. My thanks to all the vocalists, musicians, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the commentaters who are quoted in this post and to the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Music In Mali, West Africa (Two Videos & Links)
Edited by Azizi Powell
[This pancocojams post was published in 2012.]
Two times during the third United States Presidential Debate 10/22/2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney very briefly mentioned the nation of Mali, West AfricaBoth of those comments focused on the rise of terrorist groups in that nation. However, those comment prompted me to look up the post I've published on this cultural blog about Malian music.
Among those posts are:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/mendiani-menjani-manjani-dance-drum.html
"Mendiani (Menjani, Manjani) Dance & Drum Rhythm"
and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/videos-of-dogon-mask-dancers-mali-west.html
"Videos Of Dogon Mask Dancers (Mali, West Africa)"
-snip-
The very brief comments about Mali in that debate also motivated me to scan YouTube for other videos about music in the West African nation of Mali. This is one of the videos that I found:
New Movie Trailer "Music in Mali: Life is Hard, Music Is Good"
Published on Sep 26, 2012
http://www.systemkrush.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanaga-System-Krush/164940735147
Music In Mali: Life Is Hard, Music Is Good" is a feature-length documentary about the musicians, dancers and everyday people of Mali who are creating inspiring heartfelt music in some of the most difficult living conditions of West Africa. The crew from System Krush Productions have been going to Mali for a decade to record and document the lives of musicians such as Djelimady Tounkara, Lobi Traoré, Mangala Camara, Dejenba Seck, and Toumani Diabate, in intimate settings, performing their music and sharing their story.
From one of the world's most impoverished countries viewers will hear the music that has inspired artists all around the globe including celebrities such as Bonnie Raitt, Damon Albarn, Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder and Bannning Eyre. From the villages of Segou to the ghettos of Bamako the message is clear "Life is hard, music is good".
-snip-
I also found this video:
African Music and Dancing
Uploaded on Aug 21, 2008
Take a look at the beautiful African dancing and music from Mali, West Africa. The instruments being played are balafons, African D'Jembe drums, and talking drums. You can see more videos at http://www.africaimports.com
****
RELATED LINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMNT AND THANKS
Thanks to Malian musicians, vocalists, and dancers for keeping the wonderful traditions of Mali, West Africa alive inspite of the political difficulties that that nation is going through.
Thanks to the publishers of these videos.
Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
[This pancocojams post was published in 2012.]
Two times during the third United States Presidential Debate 10/22/2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney very briefly mentioned the nation of Mali, West AfricaBoth of those comments focused on the rise of terrorist groups in that nation. However, those comment prompted me to look up the post I've published on this cultural blog about Malian music.
Among those posts are:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/mendiani-menjani-manjani-dance-drum.html
"Mendiani (Menjani, Manjani) Dance & Drum Rhythm"
and
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/videos-of-dogon-mask-dancers-mali-west.html
"Videos Of Dogon Mask Dancers (Mali, West Africa)"
-snip-
The very brief comments about Mali in that debate also motivated me to scan YouTube for other videos about music in the West African nation of Mali. This is one of the videos that I found:
New Movie Trailer "Music in Mali: Life is Hard, Music Is Good"
Published on Sep 26, 2012
http://www.systemkrush.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanaga-System-Krush/164940735147
Music In Mali: Life Is Hard, Music Is Good" is a feature-length documentary about the musicians, dancers and everyday people of Mali who are creating inspiring heartfelt music in some of the most difficult living conditions of West Africa. The crew from System Krush Productions have been going to Mali for a decade to record and document the lives of musicians such as Djelimady Tounkara, Lobi Traoré, Mangala Camara, Dejenba Seck, and Toumani Diabate, in intimate settings, performing their music and sharing their story.
From one of the world's most impoverished countries viewers will hear the music that has inspired artists all around the globe including celebrities such as Bonnie Raitt, Damon Albarn, Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder and Bannning Eyre. From the villages of Segou to the ghettos of Bamako the message is clear "Life is hard, music is good".
-snip-
I also found this video:
African Music and Dancing
Uploaded on Aug 21, 2008
Take a look at the beautiful African dancing and music from Mali, West Africa. The instruments being played are balafons, African D'Jembe drums, and talking drums. You can see more videos at http://www.africaimports.com
****
RELATED LINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMNT AND THANKS
Thanks to Malian musicians, vocalists, and dancers for keeping the wonderful traditions of Mali, West Africa alive inspite of the political difficulties that that nation is going through.
Thanks to the publishers of these videos.
Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Videos Of Traditional Benin West African Music
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Update: November 16, 2020
This pancocojams post presents seven videos of traditional music from Benin, West Africa.
In addition to showcasing & enjoying the vocal & instrumental music, I'm interested in viewing the dances, clothing, male or female head gear styles, and the scenes that are shown in these videos.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin for information about Benin (formerly known as "Dahomey".)
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes.
Note: I don't speak the language/s found in these videos. Information about the meaning of these songs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no ranking order.)
Video #1: BENIN - Dossou Letriki - Evivi yenadou
Uploaded by kandevie on Aug 6, 2011
Traditional Masse Gohoun Rhytm from Avrankou, Benin, West Africa
Latest Update: November 16, 2020
This pancocojams post presents seven videos of traditional music from Benin, West Africa.
In addition to showcasing & enjoying the vocal & instrumental music, I'm interested in viewing the dances, clothing, male or female head gear styles, and the scenes that are shown in these videos.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin for information about Benin (formerly known as "Dahomey".)
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes.
Note: I don't speak the language/s found in these videos. Information about the meaning of these songs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no ranking order.)
Video #1: BENIN - Dossou Letriki - Evivi yenadou
Uploaded by kandevie on Aug 6, 2011
Traditional Masse Gohoun Rhytm from Avrankou, Benin, West Africa
-snip-
Here's a comment about this video that I wrote in 2012:
"Thank you for posting this video. I took the liberty of adding it to a post on my cultural blog. Google Pancocojams Traditional Music Videos Of Benin West African Music .
Video #2: Didolanvi Félix
Uploaded by polorishas1 on Feb 21, 2009
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment which is partly written in English (which unfortunately is the only language that I understand, although I can piece together the meaning of most of these French words)
"i love this song soooooooooooooooo much, i m from porto novo, benin but now living in america. Dieu benisse ce monsieur, ce morceau m inspire et m emporte au ciel, la bonte de Dieu sur nous est inestimable. j adore la joie de vivre du village, la fraternite, l ambiance entre famille"
-evystoful, 2011
****
Video #3: BENIN-YINMAKODJIVIDE BO ZE HANGOUDENAN
Uploaded by HERVAKOMDJ on Oct 11, 2009
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment written in English:
"I sure love this music and the Egungun magical moves. God bless Africa !!! This is great. I will one day visit Benin Republic by God's grace"
-allen parker; 2012
****
Video #4: Benin- Janvier Denagan - Guigo
Uploaded by EHUZU1 on Feb 11, 2009
****
Video #5: Benin music- Don Metok : Gnonnou
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on Dec 31, 2008
-snip-
Here's a comment written in English from this video's viewer comment thread:
"oooh he is talking about women. The parralel between "Yonnou" and "Yon nou" In Fongbe language, Yonnou means woman but also when smebody tells you "yon nou" it means "pay attention to the way you drink it" the conclusion is, men should drink women softly and know how dangerous they can be if they want to...and they can easily get drunk if they abuse...dnt know if u understand what i mean"
-nacareby; 2010
-snip-
I also want to mention that I'm not sure if this song or singing style is actually "traditional" but I wanted to include it because I really love the song.
Can anyone confirm if this is a traditional song? Thanks in advance.
****
Video #6: BENIN MUSIC :EDIA SOPHIE NKPEZON TO
"
Uploaded by HERVAKOMDJ on Mar 3, 2009
****
Video #7: BENIN Anice pépé - SOUROU-
Uploaded by chegundossi on Sep 16, 2010
Sourou (du calme,patience).Dans la vie il faut de la patience,du calme en toute chose
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/agbadja-music-dance-gbessi-zolawadji.html
Agbadja Music & Dance & Gbessi Zolawadji
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Here's a comment about this video that I wrote in 2012:
"Thank you for posting this video. I took the liberty of adding it to a post on my cultural blog. Google Pancocojams Traditional Music Videos Of Benin West African Music .
**
Here's a comment that I received on Nov. 16, 2020
from Moutiou Adjibi
"This song's title is "Ato gbèmè éyon nanwé",
litteraly meaning "when you are rich in this world". The language
used is "Goungbé" or "Goun". The song, from the artist
Dossou Letriki talks about the fact that when someone is rich he has many
friends, but when everything turn bad, all those friends disappear. The rythm
or style of the music you are hearing is called "Massè Gohoun"."
I thanked Moutiou Adjibi for that reply and wrote that I'm glad that he didn't think it was too late to respond to my question.
I plan to search for more information and examples of
Video #2: Didolanvi Félix
Uploaded by polorishas1 on Feb 21, 2009
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment which is partly written in English (which unfortunately is the only language that I understand, although I can piece together the meaning of most of these French words)
"i love this song soooooooooooooooo much, i m from porto novo, benin but now living in america. Dieu benisse ce monsieur, ce morceau m inspire et m emporte au ciel, la bonte de Dieu sur nous est inestimable. j adore la joie de vivre du village, la fraternite, l ambiance entre famille"
-evystoful, 2011
****
Video #3: BENIN-YINMAKODJIVIDE BO ZE HANGOUDENAN
Uploaded by HERVAKOMDJ on Oct 11, 2009
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment written in English:
"I sure love this music and the Egungun magical moves. God bless Africa !!! This is great. I will one day visit Benin Republic by God's grace"
-allen parker; 2012
****
Video #4: Benin- Janvier Denagan - Guigo
Uploaded by EHUZU1 on Feb 11, 2009
****
Video #5: Benin music- Don Metok : Gnonnou
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on Dec 31, 2008
-snip-
Here's a comment written in English from this video's viewer comment thread:
"oooh he is talking about women. The parralel between "Yonnou" and "Yon nou" In Fongbe language, Yonnou means woman but also when smebody tells you "yon nou" it means "pay attention to the way you drink it" the conclusion is, men should drink women softly and know how dangerous they can be if they want to...and they can easily get drunk if they abuse...dnt know if u understand what i mean"
-nacareby; 2010
-snip-
I also want to mention that I'm not sure if this song or singing style is actually "traditional" but I wanted to include it because I really love the song.
Can anyone confirm if this is a traditional song? Thanks in advance.
****
Video #6: BENIN MUSIC :EDIA SOPHIE NKPEZON TO
"
Uploaded by HERVAKOMDJ on Mar 3, 2009
****
Video #7: BENIN Anice pépé - SOUROU-
Uploaded by chegundossi on Sep 16, 2010
Sourou (du calme,patience).Dans la vie il faut de la patience,du calme en toute chose
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/agbadja-music-dance-gbessi-zolawadji.html
Agbadja Music & Dance & Gbessi Zolawadji
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Videos Of Togo, West African Vocalist King Mensah
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases seven videos of Togo, West African superstar vocalist King Mensah.
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT KING MENSAH
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Mensah:
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Video #1: Togo - King Mensah - Enouoledjo
Uploaded by idamawatu on Jan 3, 2012
-snip-
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread:
"don't really know the words bt i understand it, it like the dream they had when they were kids came tru 4 all of them love the song :)
-jsweettosweet33; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNr_Mw2hNs, January 2012
****
Video #2: King Mensah - Aya (VIO Africa)
Uploaded by vioafricaNet on Feb 5, 2012
Artiste : King Mensah
Song : Aya
Dir : Jeff Attiogbe
Prod : Bomb Factory Studio
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jzWv-w96lE&feature=related:
"Aya means poverty in Mina, a dialect spoken in the south of Togo. The artist tells about how some people are affected by poverty. That we should be thankful for what we have because some people don't have anything"...
-yoyeossi, May 2012
**
"please but ''aya'' doesn't mean ''poverty''.it means ''suffering''.as you can see in the clip the woman is struggling or suffering to give birth to a baby.i'm togolese and i speak mina."
-Paul AGBENOHEVI; June 2012
****
Video #3: King mensah-Migavon O.
Uploaded by muzikplustg on Nov 10, 2010
Label de promotion de la musique togolaise, www.muzikplus.tg
****
Video #4: King Mensah Atah
Uploaded by 21rastafly on May 17, 2011
Paroles altruistes sur un rythme reggae.. tire de l'album 'da' de 'king mensah'.
Il nous incite plus au pardon qu'a la vengeance et rancune,,
-snip-
UPDATE: 11/11/2O12
Here's a comment about this song that I received from Egbeviwo on 11/11/2112 in response to my request for information:
"ATAH, ATA or TATA is the same as MAWU, SOGBOLISA KITIKATA which means GOD in EƲE (EWE) language spoken in the southern part of the Volta Region in GHANA, southern part of TOGO, BENIN and Gbadagry, the border town of NIGERIA. In short he is asking ATAH, MAWU to FORGIVE his enemies. TATA should bless and shower all his enemies just as has done to him".....By EGBEVIWO
****
Example #5: King Mensah - Togo - Milé Nonvissi
Uploaded by rpecmidza on Jul 18, 2009
Le message de l'Artiste togolais KING MENSAH à toute la diaspora togolaise. Ce morceau vous est dédié par RPEC. Merci à vous. Visitez www.rpec-togo-batiment.com et son réseau social www.rpec-togo-batiment.com/jcow/index.php
****
Video #6: Fétou- King Mensah
Uploaded by Chapeauson on May 16, 2011
L'un des meilleurs morceaux de King Mensah
****
Video #7: King Mensah- NENEYE(c'est comme ca)
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on Apr 28, 2010
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT8gRqxEKBo for a video of King Mensah and a band performing this song during a 2011 USA concert tour in Washington, D.C.
****
RELATED LINK
A video featuring King Mensah is presented as Video #2 on this pancocojam's post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/agbadja-music-dance-gbessi-zolawadji.html "Agbadja Music & Dance & Gbessi Zolawadji". That post includes information about Agbadja [Agbadza] music.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Gbessi Zolawadji, and the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post showcases seven videos of Togo, West African superstar vocalist King Mensah.
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT KING MENSAH
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Mensah:
King Mensah (born August 12, 1971) known as "The Golden Voice of Togo", is one of the most popular musical acts from Togo, West Africa. Though based in Lomé, he regularly records and promotes his albums in Paris, and has embarked on several world tours since 2005. Singing in Mina, Ewe, and French, King Mensah's sound fuses elements of traditional Ewe music (Agbadza and Akpessé), and Kabye dance-drum music, with funk, reggae and West African Afropop. King Mensah's lyrical themes are steeped in religion and hopeful encouragement for the orphaned, oppressed and downtrodden....
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Video #1: Togo - King Mensah - Enouoledjo
Uploaded by idamawatu on Jan 3, 2012
-snip-
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread:
"don't really know the words bt i understand it, it like the dream they had when they were kids came tru 4 all of them love the song :)
-jsweettosweet33; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNr_Mw2hNs, January 2012
****
Video #2: King Mensah - Aya (VIO Africa)
Uploaded by vioafricaNet on Feb 5, 2012
Artiste : King Mensah
Song : Aya
Dir : Jeff Attiogbe
Prod : Bomb Factory Studio
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jzWv-w96lE&feature=related:
"Aya means poverty in Mina, a dialect spoken in the south of Togo. The artist tells about how some people are affected by poverty. That we should be thankful for what we have because some people don't have anything"...
-yoyeossi, May 2012
**
"please but ''aya'' doesn't mean ''poverty''.it means ''suffering''.as you can see in the clip the woman is struggling or suffering to give birth to a baby.i'm togolese and i speak mina."
-Paul AGBENOHEVI; June 2012
****
Video #3: King mensah-Migavon O.
Uploaded by muzikplustg on Nov 10, 2010
Label de promotion de la musique togolaise, www.muzikplus.tg
****
Video #4: King Mensah Atah
Uploaded by 21rastafly on May 17, 2011
Paroles altruistes sur un rythme reggae.. tire de l'album 'da' de 'king mensah'.
Il nous incite plus au pardon qu'a la vengeance et rancune,,
-snip-
UPDATE: 11/11/2O12
Here's a comment about this song that I received from Egbeviwo on 11/11/2112 in response to my request for information:
"ATAH, ATA or TATA is the same as MAWU, SOGBOLISA KITIKATA which means GOD in EƲE (EWE) language spoken in the southern part of the Volta Region in GHANA, southern part of TOGO, BENIN and Gbadagry, the border town of NIGERIA. In short he is asking ATAH, MAWU to FORGIVE his enemies. TATA should bless and shower all his enemies just as has done to him".....By EGBEVIWO
****
Example #5: King Mensah - Togo - Milé Nonvissi
Uploaded by rpecmidza on Jul 18, 2009
Le message de l'Artiste togolais KING MENSAH à toute la diaspora togolaise. Ce morceau vous est dédié par RPEC. Merci à vous. Visitez www.rpec-togo-batiment.com et son réseau social www.rpec-togo-batiment.com/jcow/index.php
****
Video #6: Fétou- King Mensah
Uploaded by Chapeauson on May 16, 2011
L'un des meilleurs morceaux de King Mensah
****
Video #7: King Mensah- NENEYE(c'est comme ca)
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on Apr 28, 2010
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT8gRqxEKBo for a video of King Mensah and a band performing this song during a 2011 USA concert tour in Washington, D.C.
****
RELATED LINK
A video featuring King Mensah is presented as Video #2 on this pancocojam's post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/agbadja-music-dance-gbessi-zolawadji.html "Agbadja Music & Dance & Gbessi Zolawadji". That post includes information about Agbadja [Agbadza] music.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Gbessi Zolawadji, and the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Agbadja Music & Dance - Gbessi Zolawadji (Benin, West Africa)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about Agbadja (Agbadza) music & dance. This post also showcases five videos of Benin, West Africa Agbadja vocalist Gbessi Zolawadji and his group of musicians, vocalists, and dancers.
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT AGBADJA (AGBADZA) MUSIC & DANCE
From http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!...
Today, Agbadza is a very popular recreational dance. It entertains people at funerals, weddings and any other get-together or party. Even the modern bands in the cities like to incorporate this fun rhythm into their music.
Some traditional Ewe dances are reserved to people of a certain age group or religion. But any child, woman or great-grandfather is welcome to dance Agbadza.
The name itself means something like "for everybody". If you ever get a chance to attend a traditional Ewe event, even you, a foreign visitor, will be expected to dance.
Despite the first impression, the background of this dance isn't all that fun. Before the Ewe people were able to settle in the beautiful Volta Region of Ghana and in Southern Togo, they went through tough times of war and oppression: They had to fight their way to freedom.
To train and encourage their warriors, the Ewe played various war dances, one of them called Atrikpui. In the 1920s, after the Ewe had enjoyed a period of peace, this serious dance turned into the fun and entertaining Agbadza that we know today."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfU9V3hS-8 "Ewe Abgadza dance from Ghana's Volta Region"; uploader comment: katameemee on Nov 21, 2010
"...the Agbadza, is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations to celebrate peace. War dances are sometimes used as military training exercises, with signals from the lead drum ordering the warriors to move ahead, to the right, go down, etc. These dances also helped in preparing the warriors for battle and upon their return from fighting they would act out their deeds in battle through their movements in the dance."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=i2PJ5nYyIjw
...there are different styles of agbadza from place to place. some traditional believers have another tempo and variation but it doesn't make either real nor fake...
-blackvolta; May 2012
****
INFORMATION ABOUT GBESSI ZOLAWADJI
From http://blogs.voanews.com/african-music-treasures/2010/02/04/benin-roots-alekpehanhou-and-gbessi/ "Benin Roots-Alekpehanhou and Gbessi"
-Matthew Lavoie, February 4th, 2010
"Koffi Albert Bessanvi was born, in 1952, into a family of musicians, in the small fishing village of Djegbadji, located on the shores of the lagoon that spreads north from the Atlantic port of Ouidah; which was a center of the Portuguese and Dahomean slave economy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Koffi grew up listening to his father’s performances of ‘Avogan’, a social dance for nobles, but was more attracted to the youthful rhythms of Agbadja; a style of music that he discovered in the village of ‘Oumako’, located in the Mono department.
Koffi started his career in his early twenties and made his ‘major league’ debut in 1976, sharing a bill with many of the country’s most popular cultural artists at Cotonou’s ‘Palais des Congres’. Koffi’s talent brought him success and a nickname; for the last thirty years he has been known to Agbadja fans in Benin, Togo, and Ghana as Gbessi Zolawadji, which can be roughly translated from the Mina language as ‘the beautiful voice that brings everyone together’.
Gbessi has released fourteen cassettes, performed in Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Togo and South Africa, where in 2001 he won the Kora award for best traditional artist of the year...
Although Gbessi’s group is built around the same rhythmic core as other Agbadja groups, he has not been afraid to frame his rhythms with horn lines or piano harmonies."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Video #1: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji
Emmanuel Koku, Published on Apr 23, 2013
-snip-
Update: December 31, 2018. This video replaces another copy that is no longer available.
****
Video #2: Togo- GBESSI - Gnaho (traditionnel Agbadja)
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on May 24, 2008
togo music tradi
****
Video #3: Nonvitcha à Grand Popo, agbadja avec gbessi zolawadji
Uploaded by nicolebeninoa on Apr 15, 2008
Nonvitcha à Grand popo, Bénin, Agbadja avec Gbessi zolawadji, king mensah, fatiou akplogan.
****
Video #4: BENIN - GBESSI ZOLAWADJI - Noulagnon
Uploaded by kandevie on Jun 4, 2008
GBESSI national,mono rhytm
****
Video #5: BENIN - GBESSI ZO. - APE
Uploaded by kandevie on Oct 13, 2008
music traditionel, mono, africa
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
The lyrics of this song say: "It is true that man is more important than money. I called money, but it not respond. When I called on man, he responded". These lyrics encapsulate/emphasise the African communal spirit.
In the background, is the shrine of Mamiwata (lady with big snakes/Sea Maiden), the goddess of the sea/river, a very important divinity in all West Africa. The dance routing executed here is very complex but the dancers make it look easy. The Agbadja music is culturally very rich.
-koudry ; 2010
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/09/traditional-music-videos-of-benin-west.html Traditional Music Videos Of Benin West African Music
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Gbessi Zolawadji, and the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post presents information about Agbadja (Agbadza) music & dance. This post also showcases five videos of Benin, West Africa Agbadja vocalist Gbessi Zolawadji and his group of musicians, vocalists, and dancers.
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT AGBADJA (AGBADZA) MUSIC & DANCE
From http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!...
Today, Agbadza is a very popular recreational dance. It entertains people at funerals, weddings and any other get-together or party. Even the modern bands in the cities like to incorporate this fun rhythm into their music.
Some traditional Ewe dances are reserved to people of a certain age group or religion. But any child, woman or great-grandfather is welcome to dance Agbadza.
The name itself means something like "for everybody". If you ever get a chance to attend a traditional Ewe event, even you, a foreign visitor, will be expected to dance.
Despite the first impression, the background of this dance isn't all that fun. Before the Ewe people were able to settle in the beautiful Volta Region of Ghana and in Southern Togo, they went through tough times of war and oppression: They had to fight their way to freedom.
To train and encourage their warriors, the Ewe played various war dances, one of them called Atrikpui. In the 1920s, after the Ewe had enjoyed a period of peace, this serious dance turned into the fun and entertaining Agbadza that we know today."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfU9V3hS-8 "Ewe Abgadza dance from Ghana's Volta Region"; uploader comment: katameemee on Nov 21, 2010
"...the Agbadza, is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations to celebrate peace. War dances are sometimes used as military training exercises, with signals from the lead drum ordering the warriors to move ahead, to the right, go down, etc. These dances also helped in preparing the warriors for battle and upon their return from fighting they would act out their deeds in battle through their movements in the dance."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=i2PJ5nYyIjw
...there are different styles of agbadza from place to place. some traditional believers have another tempo and variation but it doesn't make either real nor fake...
-blackvolta; May 2012
****
INFORMATION ABOUT GBESSI ZOLAWADJI
From http://blogs.voanews.com/african-music-treasures/2010/02/04/benin-roots-alekpehanhou-and-gbessi/ "Benin Roots-Alekpehanhou and Gbessi"
-Matthew Lavoie, February 4th, 2010
"Koffi Albert Bessanvi was born, in 1952, into a family of musicians, in the small fishing village of Djegbadji, located on the shores of the lagoon that spreads north from the Atlantic port of Ouidah; which was a center of the Portuguese and Dahomean slave economy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Koffi grew up listening to his father’s performances of ‘Avogan’, a social dance for nobles, but was more attracted to the youthful rhythms of Agbadja; a style of music that he discovered in the village of ‘Oumako’, located in the Mono department.
Koffi started his career in his early twenties and made his ‘major league’ debut in 1976, sharing a bill with many of the country’s most popular cultural artists at Cotonou’s ‘Palais des Congres’. Koffi’s talent brought him success and a nickname; for the last thirty years he has been known to Agbadja fans in Benin, Togo, and Ghana as Gbessi Zolawadji, which can be roughly translated from the Mina language as ‘the beautiful voice that brings everyone together’.
Gbessi has released fourteen cassettes, performed in Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Togo and South Africa, where in 2001 he won the Kora award for best traditional artist of the year...
Although Gbessi’s group is built around the same rhythmic core as other Agbadja groups, he has not been afraid to frame his rhythms with horn lines or piano harmonies."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Video #1: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji
Emmanuel Koku, Published on Apr 23, 2013
-snip-
Update: December 31, 2018. This video replaces another copy that is no longer available.
****
Video #2: Togo- GBESSI - Gnaho (traditionnel Agbadja)
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on May 24, 2008
togo music tradi
****
Video #3: Nonvitcha à Grand Popo, agbadja avec gbessi zolawadji
Uploaded by nicolebeninoa on Apr 15, 2008
Nonvitcha à Grand popo, Bénin, Agbadja avec Gbessi zolawadji, king mensah, fatiou akplogan.
****
Video #4: BENIN - GBESSI ZOLAWADJI - Noulagnon
Uploaded by kandevie on Jun 4, 2008
GBESSI national,mono rhytm
****
Video #5: BENIN - GBESSI ZO. - APE
Uploaded by kandevie on Oct 13, 2008
music traditionel, mono, africa
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
The lyrics of this song say: "It is true that man is more important than money. I called money, but it not respond. When I called on man, he responded". These lyrics encapsulate/emphasise the African communal spirit.
In the background, is the shrine of Mamiwata (lady with big snakes/Sea Maiden), the goddess of the sea/river, a very important divinity in all West Africa. The dance routing executed here is very complex but the dancers make it look easy. The Agbadja music is culturally very rich.
-koudry ; 2010
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/09/traditional-music-videos-of-benin-west.html Traditional Music Videos Of Benin West African Music
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Gbessi Zolawadji, and the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Videos Of Dogon Mask Dancers (Mali, West Africa)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post provides information and videos about Dogon mask dancers from Mali, West Africa.
The content of this post is presented for historical, anthropological, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the musicians and dancers shown in these videos. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT DOGON MASK DANCERS
From http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0529_030529_dogon_2.html
Unique Dogon Culture Survives in West Africa, page 2
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon_people
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
Video #1: The Dogon Dama - Mask Dance
Uploaded by VinaYard on May 22, 2011
"An important Dogon tradition is the Dama or masked funeral dance. By masquerading behind masks, the dancers allow the souls of the deceased to escape to their final resting place and to join the ranks of their ancestors, thereby restoring order to the universe. Participation in the Dama is a great honor as it represents the final step in the passage from boyhood to manhood. Boys eagerly watch the infrequently performed Dama, in anticipation of the day in which they may also participate in the dance. The village Elders, who are too old to endure the physical exertion of the dance, stand on the sideline, play the music, explain the meaning of the various masks, and keep the pace of the ritual going. The Dama is usually performed every five years or so."
****
Video #2: African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask - PREVIEW
Uploaded by docued on Sep 15, 2008
"Purchase: http://www.der.org/films/african-carving.html The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The carver, a blacksmith, finds the proper tree and, in a secret cave outside the village, he shapes the mask with gestures which repeat the movement of the dancers who will wear it. When a dancer wears the Kanaga mask he becomes the Creator symbolically. He touches the ground with his mask and directs a soul to Heaven. Although these dances are now frequently performed for the public, the meaning of Kanaga is retained by the Dogon who fear, respect and depend on the power of the mask.
a film by Thomas Blakely and Eliot Elisofon
in collaboration with Robert Gardner for The Film Study Center at Harvard University distributed by Documentary Educational Resources"
****
Video #3: Mali Tribe in Dogon Valley with traditional masks.
Uploaded by ageposthumus on Jan 22, 2009
"Hiking through the Dogen valley, this tribe performed their dance with their sacret masks."
****
Video #4: SIT Mali: Dogon Mask Dance
Uploaded by lauracanski on Nov 4, 2009
****
Video #5: The Dogon Dance of the Mask
Uploaded by pyramidwarrior on Feb 11, 2008
The World Famous Dogon people of Mali West Africa.doing a ceremonial Dance.
****
Video #6: Mali 2009 - Dogon mask dance
Uploaded by AbiBlyth on Jan 26, 2009
****
Video #7: Dogon Sigi Ritual Dances
Uploaded by imgjp on Feb 18, 2007
"A video of Dogon masked dancers. Made in Mali January 2007."
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post provides information and videos about Dogon mask dancers from Mali, West Africa.
The content of this post is presented for historical, anthropological, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the musicians and dancers shown in these videos. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT DOGON MASK DANCERS
From http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0529_030529_dogon_2.html
Unique Dogon Culture Survives in West Africa, page 2
Dogon Mask Dance-snip-
Our expedition had also come to witness the dances of the Dogon masks, known throughout the world by anthropologists and art curators. Dogon masks rank among the most respected within the world of tribal art collections and have influenced such Western 20th-century artists as Picasso and Braque, even the Cubist movement.
As a visual story teller and photographer, I was most interested in documenting the visually powerful sirige mask .... The mask binds the Dogon people to the celestial world of heaven (where the afterworld exists) and Earth, which provides food, shelter and life. The dancers of the sirige mask are considered the most skilled. They use their teeth to balance the 20-foot (6-meter) high mask, which is carved from the limb of a single tree. Dancers swing the mask in sweeping motions to represent the arc of the sun.
The mask's design, a straight line, serves to connect the worlds of the sun and Earth through the conduit of the dancer and his body. Like all Dogon masks, the sirige belongs to the afterworld, the realm of where life and death meet.
The Dogon perform with their dancing masks to honor the passing of a respected elder. This dama dance ceremony will often last for three days and involve dozens of dancers representing figures from the animal world, male and female powers, and the afterworld. Once the dama dance has been performed, the aged bones of the elder are placed high in the windswept cliffs of the sacred caves for the dead, where the red mountains meet the sky in the little known land of the Dogon in southern Mali.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon_people
Due to the expense, [The Dogon's] traditional funeral rituals or "damas" are becoming very rare. They may be performed years after the death...The traditional dama consists of a masquerade that essentially leads the souls of the departed to their final resting places through a series of ritual dances and rites. Dogon damas include the use of many masks which they wore by securing them in their teeth, and statuettes. Each Dogon village may differ in the designs of the masks used in the dama ritual. Every village may have their own way of performing the dama rituals...****
According to Shawn R. Davis, this particular ritual incorporates the elements of the yingim and the danyim. During the yincomoli ceremony, a gourd is smashed over the deceased’s wooden bowl, hoe, and bundukamba, (burial blanket), which announces the entrance of the masks used in this ceremony while the deceased entrance to their home in the family compound is decorated with ritual elements (Davis, 72-73). Masks used during the yincomoli ceremony include the Yana Gulay mask, the Satimbe mask, the Sirigie mask, and the Kanaga mask. The Yana Gulay mask’s purpose is to impersonate a Fulani woman and is made from cotton cloth and cowell shells. The Satimbe mask represents the women ancestors who are said to have discovered the purpose of the masks by guiding the spirits of the deceased into the afterlife. (Davis, 74) The Sirigie mask is a tall mask that is only used in funerals for the men that were alive during the holding of the Sigui ceremony (see below) (Davis, 68). The Kanaga masqueraders, at one point, dance and sit next to the bundkamba which represents the deceased.
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order.)
Video #1: The Dogon Dama - Mask Dance
Uploaded by VinaYard on May 22, 2011
"An important Dogon tradition is the Dama or masked funeral dance. By masquerading behind masks, the dancers allow the souls of the deceased to escape to their final resting place and to join the ranks of their ancestors, thereby restoring order to the universe. Participation in the Dama is a great honor as it represents the final step in the passage from boyhood to manhood. Boys eagerly watch the infrequently performed Dama, in anticipation of the day in which they may also participate in the dance. The village Elders, who are too old to endure the physical exertion of the dance, stand on the sideline, play the music, explain the meaning of the various masks, and keep the pace of the ritual going. The Dama is usually performed every five years or so."
****
Video #2: African Carving: A Dogon Kanaga Mask - PREVIEW
Uploaded by docued on Sep 15, 2008
"Purchase: http://www.der.org/films/african-carving.html The Kanaga mask is used in deeply sacred rituals by the Dogon people of Mali. Carving this mask is as important a ritual as the ceremonies in which the mask is used. The carver, a blacksmith, finds the proper tree and, in a secret cave outside the village, he shapes the mask with gestures which repeat the movement of the dancers who will wear it. When a dancer wears the Kanaga mask he becomes the Creator symbolically. He touches the ground with his mask and directs a soul to Heaven. Although these dances are now frequently performed for the public, the meaning of Kanaga is retained by the Dogon who fear, respect and depend on the power of the mask.
a film by Thomas Blakely and Eliot Elisofon
in collaboration with Robert Gardner for The Film Study Center at Harvard University distributed by Documentary Educational Resources"
****
Video #3: Mali Tribe in Dogon Valley with traditional masks.
Uploaded by ageposthumus on Jan 22, 2009
"Hiking through the Dogen valley, this tribe performed their dance with their sacret masks."
****
Video #4: SIT Mali: Dogon Mask Dance
Uploaded by lauracanski on Nov 4, 2009
****
Video #5: The Dogon Dance of the Mask
Uploaded by pyramidwarrior on Feb 11, 2008
The World Famous Dogon people of Mali West Africa.doing a ceremonial Dance.
****
Video #6: Mali 2009 - Dogon mask dance
Uploaded by AbiBlyth on Jan 26, 2009
****
Video #7: Dogon Sigi Ritual Dances
Uploaded by imgjp on Feb 18, 2007
"A video of Dogon masked dancers. Made in Mali January 2007."
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Mendiani (Menjani, Manjani) Dance & Drum Rhythm
Edited by Azizi Powell
[Format revised on December 30, 2018]
This pancocojams post provides information and seven video examples of the West African drum & dance rhythm "Mendiani" (also spelled "Menjani" & "Manjani").
"Mendiani" is a West African dance (Guinea, Mali) that is traditionally performed by young virgin girls. Some sources indicate that the Mendiani dance is associated with the female rites of passage including female genital circumcision (female genital mutilation).
I am very much opposed to female genital circumcision while I'm very supportive of the performance of Mendiani dances and other traditional dances, songs, and masking traditions that are associated with female & male rites of passage. The Addendum to this post provides some information & links to articles about the health risks of female genital circumcision. That Addendum also provides a link to an article about the health risk of male circumcision when that surgical act is performed in certain traditional ways.
In the United States, "Manjani" (mahn-JAH-nee) is the name that is usually used for the "Mendiani" drum & dance. Performers and fans of traditional African drum & dance generally have a very favorable view of Manjani's drum rhythms & dance performances and Manjani is seen as a way of [re]connecting with African culture. It appears that few people here know about its traditional cultural context. If people in the USA knew about Manjani's traditional context, its association with female circumcision would probably be viewed with great disfavor.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the performers and musicians who performed in these videos, and to the authors of the excerpted text about this drum & dance rhythm. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT MENDIANI
Compiled by http://www.reynders-bonhagen.nl/ritme/mendiani.html:
"Each village has a Mendiani - that is a girl who has mastered the dance Mendiani. When she becomes older, she must find a young girl to replace her. She teaches the dance to this girl, at night, outside the village. During the Mendiani festival, the dancer dances alone in the village square, while a second girl (Lafe) with a rattle dances around her at a distance. The Mendiani rhythm may be played on numerous other occasions as well. (Famoudou Konate)
Dance by young virgin girls between the ages of seven and fourteen who are dressed in a special costume for this dance. The rhythm is one of rejoicing and welcome. (Mamady Keita / Nanakama notes)
This is the dance of the Mendiani. "Mendiani" is a title for virgin girls who are specially initiated into a secret society of dancers. The elder women of the society were former Mediani themselves. They watch the young girls dance and select one (or several) to train them in this special dance. The girls must not only be good dancers, but also fearless, for the must perform their dance moves on the shoulders and head of a man. The Mendiani wear a special costume to perform, which they are not allowed to wear after they have lost their virginity. They become elders in the society and train future generations in the dance. The training goes on in secret, from what I understand. The dance is no longer done. I assume that the secret societies have also faded out. This rhythm, however, is still extremely popular.(Mamady Keita, transcribed from workshop notes by Adam Rugo)
NAME OF RHYTHM: Mendiani (Mandiani, Mindiani, Manjani, Mandjani, Mandyani, Mandiany)
COUNTRY: Guinea (various sources)
Siguiri, Mandiana, Kouroussa and Kankan regions (Mamady Keita)
Upper Guinea (Kemoko Sano)
Kayes region of Mali (Tambours du Mali)
OTHER NAMES: In Guinea this rhythm is also called Denadon (Le Tambour Djembe)
Played to test the dancing skills of pre-initiated young girls. (Journey into Rhythm)
This rhythm is played mainly for young pubescent girls to celebrate good harvests. (Le Tambour Djembe)
A popular dance historically performed by young people after the harvest season. In contemporary times, Mandyani is performed for different occasions as marriages, naming ceremonies and rites of passage. (Djimo Kouyate)
Now recognized as a dance of celebration and often danced by men and women, this dance was originally called the dance of the panther. It was danced by young women as they returned home after their period of initiation. (Mark Sunkett CD liner notes)
A Malinke rhythm from Guinea. It is dance by young virgin children displaying their happiness at becoming adults in their society. This lively, joyful rhythm is also played at festive occasions, such as at harvest time when the dancers strut their stuff with many fancy steps, acrobatics and incredible grace. (Drum Call)
A celebration dance from the Malinke people performed at the time of the full moon. (Bamidele)
A dance for circumcision. The villagers sing to welcome the circumcised after their initiation time. (Drums of Goree)
Performed after Harvest in the Kayes region [of Mali] (Tambours Mali).
There is extensive information about Mandiani in Mark Sunkett's book"...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Mendiani chez Famoudou Konate
Uploaded by archetypo on Feb 10, 2009
Performance of Mendiani by family members of Famoudou Konate - on djembe solos, Ibro Konate, Fode Konate & Billy Konate; dancers include several of Famoudou's daughters, nieces and wives.
****
Video #2: Ladji Kante Mendiani
Uploaded by mcclaytonsaf on Jul 9, 2009
****
Video #3: Mendiani à Koumana
uploaded by VILLAGEDEKOUMANA on Mar 21, 2009
-snip-
Here's a comment written in Spanish from that video's viewer comment thread:
"Mendiani es el nombre de la danza previa a la ablación del clítoris de las niñas, es por eso que ellas son las protagonistas de la danza"....
- lachinchachonal01; 2011
****
Video #4: Mali "Mendiani" (Menjani) #6 African Djembe Drums, Dance and Chants
Uploaded by michaelpluznick on Jan 5, 2010
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 Santogoola community center and local group in the Sabaliboogoo district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based West African dance choreography in Bamako, Mali while accompanied by Aruna, Brulye, Siaka and Kaliefa, 4 different gerations of Mali drummers...
****
Video #5: Menjani
Uploaded by mandingjata on Nov 26, 2008
****
Video #6: Rakaba Bellet Children performing Manjani
Uploaded by Hakim Wilson on Mar 21, 2010
Rakaba Ballet in the studio performing a traditional west african dance called Manjani in October 23rd 2006. [based in Atlanta, Georgia]
****
Video #7: African Dance Manjani
Toni Marie, Published on Jan 13, 2013
This dance has ALOT of energy and that's what africa was all about with music and dance. Hope you enjoy! and SUBCRIBE!
****
ADDENDUM: INFORMATION AND LINKS TO ARTICLES ABOUT FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-legal-prohibitions-worldwide
"12.11.08 - What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to a number of cultural practices that involve the partial or total cutting of female genitals. FGM can be performed as early as infancy and as late as age thirty. However, most commonly, girls experience FGM between four and twelve years of age. The origins of FGM remain unclear.
FGM is a Human Rights Violation
FGM violates a number of human rights of women and girls. Since FGM involves the removal of healthy sexual organs without medical necessity and is usually performed on adolescents and girls, often with harmful physical and psychological consequences, it violates the rights to non-discrimination, health, and bodily integrity. Although FGM is not undertaken with the intention of inflicting harm, its damaging physical, sexual, and psychological effects make it an act of violence against women and children. Finally, FGM sometimes threatens the lives"...
**
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/distinction-between-male-and-female-circumcision
"While medical complications are generally rare for boys who experience foreskin circumcision especially in more developed countries, health consequences for all types of FGM are generally more severe for girls. Girls may experience severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, urinary track complications or infections, fever, wound infection, or septicemia as short-term consequences of female circumcision procedures. In the long-term, women may face urethra damage, incontinence, painful sexual intercourse, and/or sexual dysfunction. Infibulation (type III) is considered the worst offender for long-term consequences in the life of the woman, particularly if an infibulated woman attempts vaginal childbirth."
**
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2008/11/12/why-male-circumcision-and-fema/
“Independent of how you may feel about male circumcision, it does not normally, or even more than very rarely, lead to long-term medical consequences. FGM nearly always does..."
**
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/flashbks/fgm/fgm.htm October 1995 "Female Circumcision Comes to America"
**
http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/wi/rls/rep/crfgm/10099.htm The Gambia: Report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC)
...."Founded in 1991, BAFFROW was established to carry out projects and research in the health and environment areas. It is aimed at community health promotion, along with changing many of the puberty rituals. It also focuses at providing alternate sources of income for excisors.
BAFFROW aims at 100 percent eradication of FGM/FGC while respecting the importance of the social and cultural traditions associated with the rites of passage to womanhood.""
-snip-
Italics are added to highlight this statement as one I absolutely concur with.
**
http://www.mrc.ac.za/public/facts19.htm
[This article lists the health risks of male circumcision In South Africa]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
[Format revised on December 30, 2018]
This pancocojams post provides information and seven video examples of the West African drum & dance rhythm "Mendiani" (also spelled "Menjani" & "Manjani").
"Mendiani" is a West African dance (Guinea, Mali) that is traditionally performed by young virgin girls. Some sources indicate that the Mendiani dance is associated with the female rites of passage including female genital circumcision (female genital mutilation).
I am very much opposed to female genital circumcision while I'm very supportive of the performance of Mendiani dances and other traditional dances, songs, and masking traditions that are associated with female & male rites of passage. The Addendum to this post provides some information & links to articles about the health risks of female genital circumcision. That Addendum also provides a link to an article about the health risk of male circumcision when that surgical act is performed in certain traditional ways.
In the United States, "Manjani" (mahn-JAH-nee) is the name that is usually used for the "Mendiani" drum & dance. Performers and fans of traditional African drum & dance generally have a very favorable view of Manjani's drum rhythms & dance performances and Manjani is seen as a way of [re]connecting with African culture. It appears that few people here know about its traditional cultural context. If people in the USA knew about Manjani's traditional context, its association with female circumcision would probably be viewed with great disfavor.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
The copyrights remain with their owners.
My thanks to the performers and musicians who performed in these videos, and to the authors of the excerpted text about this drum & dance rhythm. My thanks also to the videographers and uploaders of these featured videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT MENDIANI
Compiled by http://www.reynders-bonhagen.nl/ritme/mendiani.html:
"Each village has a Mendiani - that is a girl who has mastered the dance Mendiani. When she becomes older, she must find a young girl to replace her. She teaches the dance to this girl, at night, outside the village. During the Mendiani festival, the dancer dances alone in the village square, while a second girl (Lafe) with a rattle dances around her at a distance. The Mendiani rhythm may be played on numerous other occasions as well. (Famoudou Konate)
Dance by young virgin girls between the ages of seven and fourteen who are dressed in a special costume for this dance. The rhythm is one of rejoicing and welcome. (Mamady Keita / Nanakama notes)
This is the dance of the Mendiani. "Mendiani" is a title for virgin girls who are specially initiated into a secret society of dancers. The elder women of the society were former Mediani themselves. They watch the young girls dance and select one (or several) to train them in this special dance. The girls must not only be good dancers, but also fearless, for the must perform their dance moves on the shoulders and head of a man. The Mendiani wear a special costume to perform, which they are not allowed to wear after they have lost their virginity. They become elders in the society and train future generations in the dance. The training goes on in secret, from what I understand. The dance is no longer done. I assume that the secret societies have also faded out. This rhythm, however, is still extremely popular.(Mamady Keita, transcribed from workshop notes by Adam Rugo)
NAME OF RHYTHM: Mendiani (Mandiani, Mindiani, Manjani, Mandjani, Mandyani, Mandiany)
COUNTRY: Guinea (various sources)
Siguiri, Mandiana, Kouroussa and Kankan regions (Mamady Keita)
Upper Guinea (Kemoko Sano)
Kayes region of Mali (Tambours du Mali)
OTHER NAMES: In Guinea this rhythm is also called Denadon (Le Tambour Djembe)
Played to test the dancing skills of pre-initiated young girls. (Journey into Rhythm)
This rhythm is played mainly for young pubescent girls to celebrate good harvests. (Le Tambour Djembe)
A popular dance historically performed by young people after the harvest season. In contemporary times, Mandyani is performed for different occasions as marriages, naming ceremonies and rites of passage. (Djimo Kouyate)
Now recognized as a dance of celebration and often danced by men and women, this dance was originally called the dance of the panther. It was danced by young women as they returned home after their period of initiation. (Mark Sunkett CD liner notes)
A Malinke rhythm from Guinea. It is dance by young virgin children displaying their happiness at becoming adults in their society. This lively, joyful rhythm is also played at festive occasions, such as at harvest time when the dancers strut their stuff with many fancy steps, acrobatics and incredible grace. (Drum Call)
A celebration dance from the Malinke people performed at the time of the full moon. (Bamidele)
A dance for circumcision. The villagers sing to welcome the circumcised after their initiation time. (Drums of Goree)
Performed after Harvest in the Kayes region [of Mali] (Tambours Mali).
There is extensive information about Mandiani in Mark Sunkett's book"...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Mendiani chez Famoudou Konate
Uploaded by archetypo on Feb 10, 2009
Performance of Mendiani by family members of Famoudou Konate - on djembe solos, Ibro Konate, Fode Konate & Billy Konate; dancers include several of Famoudou's daughters, nieces and wives.
****
Video #2: Ladji Kante Mendiani
Uploaded by mcclaytonsaf on Jul 9, 2009
****
Video #3: Mendiani à Koumana
uploaded by VILLAGEDEKOUMANA on Mar 21, 2009
-snip-
Here's a comment written in Spanish from that video's viewer comment thread:
"Mendiani es el nombre de la danza previa a la ablación del clítoris de las niñas, es por eso que ellas son las protagonistas de la danza"....
- lachinchachonal01; 2011
****
Video #4: Mali "Mendiani" (Menjani) #6 African Djembe Drums, Dance and Chants
Uploaded by michaelpluznick on Jan 5, 2010
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 Santogoola community center and local group in the Sabaliboogoo district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based West African dance choreography in Bamako, Mali while accompanied by Aruna, Brulye, Siaka and Kaliefa, 4 different gerations of Mali drummers...
****
Video #5: Menjani
Uploaded by mandingjata on Nov 26, 2008
****
Video #6: Rakaba Bellet Children performing Manjani
Uploaded by Hakim Wilson on Mar 21, 2010
Rakaba Ballet in the studio performing a traditional west african dance called Manjani in October 23rd 2006. [based in Atlanta, Georgia]
****
Video #7: African Dance Manjani
Toni Marie, Published on Jan 13, 2013
This dance has ALOT of energy and that's what africa was all about with music and dance. Hope you enjoy! and SUBCRIBE!
****
ADDENDUM: INFORMATION AND LINKS TO ARTICLES ABOUT FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-legal-prohibitions-worldwide
"12.11.08 - What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to a number of cultural practices that involve the partial or total cutting of female genitals. FGM can be performed as early as infancy and as late as age thirty. However, most commonly, girls experience FGM between four and twelve years of age. The origins of FGM remain unclear.
FGM is a Human Rights Violation
FGM violates a number of human rights of women and girls. Since FGM involves the removal of healthy sexual organs without medical necessity and is usually performed on adolescents and girls, often with harmful physical and psychological consequences, it violates the rights to non-discrimination, health, and bodily integrity. Although FGM is not undertaken with the intention of inflicting harm, its damaging physical, sexual, and psychological effects make it an act of violence against women and children. Finally, FGM sometimes threatens the lives"...
**
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/distinction-between-male-and-female-circumcision
"While medical complications are generally rare for boys who experience foreskin circumcision especially in more developed countries, health consequences for all types of FGM are generally more severe for girls. Girls may experience severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, urinary track complications or infections, fever, wound infection, or septicemia as short-term consequences of female circumcision procedures. In the long-term, women may face urethra damage, incontinence, painful sexual intercourse, and/or sexual dysfunction. Infibulation (type III) is considered the worst offender for long-term consequences in the life of the woman, particularly if an infibulated woman attempts vaginal childbirth."
**
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2008/11/12/why-male-circumcision-and-fema/
“Independent of how you may feel about male circumcision, it does not normally, or even more than very rarely, lead to long-term medical consequences. FGM nearly always does..."
**
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/flashbks/fgm/fgm.htm October 1995 "Female Circumcision Comes to America"
**
http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/wi/rls/rep/crfgm/10099.htm The Gambia: Report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC)
...."Founded in 1991, BAFFROW was established to carry out projects and research in the health and environment areas. It is aimed at community health promotion, along with changing many of the puberty rituals. It also focuses at providing alternate sources of income for excisors.
BAFFROW aims at 100 percent eradication of FGM/FGC while respecting the importance of the social and cultural traditions associated with the rites of passage to womanhood.""
-snip-
Italics are added to highlight this statement as one I absolutely concur with.
**
http://www.mrc.ac.za/public/facts19.htm
[This article lists the health risks of male circumcision In South Africa]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
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