Mande Music

Eric Charry digs into various sources (very old tales by arab travellers, orale tradition, archives and studies from Mali, Guinea, Senegal and the Gambia) to describes this musical culture from its birth in the XIIIth century till recording studios from Paris and New-York.
He concentrated on four major fields of mandingo music : hunters’ music, griots’music, djembe art and modern style based on guitar playing. He describes the evolution of each style, the musical instruments, the major artists and the relations between various styles. Completed by maps, illustrations and partitions, this study offers a wide bibliography, discography, a CD and video.