MENDIANI

This is the "dance of the Mendiani." "Mendiani" is a title for virgin girls (6-14) who are specially initiated into a secret society of dancers. The elder women of the society were former Mediani themselves. They watch the young girls dance and select one (or several) to train them in this special dance. The girls must not only be good dancers, but also fearless, for the must perform their dance moves on the shoulders and head of a man. (There are 5 girls and 5 men chosen.) The Mendiani wear a special costume to perform, which they are not allowed to wear after they have lost their virginity. They become elders in the society and train future generations in the dance. The training goes on in secret. [The dance is no longer done. I assume that the secret societies have also faded out. This rhythm, however, is still extremely popular.]

Mamady said he has heard many non-Africans (and non-Mande Africans) play this song incorrectly. He said, "When I hear this song played wrong, it hurts my heart."

The key to the rhythm is the Sangba part (which, BTW, Joh Camara also

taught at the Jembe Institute this year, but Joh used different Dununba and Kenkeni parts). The Sangba part announces that this is Mendiani, and not any other 12/8 rhythm.

Mamady intentionally demonstrated an incorrect version, to show how he has heard Americans play this song (This IS the Soli sangba part):

He said, "CA N'EXISTE NULPART!" ("This exists nowhere!" or, Mendiani is played this way nowhere. As it turns out, this is the Sangba line I was first taught for Mendiani! I'm glad I know the difference now. I've been working on teaching the correct part to as many people around here as I can. BTW, I believe this second (incorrect Mendiani) Sangba actually belongs in the song Soli Rapide.)

Back to the real version:

Note: This is the "simple" dununba part. Mamady also taught a "complex" version:

Mendiani Djembe parts

NAME OF RHYTHM: Mendiani (Mandiani, Mindiani, Manjani,

COUNTRY: Guinea (various sources)

OTHER NAMES: In Guinea this rhythm is also called Denadon (Le Tambour Djembe)

REGIONAL/ETHNIC GROUPS:

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:

Each village has a Mendiani - that is a girl who has mastered the dance Mendiani. When she becomes older, she must find a young girl to replace her. She teaches the dance to this girl, at night, outside the village. During the Mendiani festival, the dancer dances alone in the village square, while a second girl (Lafe) with a rattle dances around her at a distance. The Mendiani rhythm may be played on numerous other occasions as well. (Famoudou Konate)

Dance by young virgin girls between the ages of seven and fourteen who are dressed in a special costume for this dance. The rhythm is one of rejoicing and welcome. (Mamady Keita / Nanakama notes) This is the "dance of the Mendiani. "Mendiani" is a title for virgin girls who are specially initiated into a secret society of dancers. The elder women of the society were former Mediani themselves. They watch the young girls dance and select one (or several) to train them in this special dance. The girls must not only be good dancers, but also fearless, for the must perform their dance moves on the shoulders and head of a man. The Mendiani wear a special costume to perform, which they are not allowed to wear after they have lost their virginity. They become elders in the society and train future generations in the dance. The training goes on in secret, from what I understand. The dance is no longer done. I assume that the secret societies have also faded out. This rhythm, however, is still extremely popular.(Mamady Keita, transcribed from workshop notes by

Adam Rugo)

My source for Manjani comes from a French colonial article published in 1924. It was certainly associated with young girl dancers in upper Guinea(the region of Siguiri especially), primarily with Maninka (known as Malinke in French colonial writing). This is the region usually cited as the source for the tradition, just as Kouroussa (not too far from Siguiri) is cited as the source for Dundunba. Ladji Camara had indicated that one of the lead dancers in Les Ballets Africains of the 1950s was a Manjani (best pre-pubescent dancer in her village) when she was young. (Eric Charry)

Played to test the dancing skills of pre-initiated young girls. (Journey into Rhythm)

This rhythm is played mainly for young pubescent girls to celebrate good harvests. (Le Tambour Djembe)

A popular dance historically performed by young people after the harvest season. In contemporary times, Mandyani is performed for different occasions as marriages, naming ceremonies and rites of passage. (Djimo Kouyate)

Now recognized as a dance of celebration and often danced by men and women, this dance was originally called the dance of the panther. It was danced by young women as they returned home after their period of initiation. (Mark Sunkett CD liner notes)

A Malinke rhythm from Guinea. It is dance by young virgin children displaying their happiness at becoming adults in their society. This lively, joyful rhythm is also played at festive occasions, such as at harvest time when the dancers strut their stuff with many fancy steps, acrobatics and incredible grace. (Drum Call)

A celebration dance from the Malinke people performed at the time of the full moon. (Bamidele)

A dance for circumcision. The villagers sing to welcome the circumcised after their initiation time. (Drums of Goree) Performed after Harvest in the Kayes region [of Mali] (Tambours Mali) <There is extensive information about Mandiani in Mark Sunkett's book

MANDANI DRUM AND DANCE>

RELATED RHYTHMS:

Dennadon (Mamady Keita), Lafe (4/4, source F.Konate) and Dendon (12/8, not Denadon, source Delmundo Keita, Guinean dununfola based in Holland). (from Yves Goulnik)

"Dennadon is the name of the rhythm played as a processional for the Mendiani dancers. Dennadon is track #1 on Mamady Keita's album "Nankama." The explanation of the purpose for Dennadon is in the notes to the album (also see the Dennadon Cross Ref page), and has been confirmed by Mamady in his workshops. (Jim Banks)

SONG LYRICS:

Ina Layila Kobenatoumanale

Dia Ha DIa Donnabenta Dia

Ho Ho Ho Hoho Ho Ho Ho (Nimba)

I've taken two workshops with Mamady Keita in which he taught Mendiani. He explained very clearly that the sangban part to Mendiani goes like this (with the break):

I've seen several sources that confirm this. Fine - I'm comfortable playing that part. Mamady taught it, it's right. (This is, apparently, a similar version to the one taught by Famoudou Konate, except that Famoudou changes the last open stroke to a closed stroke.)

In the workshop, Mamady said, "I've heard the sangban played like this:

Tonight I started playing Mendiani in the dance class taught by my Ivorian dancer friend, Diadie. The class was almost a complete disaster. I have to credit my drum crew, Donna, Rick, Tom, and Wolfie, for hanging in there and adjusting what we had practiced to what Diadie was asking us to play. Something was not clear at all during class. Based on the movements, Diadie asked for the break at a spot in the rhythm that made no sense. He said that the closed stroke is what he's listening for to cue the dance step. The dancers change sides in the first movement on the closed stroke of the sangban. With the move from step one to step two, the break seemed to have to be placed in a totally weird place, like starting on the "uh" of two. I was completely confused and Diadie was very frustrated.

After class, he told me, "I've never heard this Mendiani you play before: "bin - bin - - bap - - bin - bin -". The Mendiani I know is: "Bin-bin-bin-bin--bap--"." I said, "It's the same! We're just starting at a different place." "No, it's not the same," he insisted. "I usually listen to the sangban in Mendiani to know when the dance step starts, but when you play it, I have to listen to the djembe. The sangban part you play isn't the one I know." It was clear from the dance, once we got the groove going, that he was stepping on the "one" of the djembe part. I demonstrated our (Mamady's) sangban with the djembe. "Is that right?" "No, I don't know this." "Okay, how about this way," and I played it this way with the break:

"Yes! That's it!" said Diadie.

As you can see, the version that Diadie understands as Mendiani is a version that Mamady claimed was incorrect. Diadie is Soninke. He grew up part of the time in Kayes, Mali, and part of the time in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (in a Mande-speaking neighborhood they call "Dioulabougou," meaning "place of the Jula"). It may be that what Mamady meant was, "this is the version played in Upper Guinea," or maybe, "played in Guinea." The version Diadie knows he says is the one everyone in Dioulabougou plays. It may be an Ivorian version or a Malian version, I don't know. I listened to the four or five recorded versions of Mendiani that I have on CD and there is no continuity between them. I hear Mamady's version on _Nankama_ and I understand it as Mendiani. But then I hear other versions and think, "what the heck is this? It has none of the recognizable Mendiani parts!"

Mamady was adamant that any other version of the sangban was incorrect. He even said that, when he hears it played wrong, "it hurts my heart." You know I'm working as hard as I can to play the authentic traditional rhythms shown to me by African master drummers. I'm not trying to hurt anybody, I'm just trying to play the song the way I've been taught. Now, when I have to play it in dance class for a professional African dancer, it turns out I'm screwing it up. Diadie's version is not Mamady's version, and until tonight, all I knew was Mamady's version.

BTW, I just checked Mark Sunkett's book, _Mandiani Drum and Dance_, and on p. 53, he has a transcription of the sangban (he calls it sangbe') as played by M'Bemba Bangoura:

(It's kind of a cross between Diadie's version, with the beginning of the phrase on the "one " and Famoudou's version, with two closed strokes instead of just one closed stroke.) Here is Sunkett's bio of Bangoura:

"M'Bemba Bangoura is of the Susu people of Guinea. He has played the Djimbe with the National Ballet of Guinea for fifteen years." (p. 175)

So, I now have before me two versions presented by Malinke drummers, one from a Soninke dancer, and one from a Susu drummer. What's right? What's not? Alls I know, see, is I better be playing it Diadie's way next time his class meets. Necessity is the mother of correctness. If the master dancer or drummer in the room says it goes this way and not that way, I better do as he says. Then I can write you all on the internet and question the contradictions we students of Mande music have to live with.

(etc.)

this is exactly what I hear being played in Bamako (both festival and ballet, see for one example CD Dunbia 1997 "Donkili" track 14), in Siby (Mt. Mandingues) region and in Bouaké by Adama Dramé on his early 1979 classic recording.

Djimo Kouyate teaches Manjani (Mendiani, Mandiani, etc.) in a way similar to the way you described from Diadi:

which I've also heard played:

(This was in a dance class with Djimo at SJI)

I've also heard it played the way you described from Mamady Keita:

I'm sure it isn't "traditional," but they sound pretty good together: