Submitted by sam.dickey on Tue, 05/31/2011 - 11:12
The guitar is quite possibly the world’s most popular instrument, and as a result, almost every part of the world has developed its own way of playing. The guitar has been integrated to varying degrees into the traditional music of Brazil, India, the Middle East, and many other countries and regions. However, no part of the world has adopted, integrated, and transformed the guitar like West Africa.
Since the guitar arrived in West Africa in the 60s, the guitar styles that have developed are based on the melodies and music of traditional instruments, which are translated onto the guitar. In Mali, where the traditional lute called the ngoni holds a special cultural significance, the core of the guitar style draws from ngoni music.
To show this connection, I've recorded two videos of me playing the same song, first on ngoni then on guitar.
'Kaira' played on ngoni
'Kaira' played on guitar
As you can see (and hear), I play the same variations and melody in both versions, it's only the accompaniments that are different. This demonstrates how the melodies and articulations of traditional instruments are moved onto the guitar. I experienced this process firsthand when I was in Mali. While playing and studying with kora players, ngoni players, balafonists, and guitarists, I would encounter a variety of melodies, variations, and accompaniments. Sometimes it was difficult to recognize the same song played on a different instrument! However, I would always try to find ways to translate this material to both the guitar and the ngoni.
This process of moving traditional music onto the guitar shows how the guitar has been Africanized. In this process, completely unique styles of guitar playing have been created, and the musical traditions of West Africa have been brought face-to-face with the music of America and Europe.
Submitted by sam.dickey on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 00:01
My name is Sam Dickey, and I'm a recent addition to the Brooklyn Music Lessons roster of teachers. I have trained and worked extensively as a jazz guitarist, but have also spent a lot of time playing funk, rock, and world music. My most recent musical foray took me to the West African nation of Mali, where I spent about five months playing with kora maestro Toumani Diabate's band. I had a blast, and it was an amazing opportunity to fully immerse myself in a tradition that has been a part of my life and music for a very long time.
On that note, I'd like to invite everyone to a West African Guitar workshop I'm teaching this Sunday at the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music. This workshop is not affiliated with Brooklyn Music Lessons, but it would be an opportunity to get to know me as a teacher in a group setting, as well as an introduction to some of the material I have to offer. I've included the event description below, but I'll get to the point and say that you should come out if you want to learn to do this:
Explore the exquisite, infectious, and sonorous guitar styles of West Africa in this unique workshop. West African music draws on traditions that date from before the 13th century, and contains the roots of jazz, blues, old-time music, funk, rock, and many other strands of American music. The result of this centuries-long musical development is a music that is percussive yet lyrical, energized yet majestic. This workshop will provide an introduction to the vast body of melodies and folklore that makes up West African guitar music, with tablature available for further study. Come with open ears and be prepared for some musical adventures!
Sam Dickey is a guitarist/composer and a recent arrival in New York. Although he has a deep background in jazz, African music has been a huge part of Sam's life since he spent two years in Burkina Faso as a child. Fresh off a five month stint playing with Toumani Diabate's band and studying the ngoni (a traditional lute) in Mali, Sam performs on both coasts and teaches regularly, specializing in jazz and the musical traditions of West Africa.
