It features nine stellar percussionists demonstrating nine complex, propulsive, compelling and exhilirating pieces and came about after a 1987 meeting between an Afro-French percussionist and the Guinean National Director of Culture and a French cultural advisor in Guinea.
When the ensemble was assembled, it rehearsed and developed its program and was launched on an European tour, during which this album was recorded. Instruments include:
- the djembe, which has a goatskin head and laced cording on a redwood body;
- the doundoumba, which is a bass drum using 55 gallon metal containers, rather than the older wood models, that are wrapped in skin applied with tension;
- the sangbeni, made of smaller metal containers with tensioned skin and generally attached to the doundoumba, for a different bass sound;
- the kenkeni, which is a smaller version of the previous two and hit with a stick;
- the krin, which is a hollowed portion of a tree trunk with slots and hit with two sticks;
- the wassakhoumba, a castanet-like instrument made of calabashes;
- the fedoundoun, a water drum made of two calabashes;
- and the sikko, which is a five-part instrument has a square wood frame with a goatskin head that can be tuned.
Of the nine pieces, several are played by the entire ensemble, while others have soloists, ranging from one to seven of the players in the group. Some reflect tribal dancers, others tell stories based on the traditions of tribal groups, one reflects the use of coded messages used in forests, and another comes from a circumcision ceremony.
Not only are these pieces played with consummate skill, power and intensity, but the recording conditions were excellent and the sound is stunning, adding to the impact the ensemble generates. Anyone who loves percussion and African drumming in particular will be especially impressed by this fantastic album.
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