SHARING THE MANDING EMPIRE FROM A VILLAGE PERSPECTIVE
The Manding Empire is a people of West Africa mainly present in Mali and Guinea. Mamady Mansare is a descendent of Soundiata Keita, the founder of the Manding Empire who grew up in a remote village in eastern Guinea, Western Mending Empire. Mamady loves to share his rich village culture with others, which hasn’t changed in centuries. In his “Sharing the Manding” program, participants will learn about this peaceful, kind and sharing people with special emphasis on his home village of Coyah.
Duration – One hour
Age Suitability – Adults
Program Outline
- Introduction
- Social Relations
- Cultivation of mutual aid
- Neighbors
- Structure of family (roles of elders, young men and women, paternal uncle, roles of first wife in the marital home)
- Traditions
- Initiation (circumcision for boys, excision for girls)
- Healing spiritual dance
- Beliefs
- Marriage and reason for polygamy
- Economic Sustainability
- Farming and livestock
- Women’s cottage industries
- Climate challenges
- Living Conditions
- Shared dwellings
- Water accessibility
- Electricity
- The African Cultural Arts Institute’s Support for Mamady’s Village
- Women’s cottage industries
- Drum and dance schools
- Sponsors to further students’ education
LIFELONG LEARNING
THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN GUINEA VILLAGE LIFE
Duration – One hour
Age Suitability – Adults
Program Outline:
Introduction
Singing and Dancing
Explanation of how singing and dancing play a vital role in celebrations and other village events.
Musical Instruments
Explanation of origin and demonstration of drum, flute, and balafor (a gourd-resonated xylophone)
Drumming and Village Celebrations
Description of how and when drumming takes place in villages (e.g., weddings, community fishing, baby naming).
Rhythm Demonstrations through Drumming, Song and Dance
Kassa – motivate people working in the fields
Kuku – community fishing celebration
Sofa – to welcome village hunters
Questions and Answers – Exchange with Audience
The Mandeng Empire is a people of West Africa mainly present in Mali and Guinea. Mamady Mansare is a descendent of Soundiata Keita, the founder of the Mandeng Empire.He grew up in a remote village in eastern Guinea. He loves to share rich culture with others. Which has not changed in centries. In sharing the program, you will learn about this peaceful, kind and sharing people with emphasis on his home village of Coyah. Participants will learn, understand and gain.
Role of Drumming in village life:
Each village of Guinea has a public place in the middle of the village where all the public events are held. There are two seasons Dry season and the rainy season. In the rainy season, we rarely drum except that there is a mutual aid for any cultivation. Drumming is held more in the dry season after harvesting. Drumming in a village is to gather the community and bring spirits alive. As long as drumming is held in the village kids will learn rhythms because in the village we do not have school for music.
Drumming for the wedding
Drumming celebrate the traditional community fishing
Drumming for the baby naming
Drumming for the king
Drumming for all the reception
Drumming for the hunters etc…
How do we celebrate mutual aid for cultivation in village life?
Explanation…
Kassa rhythm is played with the song for cultivators working in the field to motivate and encourage them.
Instruments are very important and significant in village life
How was the drum, flute, and balafon discovered and played?
Song and dance came first before drumming.
The dance represents the meaning of the song
Kuku is played with the song in my village for the traditional community fishing celebration in the dry season. There are particular rivers which are fished annually. It is a big annual celebration. During this celebration, many of the conflicts between a couple members of any families will be resolved ( families reconciliations). Many sacrifices for the village and children abroad. Large prayers from oldest to the ancestors . Large
It is different from other community fishing etc.
I can do a little demonstration of kuku dance and song.
Regular traditional community fishing
Annual traditional community fishing in village - Sofa rhythm is played in the village to welcome the Warriors ( modern call military ). Hunters are the warriors for the village because they use shotguns.
I can do a little demonstration of sofa dance and song. Hunters around 1840
Hunters six years ago in my village
Generally the traditional music in vilage is different than western style.
A short explanation..