local samples: December 2008 Archives

Aminata pounding millet

mali
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Smaminatapounding0001.JPGToday in the Dogon village of Djiguibombo we learnt how to make - a kind of thick millet porridge which is pretty much the staple food in this part of Mali.  We learnt from an expert: Aminata, who is 15 and has been making the for her whole family since her mother died some years ago.  And we realised how hard work it is: you have to pound the millet into flour by hand in an enormous mortar & pestle.  Just listen to how hard she hits it.

It's worth listening to this using headphones or proper speakers - on laptop speakers you can't really hear the bass sounds of the pounding properly.

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Smaminata0001.jpgSmaminatastirring0001.JPGSmtobowl0001.JPG

Balafon and djembe

mali
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Smsegousunset0001_1.JPGWent out drinking in Ségou this evening, and found a band (Groupe Pawari) playing in a bar.  One guy with a balafon, one with a very loud djembe drum, and someone occasionally doing a bit of singing.  Actually they all seemed to be able to play all the instruments - especially Issa.

We didn't take any photos of the band, or the bar.  So here's one of the sunset instead.

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