Mali Kan

West African Music and Culture with International Percussionist Rusty Eklund
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Mali Kan - Music from West Africa
Thursdays, 6pm, KFMG 99.1
On the Air in Des Moines, IA
Streaming at www.KFMG991.org

Hookah Tribe
World Music and Dance Ensemble
In many parts of Arabia, Africa, and India students, professionals, and artists gather each day to socialize, drink coffee or tea, and enjoy a communal smoke of dried fruits and tobacco from the hookah.
 
Hookah Tribe offers stageshows, street performance, and classes incorporating music and dance from the Arab world, Mali, West Africa, and Brazilian Samba. 
 
For performance schedule and audio go to Hookah Tribe on myspace

Ongoing Classes
 
Mondays in August, Des Moines, IA

Beginning, Intermediate Djembe/Jenbe

7:30pm, Ancient Ways, 17th & Woodland

 $15/class

 

Every Tuesday in Des Moines, IA
Open Drumming
8pm, Ritual Cafe, 13th & Locust
 
Every Wednesday in Des Moines, IA
Advanced/Professional Djembe/Jenbe
Call for information
 
 
Open and Beginning classes present the basic rhythmic concepts of West African drumming, handpatterns, culture, songs, and ensemble arrangements
 
Intermediate and advanced classes present the ensemble arrangements, techniques, songs, lead phrasing and numerous arrangements from our teaching repertoire.

International Percussionist Rusty Eklund's Performance Set-List
Rusty is currently arranging for, and performing in the Iowa area with, Des Moines percussion ensemble TUBABU. Together they present the folkloric rhythms and songs of the West African people as well as original pieces. Instruments highlighted are the jenbe (djembe), konkoni, dununba, bougarabou, n'tamani, n'tamanba, and korokoro.
 
Donkono
Somono
Chiwara
Dansa
Suku
Maraka
Madan
Numu

Tama
Komo
Ferabanka
Gerankeh
Jon
Korojuga
Moribayassa
Manjani

Bara
Bonkolo
Maraka 2
Fula
N'grii
Sunu/12-8
Dansa 2
Wolosso

Mali Culture
1000 years of musical evolution
 
 
     The music of Mali is arguably the most precious cultural jewel of the former Mande Empire. Malian music incorporates numerous styles, dozens of instruments, world-renowned singing, dynamic dancing, and a musicological evolution on par with the most respected musical traditions of Europe, the Caribbean, and India. The traditions of West Africa are widely accepted as being the source for American blues music and the culture of transplanted Africans has permeated most every form of Western popular music.
    
     The musical integrity of their traditional forms, and the modern fusion that Malian and foreign artists are driving has brought the music of this West African nation to the forefront of the world music scene.
 
A Few Popular Malian Musical Styles
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rusty Eklund
International Musician/Teacher

 

Rusty Eklund is a professional percussionist presenting the instruments, culture and musicology of the West African people, highlighting more than a decade of study and performance with master musicians. He has spent the better part of nine years in Mali and Guinea and holds a BA in Mathematics and Ethnomusicology. Currently, Rusty is teaching and performing in the Des Moines, IA area.

    • University Lecture Series
    • Performances
    • Drumming and Song Workshops
    • Performance/Educational Materials
    • School Programs

Mali Kan often works with a number of Malian musicians living in the USA, combining the authenticity of Malian masters with the educational background, cultural understanding, and professional presentation of Rusty Eklund.

 


 

Instructional Repertoire

 

- Introductory Percussion (Ages 3-adult)

- Jenbe Ensemble (beginner to professional)

- Professional Percussion Instruction

- Bonkolo Ensemble

- Jeli and Guitar Ensemble

 

Introductory Percussion

Rhythmic concepts, introductory hand and stick patterns, basic ensemble arrangements

 

Djembe, Dunun, N'taman Ensemble

Core instruction for the jenbe ensemble includes jenbe accompaniment, konkoni accompaniment, call, 3 solo phrases unique to each rhythm, and for advancd players dununba lead phrasing. Instruction is rooted in the three main rhythmic families. Pedagogical approach is to solidify a player's knowledge and technique in the Malian repertoire, providing a "classical" base for understanding a wider range of lead technique, playing styles, and forms of music.


Suku

Dansa
Maraka
Madan
Gerankeh

Moribayassa

Numu
Korojuga
Ferabanka

Fula

Komo
Manjani
N'grii
Sunu/12-8
Wolosso

 

Bonkolo

Tama

Donkono

 

Modern Professional Percussion

For percussionists wishing to include West African styles to their repertoire. Instrumentation includes the jenbe, jeli dununba, ballet dununs, nanga (bells), n'tama (talking) drums, calabash, koro koro (log drum), kerenyen (metal scraper), yabara (gourd shaker).

 

Instruction in placing West African drums in support of instrumental ensembles. This instructional series incorporates rhythms plus improvisations for each instrument.


Bonkolo Ensemble
Jon Foly
Bara
Fula Foly

Chiwara

Somono Foly

Korojuga Foly


West African Guitar and Jeli (Griot) Ensemble - Kora, N'goni, Bala, Percussion

Mali Sadjo

Sunjatta

Janjon

Mansani Cisse

Bani

Famaden

Bemankan

Tara

Sackodugu

Salimou