LISTEN: (Look at "Listening Notes")
“My name is Mawdo Suso I am a jali and I want to tell something about me. I was born in Sutukoba, in the Wully Kanape Region (Wully is the name of an ancient kingdom which included the territories that go from the upper river bank of the Gambia through to Senegal towards Mali, including the city of Tamba Kounda, ndr). My ancestors were griots from the Waali family, the last kings of Gabu (Janke Waali was the king of Gabu at the time when the kingdom had to subjugate to the Peuls who were headed by Alpha Yaya, nrd). It was the Pheuls who made us move to Fode Kunda, the city I left when I go married. From Fode Kunda I married Sami. The origins of my family come from a region with two names; Fode Kunda Wully and Waali Kunda, those were our aristocrats (kunda means “the house of”, ndr). Today we serve El Hadji Seni Sunhateh, his brother, his sisters and his children. We came to Sukta Sabiji in order to stay close to them.
One of my ancestors was Siriman Sansan. Siriman came from the East and had a son named Tamba Jali. Tamba Jali had many wives and children; one of them was named Jontan Suso. Jaliya is diffuses like seeds. Thanks to this inheritance one can have something to live on. When we, as jali go visit our nobles they give us everything, clothes, animals, food and even money. We usually never ask for anything. If someone wants to really do something for you but has no means, he can’t do it, for this reason we don’t ask for anything. Those who have the means to thank the jali can offer them anything, also horses, donkeys, sheep, clothing”. (Interview to Jali Mawdo Suso , Gambia , 2010. Translation by Pape Kanoute).
Mawdo Suso is the greatest living balafon player in Gambia . The Mandingo music in Gabu did not channel through the disco graphic industry filter like it has instead happened to many musicians in Mali . Probably also for this reason the music sounds more rough, rural and primordial. The Gambian kora doesn’t linger in sighing melodies, just like the balafon of Mawdo that vibrates proud of its dirty dissonances, dear to the African esthetical. The voices are cavernous and broken and often they let themselves go to develop a ritual dialogue where the jalis singing acts as echo to another jali who responds, approves and thanks. The polyrhythms are free and complicated; the songs are long and hypnotizing. It is a hard experience to listen to the music from Gabu, an experience that can become intoxicating and evocative.
As soon as we arrived in Serrekunda we met Yusuf the oldest sibling of Mawdo’s family. Yusuf together with his brother Ousmane – balafon and kora – have enchanted us for a whole evening. It was not the mastery of technique and virtuosism of their solos that have overwhelmed us but also the freedom of their creativity, a proneness and a desire to explore sounds and new harmonies starting off by their deep knowledge and respect for tradition and for their ancient jaliya.
So the following day we are at Mawdo’s house, in one of Serrekunda’s suburbs, without electricity. It is called Sukuta Sabiji. Jimba’s Peujeot struggles to arrive over the dusty roads that cross some fields. We enter and we are loaded with greetings and smiles from young people and children. Balafon everywhere.
“In my family we all play balafon, it is a jaly inheritance. Me, I was born with the balafon. I started playing when I was small, when I was seven and today I have passed on the tradition to my children. The balafon is an instrument that has had its own evolution. In the ancient times it only had 15 cursor keys, and then it reached 17. Today the balafon has 21 keys and its potentials have much increased. We inherit the knowledge of the family but we have surpassed our fathers, just like our children will go beyond us. Knowledge extends always forward.
To bring forth the jaliya requires respect for the costumes and for traditions. Each country has its own traditions. If there is no respect for the costumes one can not achieve peace. Young people need to respect aged people so do the sons and daughters need to respect their parents. The jeliya that we are transmitting from father to son means exactly this.
I have not travelled much throughout Africa , only Gambia and Senegal . While I have been often to Europe ; England , Holland , Belgium , Germany , Austria , France , Spain and Switzerland and also in the States. Travelling is like studying, it makes you be aware of things directly. He who travels sees everything, and he does not limits himself to knowing only what others say. Although I have not travelled much in Africa , I have known other styles of African music because I have met many African musicians in Europe and I have played together with them. Once upon a time there was no chance of listening to recorded music but today there is also the television. I have also discovered other music by travelling.
Also my wives are jails, daughters of jails. My first wife is Jali Fune Kuyateh and her sister has married El Hadji Lamine Suso and is mother of Jimba Suso who has accompanied you to my house. We are one single family”.
Notwithstanding that Mawdo Suso is an icon of Gambian music; he welcomes us in his house with simplicity and with an open smile. Just after the presentations he sits behind his balafon and starts playing, accompanied by Yusuf and Ousmane. Together they generate a storm of rhythms. His wives, Jali Fune Kuyateh and Coumba Suso, sing a powerful chant and the young daughters let themselves go to some elegant dance. The kindness of this family shapes with this extraordinary show for which we were not prepared and while the sun sets quickly the musical thunderstorm calms down just in the same way it had started.
We are dazed, Yusuf smiles happily. He warned us about his father being a master and now we witness this. We will return tomorrow, we want to record both him and the Wully Band, the modern orchestra formed by Yusuf, about whom we will write, notwithstanding the fame and success that they obtain locally they still have not managed to leave behind a testimonial recording. But most of all we wish to spend more time in this house so full of culture, art and life, where parents and children live happily, proudly and in love together.
1. Kaira (Wallai Records)
Mawdo Suso: balafon
Yusuf Suso: balafon
Mohammed Suso: balafon
Fune Kuyateh: voice
Coumba Suso: voice
Wallai Records, january 2010, Sukuta Sabiji, Serrekunda, Gambia.
2. Ginamuso (Wallai Records)
Yusuf Suso: balafon
Wallai Records, january 2010, Sukuta Sabiji, Serrekunda, Gambia.
3. Tunko Darbo (Jaliology)
Dembo Konte: kora and voice
Kausu Kuyateh: kora and voice
Mawdo Suso: balafon and voice
Tratto da Jaliology, Xenophile, 1995
Mawdo Suso composition for Tunko Darbo, one of his patron from Fodekunda.
4. Ke Koto Mani (Chedo) (Jaliology)
Dembo Konte: kora and voice
Kausu Kuyateh: kora and voice
Mawdo Suso: balafon and voice
Tratto da Jaliology, Xenophile, 1995
Kora classic, tells the story of Janke Waali, last king of Gabu.
5. Lambango (Jaliology)
Mawdo Suso: balafon and voice
Tratto da Jaliology, Xenophile, 1995
Ancient manden classic.
T. P. Africa wants to be a small bridge reaching a living land. The suffix T. P. - Tout Puissant (almighty) - wants to highlight Africa's potentials,
1 comment:
Mawdo is the greatest. I love, when he play the balofon and Fune Kuyateh sing.
Thans
amie kora
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