Transcultural collaboration within the context of West African griot music: Exploring the role of the drummer and the case of the band Faso Kan

Ossi Raippalinna

The purpose of this text is to reflect on my experiences as an active member of a culturally diverse ensemble called Faso Kan. The primary source is the artistic work of Faso Kan during the years 2006-2020. The ensemble worked intensively during 2020-21, resulting in an album completed in September 2021. My main contribution to the album was adapting and arranging traditional West African rhythms for the drum kit and performing them in the studio. This study attends to cover different aspects of that process, particularly the drummer’s point of view. I will also cover the collaboration-based music-making approaches that I encountered while working with Faso Kan. Although Faso Kan´s repertoire consists mainly of traditional pieces from Burkina Faso, the working methods resulted in music representing several musical cultures. The study is primarily based on artistic work, but I will also reflect on the related experiences of other researchers and musicians.

Cabaret - an interactive, social event

The music performed in the “cabarets” of Bobo Dioulasso has a significant impact on Faso Kan’s music, values, and working methods. The word ”cabaret” refers to an event organized by millet beer vendors and musicians. The event usually takes place in a yard or marketplace, and it starts before midday. Millet beer or “Dolo” is at its best during the day, and it continues to yeast, becoming more pungent and sourer towards the night. (Belliard F. 2001). Often the batch is finished before sunset, and the event closed. The cabaret is an open, public event for both men and women. The clients buy a calabash filled with dolo, and the first drop is always poured on the ground as an offer for the ancestors. The balafons are always in the band’s front, and people give small amounts of money for the bandleader (balafon soloist) to wish for tunes. After paying the band, the person is expected to dance to the song they paid for. In a cabaret, it is typical that people dance together in a circle or other formation. The atmosphere is often very relaxed and spontaneous. The roles between the musicians and the public are flexible, and sometimes the musicians join the dance too. Interaction and communication are essential for the course of events, and people are actively searching for ways to challenge, entertain and encourage each other on the dancefloor. The band has to be able to perform all the wishes by the public, and the soloist needs to accompany the dancer’s improvised steps on the go. To live up to the public’s expectations, the band members must master an extended repertoire and perform it freshly. Most of the musicians come from griot families.

Photos: Griot family Dembele´s band performing in a cabaret, Bobo Dioulasso 2009 NEXT PAGE

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