Mali Kan

An Introduction to West African Music and Culture from the Masters of of Malian music: Traditional Djembe and Bonkolo Drumming, Kora, Guitar. Brought to you by international musician Rusty Eklund
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USA Workshops/Lectures 

 

"... we learn so much in only a few days, and Rusty's ability to communicate the cultural traditions of music-making in Mali gives the ensemble much more than just notes and rhythms.  We get to see and feel the essentials of an art form, and try to absorb a little speck of it.”

 

John Mckinnon, Music Professor Eastern Oregon University

 

 

We offer a variety of cultural and musicology presentations appropriate for many different communities, academic institutions, and art organizations:

  • University Musicology and Cultural Lectures
  • Small to Large Festival Performances and Drumming Arenas
  • Beginning to Advanced level Drumming Workshops
  • Children's Workshops beginning with 3 year olds
  • Audio/Video Presentations

Below you will find an outline of the programs we are currently offering:

  • Music/Photo Slideshow
  • Malian music performances*
  • Percussion Musicology Series
  • Jeli (Griot) Musicology Series
  • Drum Ensemble Workshops and Ongoing Classes
  • Jeli Ensemble Workshops and ongoing classes
  • Percussion ensemble instruction and performance repertoire
  • Jeli ensemble instruction and performance repertoire
  • Small western instrument ensembles performing the jeli repertoire and the Bamana pentatonic repertoire

* Mali Kan is a small percussion ensemble playing original pieces and traditional rhythms and songs from West Africa. A full instrumental ensemble (traditional or modern) is also available

 

Slideshow (30 minutes)
  • A variety of photos including musicians, dancers, villages, everyday people, ceremonies, and more.
  • Set to an assortment of Malian musical selections: Jenbe ensemble, Bonkolo ensemble, Jeli ensemble, Solo Kora, Solo Kamel N'goni, Bolon ensemble.

for continuing academic presentations we provide access to our library of more than 500 unique photos of life, musicians, and dancers in Mali

 
Drum and song performance (1-2 hours)
  • An assortment of original ensemble rhythms and songs, folkloric Malian rhythms and songs, history and culture of the Malian people. This group performs percussion instrumental arrangements and invites guest vocalists and dancers on occasion to join them.
  • A full instrumental ensemble (traditional or modern) is also available
 
Percussion Musicology presentation (1-10 hours)
  • Instrumentation - More than a dozen unique drums and percussion instruments, each with their own ensemble and associated repertoire
    • Jenbe - Hand drum
    • Dunun Family - Mallet drums in various sizes
    • N'taman family - Tension drums in various sizes
    • Bonkolo - Hand and stick drum
    • Kunanfa - Bass hand drum
    • Bara - Skin-covered calabash hand drum
    • Koro Koro - Log drum
    • Bougarabou - Hand drum
    • Calabash - Open calabash hand and stick drum
    • Gi Dunun - Calabash water drum
    • Yabara - Gourd shaker
    • Karinyan - Metal scraper
    • Nanga - Bell
    • Gita - Calabash bowl shaker

 

  • Ensembles, structure, folkloric rhythms, and songs from more than a dozen ethnic groups and styles
    1. Kassonke/Kakalo Dununba, Jenbe and N'tamani,
    2. Maninka/Maraka/Bamana Jenbe and dunun
    3. Bamana/Somono Bonkolo, Dunun and Kununfa
    4. Gana /Bamana/Maninka Gi Dunun and Yabara
    5. Dogon Dunun and n'taman
    6. Ballet-style Dunun/Percussion Ensemble
  • Rhythmic foundations - Root patterns that provide the foundations for larger families of music
  • Polyrhythmic/Polyphonic/Polymetric - The ability of the Malian percussion ensemble to incorporate numerous voices, textures, conversing melodic/rhythmic patters, and meters into the same piece demonstrates a unique level of musical evolution and achievement.
  • Extensive collection of instrument and ensemble recordings and notations
  • The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the appreciation of instrumentation, recorded music, musicology and culture of the Malian percussion repertoire
 
Meet Your Presenter:
Rusty Eklund

Rusty Eklund is a trained teacher and has been playing music for 25 years. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Mathematics and Ethnomusicology from the Evergreen State College and has traveled, performed, and worked in 25 countries on five continents as an athlete, event manager, classroom teacher, coach, and musician.

 

Rusty has more than a decade of experience learning from West African masters and has performed with numerous international artists including: Jeli Lamine Soumano, Grammy-winner Toumani Diabate, Nahawa Doumbia, Abdoul Doumbia, Mahamadou Traore, Sega Sidibe, Youssouf Koumbassa, and various members of the National Ballet of Mali.

 

As a former school teacher Rusty has combined his knowledge of educational practices with his studies in West African music to create exciting classes for all levels of age and experience. His performance and teaching repertoire includes many elementary and upper schools, and Uiniversities across the USA (The Evergreen State College, Western Washington U, Idaho State U, U of Oregon, Eastern Oregon U, Virginia Commonwealth U, James Madison U, and the College of William and Mary).

 

 
Jeli Musicology presentation (1-20 hours)
  • Arranged to present the general culture of the Malian griot (Jeli) and introduce an ensemble, traditional or modern, to an introductory repertoire of jeli music.
  • Instrumentation -
    • Guitar
    • N'goni
    • Bala
    • Dununba
    • N'taman
    • Kora
  • tuning, playing styles, signature pieces of music which provide the foundation for much of the jeli repertoire.
  • The ensemble structures and conversation styles of modern musicians. How West African culture has played a very influential role in the instruments and manner that American musicians express themselves from blues to bluegrass, rock to hip-hop.

  • The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the appreciation of instrumentation, recorded music, musicology, and culture of the Malian Griot repertoire.

We work with various musicians and griots and this course can also include presentations from a number of griots or drummers living here in the USA.

 

Drumming Workshop or Continuing Class (1-20 hours)
  • Beginners Level Percussion Workshop - Introduces the rhythmic concepts in Malian drumming, polyrhythmic patterns, and entry-level dunun (mallet) drum polyrhythmic/polyphonic conversations, introductory dunun patterns
  • Introduction to a multitude of percussion ensembles, playing techniques, basic hand patterns, folkloric and modern rhythms, songs
  • Introductory ensemble arrangement
  • Intermediate and advanced level of instruction also available for the various above-mentioned ensembles.
 
Jeli Workshop or Continuing Class (1-20 hours)
  • Introduces the rhythmic concepts, beginning melodies, and ensemble structure in the jeli repertoire 
  • Ensemble arrangements
    • Traditional - Guitar, N'goni, Kora, Bala, Dununba, N'taman
    • Modern - Guitar/Bass/Percussion, Guitar/Flute/Cello
  • Intermediate and advanced level of instruction also available
  • Extensive collection of instrument and ensemble recordings
  • Notations/Score for numerous Jeli arrangements

    We have previously worked with a number of Griots who are based in the USA and can arrange appearances, presentations, and performances as needed. 

     

    Bamana Pentatonic Ensemble Instruction (1-10) hours

    • Introduces the rhythmic concepts, beginning melodies, and ensemble structure in the Baman pentatonic repertoire 
    • Ensemble arrangements

      • Traditional - Guitar, Bala, Calabash
      • Modern - Guitar, Violin, Bass (also Percussion)
    • Intermediate and advanced level of instruction also available
    • Extensive collection of instrument and ensemble recordings
    • Notations/Score for numerous Bamana pentatonic arrangements