Lamba

Guine Gbe performing at Dancing on the Dunes Fest '07 in Manila, CA

Category:

Music

Tags:

• West
• African
• Drums
• Guinea
• Gbe
• Lamba
• Dance
• Jelli
• Griot

[osunhoney]

I undertand some want to dive into other cultures and appreciate the richness of that culture...but please represent the culture in the highest, respectful way!

[GuineaGbe]

Thank you for your comment and it is dually noted. Since this gig several years ago we have stopped playing Lamba during performances and have been studying this rhythm with our teachers. It is a very challenging rhythm to play and as a group we lack the skills to pull it off correct and make our teachers proud.

[GuineaGbe]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated. So if you chose to post a comment please think of something useful to say. "Horrible" doesn't tell me much. Thanks!

[GuineaGbe]

Interesting to see how all of us feel the down in a different spot..=) Where is that down anyway?..=)

[blackempress368]

Thanks for sharing your joy of dance; but please make a point of knowing & understanding traditional dance as well as the technique before posting it to the public. It would be nice if you took a few classes. If you have, take a few more.

Have a nice day~

[GuineaGbe]

Thank you for the constructive feedback! I would agree that more studying of traditional dancing would improve this dancer drastically. However, my purpose for posting these performances on youtube is for these dancers and performers to learn from them. You gain so much insight from watching yourself and can then begin to self correct.  Most of the women in this group have studying drumming more than dancing but we wanted to add a dance element to the drumming.

[Hervinbalfour]

@leah151 I danced with Abdoulaye for six years in Ceddo Senegalese Dance company and i'm certain that I'm taking nothing out of context. To quote Abdoulaye verbatim "the djembe doesn't like the female because the spirit of the djembe is a female and she doesn't like women."

He may have let you study djembe but I can pretty much guarantee if you go to Mali you won't be touching a djembe in the presence of real master drummer nor would he have let you our any female play in Ceddo for that matter.

[leah151]

@Hervinbalfour - I'm a female student of master drummer Abdoulaye Diakite & I believe you're taking what he has taught out of context. I've played djembe alongside him countless times & never has he told me I shouldn't be playing it or that I was disrespecting his culture. If he doesn't find it disrespectful (especially when approached with nothing but respect), then I don't understand why you do.

[janijellybeehen]

@GuineaGbe It's not about how 'good' you are, it's about enjoying the spirit of the dance and reaching into another culture - which enriches you and the culture you enjoy.

[janijellybeehen]

@Hervinbalfour that's one person's version of the history of the dance. African music and dance belongs to an oral tradition, it doesn't have an 'author' in the way that Western music does. It's impossible to claim any version of a dance or rhythm as the 'true' one as it's an evolving, organic art form with regional variations. Which means it can also evolve in the West, with regional variations from the countries and cultures it visits. I think this keeps the music alive.

[janijellybeehen]

These women ARE showing respect for a culture by enjoying the dance and music, having fun and building friendships through it - which is what it's for. They're not claiming to be representing the culture or being 'authentic' (who decides what's authentic, anyway?!).

If a group of West African amateur dancers trying out ballet was posted, everyone would think it was fabulous regardless of how 'authentic' it was. Let these ladies enjoy themselves without putting them down please!

[lidlekitty]

@wanderingmenstruals  haha love you

[mitzimcrae]

Plenty of women play djembe. I think it's great you guys are enjoying yourselves. That's what it's all about. Keep it up.