Hi R,

> Fanga/Funga is a song that has dubious origins. Some say it is
> from Liberia and is in the Vai language others say its in Yoruba.
> Some of the words below are indeed of Yoruban origin.

The rhythm is indeed of Liberian origin, from the Kpelle people, I
think, but possibly also Vai.  The song, which is not 'fAnga', but
'fUnga', is 100% Yoruba.  It was one of Baba Olatunji's favourites,
which he used to tell a really cool story for.

The song and rhythm are not related in any way, but go together nicely.

> I've "No clue" about the meaning of "Ikabo" however.

Some thoughts:
ikŕ + bó = to escape cruel intentions
ika + bň = to cover a knife (symbolic for making peace)
i + kŕ + bo = he/she/it recites (Edu) scripture

May I suggest you ask this question on the following Usenet newsgroups
(News reader required. Outlook Express has this built in):

alt.religion.orisha
soc.culture.african.yoruba
alt.hipclone.culture.african.yoruba
soc.culture.nigeria

And/or try these groups:
Yoruba (Google group)
http://groups.google.com.au/group/Yoruba?lnk=gschg&hl=en

Yoruba groups at Yahoo
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Cultures___Community/By_Language/Yoruba?st=0

Words change according to context, as I'm sure we can all relate to.
So I'm sure if you post the lyrics "wholus-bolus", we would get a
better understanding.

Drew

Unfortunately the "Olatunji Songbook" only has the first verse and no
English interpretation of the song. However, Baba says on a live recording from
the
Starwood, that what he read (he doesn't list the source) was that, and I
loosely quote,
"...the last time this song was performed was in 1875 in Liberia when Captain
Clapitane was sent to look for the source of the river Niger. And from that
river was where they got the name 'Nigeria'. When he got to the capital of
Liberia they did this welcome dance. It was the first time they saw anybody
coming
from another part of the world, so they say "We welcome you from the bottom
of our hearts with open hands, and without weapons. We welcome you, even Mother
Earth on which we all stand, she too will welcome you. Whether you are from
the East, West, North or South, we welcome you to this wonderful place." And so
they say "Fanga ah lafiya, ashe' ashe'..."  (end loose quote)
   And then they go directly into the song.

   So this doesn't give a direct translation of the song lyrics but it is
interesting enough to share what Baba had said about the meaning behind the
song.

   I'm not sure about the language either as most of the words are not in my
"How to Speak Yoruba" book, although it's not a full blown Yoruba dictionary
either so who knows...

   Hope this helps.
   Peace,
   Dan E.
   St. Paul, MN, uSA
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   "Antonio likes cheese." Matt B. ;-)

I believe "ikabo" is a corruption of the Yoruba contraction "ekabo" ( e ku
abo)...meaning "welcome".

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Tai
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reverend R Clark writes:
I've "No clue" about the meaning of "Ikabo" however.

Drew AKA "djembesilo" <drumpower@...> replies:
Some thoughts:
ikŕ + bó = to escape cruel intentions
ika + bň = to cover a knife (symbolic for making peace)
i + kŕ + bo = he/she/it recites (Edu) scripture

--- In djembe-l@yahoogroups.com, "Taiwo Adelaja" <taiadelaja@...> wrote:
> I believe "ikabo" is a corruption of the Yoruba contraction
> "ekabo"... meaning "welcome".

Yes, that would certainly fit the context/meaning of the song/dance.
It's probably spelled as "ikabo" because of a spelling error in the
transcription, although 'ika bň' (meaning peace) is still possible.
There were other errors of that nature in the book.  For instance, in
the Fanga entry, Cpt Hugh Clapperton's name is spelled "Clapitaine".
The dance movements look like pulling bits of meat out of a pot.
According to Olatunji, Clapperton's crew misunderstood the gestures of
the dance, thought they were going to get cooked and eaten, and got
out of there real fast!

Drew

Yes, this is what I was taught also. During the life and time of Pearl Primus.
Way back in the day when tradional songs and dances were the bomb. The
description is what I was taught. Also Pearl Primus was the first teacher to
bring this dance to America. My elder sister was taught Funga by Pearl Primus. 
Thank you for bringing back the memories of the good ole days.
   Peace, Love and Mnay Blessings,
   Rfuaw

bones45991@... wrote:
           Unfortunately the "Olatunji Songbook" only has the first verse and no
English interpretation of the song. However, Baba says on a live recording from
the
Starwood, that what he read (he doesn't list the source) was that, and I
loosely quote,
"...the last time this song was performed was in 1875 in Liberia when Captain
Clapitane was sent to look for the source of the river Niger. And from that
river was where they got the name 'Nigeria'. When he got to the capital of
Liberia they did this welcome dance. It was the first time they saw anybody
coming
from another part of the world, so they say "We welcome you from the bottom
of our hearts with open hands, and without weapons. We welcome you, even Mother
Earth on which we all stand, she too will welcome you. Whether you are from
the East, West, North or South, we welcome you to this wonderful place." And so
they say "Fanga ah lafiya, ashe' ashe'..." (end loose quote)
And then they go directly into the song.

So this doesn't give a direct translation of the song lyrics but it is
interesting enough to share what Baba had said about the meaning behind the
song.

I'm not sure about the language either as most of the words are not in my
"How to Speak Yoruba" book, although it's not a full blown Yoruba dictionary
either so who knows...

Hope this helps.
Peace,
Dan E.
St. Paul, MN, uSA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Antonio likes cheese." Matt B. ;-)

Something I thought I should share about Funga which I heard from
Mohamed da Costa.

There's this song called Little Liza Jane from the African-American
folk song tradition, played by Preservation Hall Jazz Band and
various Appalachian groups from time to time including by me, and
when we were jamming at the Borenya festival in '04 we were trading
songs, and I started singing Liza Jane which went well with that
particular rhythm, and thet Mohamed started singing Fanga along with
it. It's almost the same tune. Mohamed told me afterward that he had
heard that Liza Jane was brought to Africa by some American music
group on a tour or exchange program, and the Africans took the tune
and put the Fanga words to it.

But of course if OAlatunji says it was first sung in 1875, that would
have had to be a very early American Music Exchange program!

Anyway, that's what I heard. Liza Jane is not about welcome, it's
pretty much a song purely for the fun of call and answer.

AK

Artist, Choreographer and Master Instructor Nzingha Camara to teach one last
West African dance class in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 2nd at Lula
Washington's Dance Theatre
***
Nzingha Camara will teach an open class in Los Angeles. See below for details.

Wednesday, August 2nd 7:30-9pm
Location:
Lula Washington's Dance Theatre
3773 Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA  90016

Cost is $12 per class

About Nzingha Camara:

Dance brings people to their feet as does Nzingha Camara, dancer, educator,
artist and choreographer whose illustrious career spans across the globe and
over three decades.  Her spirit has inspired motivated and instilled a sense of
grace and pride in individuals from the villages of West Africa to the far
shores of the Caribbean over to Europe and of course the United States. Branded
with the name of a magnificent African queen, Camara's sacred feet and poise
live up to her legacy, having converted challenging dance moves into articulate
expressions and fluid movements of art. From 1995 to 2001 Camara served as a
member of the faculty in UCLA's World Arts & Cultures department where her
classes became the most attended in the entire Dance department.  Over the years
Camara has become somewhat of a cultural ambassador, she has gone on to teach
some of the most prominent dancers around the country and has conducted master
workshops in such far off places as China, Costa Rica and Germany to name a
few. Millions of people have been affected by her work, exceeding even her own
expectations. Having graced the cover of some of the most prominent dance
magazines in the country and orchestrating performances for some of Hollywood's
creme de la creme, her prodigious talent knows no limits. She remains steadfast
to preserving the culture of her craft and carrying on the legacy of West
African dance within her community.

  Visit the Website
http://www.nzinghacamara.com/
____________________________________________________
HPR
7097 Alvern Street #304 Los Angeles, California 90045
Tel (310) 645-4246 Fax (310) 943-1416 E-mail SashaB310@...
http://www.heliocentricpr.com/

Hello Adam,

I was at Borenya in '04.  I very much remember you two singing those songs
together.
However, I missed Mohammed's story.  Thanks for sharing that.

Bill


--- In djembe-l@yahoogroups.com, Adam Klein <adamcjklein@...> wrote:
>
> Something I thought I should share about Funga which I heard from
> Mohamed da Costa.
>
> There's this song called Little Liza Jane from the African-American
> folk song tradition, played by Preservation Hall Jazz Band and
> various Appalachian groups from time to time including by me, and
> when we were jamming at the Borenya festival in '04 we were trading
> songs, and I started singing Liza Jane which went well with that
> particular rhythm, and thet Mohamed started singing Fanga along with
> it. It's almost the same tune. Mohamed told me afterward that he had
> heard that Liza Jane was brought to Africa by some American music
> group on a tour or exchange program, and the Africans took the tune
> and put the Fanga words to it.
>
> But of course if OAlatunji says it was first sung in 1875, that would
> have had to be a very early American Music Exchange program!
>
> Anyway, that's what I heard. Liza Jane is not about welcome, it's
> pretty much a song purely for the fun of call and answer.
>
> AK
>

Greetings Folks!

In another off list inquiry someone who learned Fanga years ago needed a
refresher on how it sounds, so I searched up the following media files.

The rhythm --I find a set of MIDI files for the rhythm that sound nice
from Andreas Schamanek.
http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/~schamane/data/audio/rhythms/rhythm?name=fanga
<http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/~schamane/data/audio/rhythms/rhythm?name=fanga>

The song --Here is a version of the song where the first verse and
refrain is sung and played.
http://janis.rathersilly.com/webtank/Lorelei/chant/fanga.mp3
<http://janis.rathersilly.com/webtank/Lorelei/chant/fanga.mp3>

I hope this Helps!
Thanks for Everything!
One Love, R
++++++
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great
teacher.”
- Japanese proverb
++++++

I am going to be in Detroit a few days and was wondering if there is a drum or
dance class happening on Monday or Tuesday night?  Please respond off-list.

Thanks in advance,
Mike (from Eugene, OR)

Nice links!  There's also these:

http://www.congafriday.com/jams/Fanga_2405.mp3

http://www.gopherp.com/audio/fangatrad.wma

http://www.african-drumbeat.co.uk/new-rhythms/rhythms/fanga12.mp3
http://www.african-drumbeat.co.uk/new-rhythms/rms/fanga1.mp3
http://www.african-drumbeat.co.uk/new-rhythms/rms/fanga2.mp3

http://www.geocities.com/inbasenji/fanga.mid

http://www.xperion.com/audio/FANGA1.mp3
http://www.xperion.com/audio/FANGA2.mp3
http://www.xperion.com/audio/FANGA3.mp3


Cheers,

Drew

--- In djembe-l@yahoogroups.com, Reverend R Clark <clark@...> wrote:
>
> Greetings Folks!
>
> In another off list inquiry someone who learned Fanga years ago
needed a
> refresher on how it sounds, so I searched up the following media files.
>
> The rhythm --I find a set of MIDI files for the rhythm that sound nice
> from Andreas Schamanek.
>
http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/~schamane/data/audio/rhythms/rhythm?name=fanga
>
<http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/~schamane/data/audio/rhythms/rhythm?name=fanga>
>
> The song --Here is a version of the song where the first verse and
> refrain is sung and played.
> http://janis.rathersilly.com/webtank/Lorelei/chant/fanga.mp3
> <http://janis.rathersilly.com/webtank/Lorelei/chant/fanga.mp3>
>
> I hope this Helps!
> Thanks for Everything!
> One Love, R
> ++++++
> "Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great
> teacher."
> - Japanese proverb
> ++++++
>

Anyone know the best safest way to ship a djembe?

I ship most of my drums via UPS.   Choose an appropriate sized box, about 4
inches taller than the drum, and 2 or 3 inches wider and deeper than the drum.  
I stand the box upright, and put flat padding in the bottom, several layers of
cardboard or some styrofoam.    I wrap the head in bubble wrap, then put the
drum in upside down.   Then fill the rest of the space with peanuts, newspaper,
whatever.   Cut the box so that it meets the bottom of the drum with just a
little padding, as box size can make the shipment more expensive.  Good Luck!

Peace,   Chris Bittner
www.drumworksbychris.com



   ----- Original Message -----
   From: rhythmmakinnrg
   To: djembe-l@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 1:32 PM
   Subject: [Djembe-L] Shipping a Djembe?


   Anyone know the best safest way to ship a djembe?





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Visit our Djembe-L FAQ for answers to most djembe questions/

http://www.djembelfaq.org/shipping_drums.htm

UPS ground, in a cardboard box with a little extra protection over the skin.
Remember that the rings themselves provide protection to the rim of the drum.

rhythmmakinnrg <peterbulliard@...> wrote:          Anyone know the best
safest way to ship a djembe?






---------------------------------
See the all-new, redesigned Yahoo.com.  Check it out.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hey Mike, et al:

:  As a suggestion, always check out our Djembe-L FAQ as it has lots of
dance and drum teachers on site.

Here's Detroit Dance info that we have:

http://djembelfaq.drums.org/african_dance.htm#MI

Drum Teachers:  http://djembelfaq.drums.org/MI_teachers.htm

Peace,
HappyShel
Djembe-L Webmaster
happy@...



On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 12:06:03 -0400 mwjones@... writes:
> I am going to be in Detroit a few days and was wondering if there is
> a drum or dance class happening on Monday or Tuesday night?  Please
> respond off-list.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mike (from Eugene, OR)
>

--- In djembe-l@yahoogroups.com, "rhythmmakinnrg" <peterbulliard@...>
wrote:
>
> Anyone know the best safest way to ship a djembe?
>


i usually start with a double wall cardboard box, available at uline.
  bubble wrap the stem, place a piece of carboard box around the head
of the drum, then bubble wrap that.  then fill the entire box with
peanuts.

even with the most energetic fed-ex handling, my drums seem to arrive
safely.

hope this helps.  peace

Greetings to all

Seneke, ensemble created by Sekou Conde, has a clip of
a performance they did at the Hothose (in Chicago)
7/8/06. Check it out on their myspace webpage.
http://www.myspace.com/senekeensemble

Thanks to all.

SÉNÉKÉ
Founder/ Director: Sékou Condé
Secretary: Monique Morris
TD for Ensemble: Carol Woolfolk
Contact: 312-520-6281
Mail: 7953 S. Kingston Ave, Chicago. IL. 60617
Email: admin@...
Web: www.seneke.com

Hi

thanks to everyone for suggestions on learning Malinke. Someone was very kind
and sent me an unwanted copy of 'Parlons Malinke' by Mamadou  Camara, which is
proving really interesting, and really useful - so wanted to pass on the
recommendation.

There's lots of info on cultural practices, useful phrases in context of
conversations, and some interesting stuff (brief) on masks, and their cultural
significance. And a French-Malinke dictionary at the back, going both ways.

I've found French in West Africa to be fairly simple (second language I
suppose?), so don't be fazed - this is a really good book!

Cheers

Amanda

Sogbety Diomande's West African Celebration in Ohio
  West African Festival


Sogbety is putting together a West African festival for Aug. 25-27
at Mohican Outdoor School in Butler, Ohio. Featured artist on Friday
night is Jim Donovan at 8:00pm. He will perform with Sogbety and
some of his friends. Then on Sat. and Sunday we have full days of
classes and another performance at 8pm on Sat. night featuring all
the teachers and several other artists picked especially for the
performance.

Dr. Daniel Reed from Indiana University Bloomington is a featured
lecturer on the masks of the Ivory Coast.

Featured teachers for the weekend are Mama Kadiatou Conte, Vado
Diomande, Samba Diallo, Euphrasie Gohoun, Hamidou Koivogui, Trabi
Lizzie, Fode Bangoura, Sogbety Diomande, Papa Diarra Zumana, Mamadou
Dahoue.
Check out www.highlandsofohio.com for more info., prices, class
schedule, etc. Please check back often for updates.

Hello List,
Has anyone out there had any success putting a cowskin on a djembe? I've heard
of some Cote d'Ivoire djembes headed like this but have never seen or played
one.
What is the sound like? Would it be better to put it on a bass djembe or solo
drum?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Chris Kennedy
www.thegoatworks.com
<http://www.thegoatworks.com/>

Magbana is pleased to announce that we will be holding our annual retreat on
September 15, 16 and 17 at Iroquois Springs in Rock Hill, NY. Along with
Magbana's Michael Markus, M'Bemba Bangoura, Youssouf Koumbassa and Mangue Sylla
will be teaching. You can download the brochure and registration form at
www.magbana.com.
<http://www.magbana.com>
Also coming up soon, our annual trip to Guinea with M'Bemba Bangoura. This
year, the workshop will be held from December 28, 2006-January 19, 2007, so that
people on an academic schedule can join us. To get that registration form,
and for all the info, visit www.magbana.com.
<http://www.magbana.com>
I hope everyone's having a great summer, full of drumming and dancing.

Michael
Magbana Drum and Dance NYC
118 North 11th Street 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-486-3230
magbana1@...
www.magbana.com
<http://www.magbana.com>

The 2006 WPRC Conference is mid-October in Spokane.  I am going to
bring my Djembe and find a nice place along the Spokane River.  If I
can connect with drummers from this conference---now that would really
be fun!  Hundreds of high-energy engineers----and a few of us could
gather for a needed drumming outlet.   I usually arrive about mid-
afternoon on Sunday.  My experience level will be about 9 months with
about 6 months at Freemont Drum.  Let me know if you're a brother or
sister in my profession who has found the voice of the drum.

thx, Karm

[Moderator's Note: From the website "www.capps.wsu.edu/conferences/wprc/"
<http://www.capps.wsu.edu/conferences/wprc/> I learn, WPRC = "Western Protective
Relay Conference; October 17-19, 2006; Ag Trade Center—Spokane, WA: The WPRC is
an educational forum for the presentation and discussion of broad and detailed
technical aspects of protective relaying and related subjects. About 450 attend
from around the world. This forum allows participants to learn and apply
advanced technologies that prevent electrical power failures." -1LR]

Hi,

Just a note to let folks know that I put up an amazing video clip of
Master Sega Cisse here in Mali.  I really thought he was special and
would like to help him become more known and have more students
worldwide.  I wish him the best and hope to study with him myself.

Here is the link to his video:

http://www.rootsyrecords.com
<http://www.rootsyrecords.com>

Just click on his image to see video.

Kind Regards,
Jeremy Chevrier

Am 08.08.2006 um 13:45 schrieb Chris Kennedy:
> Has anyone out there had any success putting a cowskin on a djembe?
> I've heard of some Cote d'Ivoire djembes headed like this but have
> never seen or played one.
> What is the sound like? Would it be better to put it on a bass
> djembe or solo drum?

The sound is like a cow skin on a djembe...
Remember: cow skin is much thicker than goat skin and resonance will
be totally different. The sound will be not that high and clear in
pitch as you may think - even if you manage to accordingly tighten
the skin like you would tighten a goat skin (VERY VERY VERY hard).
And when you use doe (or hind) the result is similar: lower pitch,
less difference between open and slap.

Consequence is, when 5 djembe and 1 cow skin drum ('bougarabou' or
your specialized drum) play exactly the same rhythm, it's hard to
hear the cow skin drum (especially for the player himself)! Well,
this is not true for a conga as tightening is much easier. Last
summer I saw a player with a very big conga manage to dominate 5
djembe but he was playing with brute force (in a casual group in a
park). So only one drum like this may be too less.

And when you put cow skin on a bass djembe it will sound more like a
'bougarabou' because of the more or less similar shape. If you're
interested in a more sound variety in your group it may be better to
add more djembe with different sizes.

Hope that helps

Tobias S. Kuhn

Are there any good djembe players in Quebec city?

Hi,

At a previous workshop I was taught a great break for Soli Bule. I don't
remember any of the dun duns though. Is anybody able to direct me to or, tell me
what they are?

Thanks
J

it's called a buggereeboo. ask shorty palmer about it.

Chris Kennedy <chris@...> wrote:          Hello List,
Has anyone out there had any success putting a cowskin on a djembe? I've heard
of some Cote d'Ivoire djembes headed like this but have never seen or played
one.
What is the sound like? Would it be better to put it on a bass djembe or solo
drum?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Chris Kennedy
www.thegoatworks.com
<http://www.thegoatworks.com/>






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]