So, this past Friday, April 11th, there was this awesome African Music performance by a group called Agbedidi Jeliya which is based in Gainesville, Florida, at the University of Florida. And I am fortunate to be a part of this awesome group Agbedidi Jeliya as one of the djembe players!

The directors of Agbedidi Jeliya are: Abou Sylla & Mohamed DaCosta – excellent teachers at the University of Florida. Also performing are: Lansana Camara (on the Cora: a string instrument), Abou Sylla (visiting from Texas on the lead djembe), Aboubacar Soumar (on bass Cora and on the large drums).

I handed my video camera to a friend sitting in the front row, hoping to get a little bit of footage. He and his son ended up filming the whole thing and good footage!

The experience on stage was such a blast! Really high and joyous energy!! I hope you can get a feel for that while watching these clips.

Enjoy!!!!!

Part 1: this is the introduction to the group as well as the first part which is called Lambam: “Griots are West African poets, praise singers, and wandering musicians that represent a repository of the area-s rich oral traditions. Also called jeli or jali, they form a special and well-respected case in West African society. This piece is dedicated to the jeli themselves, honoring their dignity and pride in being griots.”

Part 2: This piece is called Mankan: “Literally “noise”, this piece consists of variations on the dematigalan rhythm. Led by the djembe drum, and accompanied by the balafons, it highlights the expressiveness of the drum section.

Part 3: This piece is called Fosson. “While only in second grade, Abou Sylla heard “Fosson” on the radio performed by one of the greatest balafon players of the time, Elhadj Jeli Sory Kouyate; it has been a favorite of Mr. Sylla, throughout his career. Here it will showcase the balafon players and the expressiveness of the instrument.”

Part 4: This piece is called Kuramissa. “This piece is dedicated to the cousin of Mohamed DaCosta, a courageous woman who recently gave birth to quadruplets.

Part 5: This piece is called Yankadi Makuru. “This piece is composed of two related rhythms from Guinea called yankadi (slow) and makuru (fast). Both are rhythms of seduction traditionally danced under the moonlight at parties where young people – mostly teenagers – gather to play and dance, representing a time in their lives in which increased freedom is gained from their parents.”

Part 6: This piece is called Djondjon. “Featuring a double-balafon solo by Abou Sylla, “Djondjon” is based on an ancient melody dedicated to those who have endured and overcome hardships such as war, political turmoil, and persecution.”

Part 7: This piece is called Wali. “This piece features “four brothers” from Guinea: Abou Sylla, Tassana Camara, Mohamed DaCosta, and (another) Abou Sylla. Wali translates as “work”, a suitable name for a piece that encourages just that: work is necessary and rewarding part of a healthy lifestyle, as opposed to laziness. The message here is to enjoy what you do and to do it well. The musicians themselves, of course, are examples of hard work and talent manifested in a successful career.”

Part 8: This piece is called Agbedidi. “Composed by Abou Sylla, this is a praise of the ensemble’s musicians and their dedication and abilities in learning challenging material quickly. The lyrics encourage listeners and musicians alike to embrace happiness through musical participation.”

The movie doesn’t seem to be embedded so here is the link to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6YHWFBb3Sc