Skip to content
+34 610 343 361 - info@kumakonda.com
  • English
    • Español (Spanish)
Kumakonda

African Travel Experience

  • Trips
    • EXPEDITIONS
      • Chad Gerewol – October 2022
  • Destinations
    • Columna 1
      • CHAD
      • CONGO (DRC)
    • Columna 2
      • BENIN
  • Blog
    • Culture
      • Dambe: the fight club in northern Nigeria
      • Bijagos Islands in Guinea Bissau, where women rule
    • WildLife
      • Dzanga Sangha, probably the best forest reserve in Africa
      • Zakouma National Park in Chad
      • Visiting the Cantanhez National Park in Guinea Bissau
    • Tours
      • Ennedi; the Eden of the Sahara. Chronicles of a tour to Chad II
      • Ounianga Lakes, chronicles of a tour to Chad I
      • Hiking in Fouta Djallon, Guinea Conakry
      • Travel to Sierra Leone, 12 reasons why you should not miss this country
    • Overland
      • Why travel overland in Africa?
      • Our Overland Truck 4×4
  • ABOUT US
    • Responsible travel in Africa, our philosophy
    • Overland Africa Central – Desert, jungle and tribes
    • Overlanding West Africa

African Culture & Music Expedition “Deep Roots” – Exclusive trip – Febr 2024

SEND ME MORE INFOrmation
“In the forest, when the branches fight, the roots embrace” African oral tradition ——————————————————————————————– “The roots: the invisible, the immaterial, the indiscriminate, the silence, from which everything emanates and to which everything returns. It is the trunk, the place of inter-fertilisation, of encounter, from which our gaze and our attention are inspired”. Doudou Diene
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
  • PRICE 3.800 €
  • DEPARTURE Bamako, Mali, Thursday, February 1st, 2024
  • ARRIVAL Banjul, The Gambia, Thursday 22 February 2024
  • COUNTRIES VISITED Mali, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Senegal and the Gambia
  • DURATION: 22 days
  • GROUP: until 12 passengers
  • TRAVEL STYLE music, culture, tradition
  • TRANSPORTATION all types of public transport organized privately.
  • GUIDED BY: Nuria Domenech & Austerio Alonso

African Culture & Music Expedition "Deep Roots"by Nuria Doménech & Austerio Alonso

This journey is an approach to the world of African oral and musical tradition. The word in Africa has been the element that has been the basis for the transmission of epics, tales, legends, the history of ancient kingdoms or family memories. Through the djelis (griots) and music or puppeteers, we will travel to the cultural and social roots of this part of the continent. We will also get to know some of the most respected brotherhoods in West Africa, such as the Donso hunters' and blacksmiths' guilds, and learn how each job has its own rhythm...

dozo hunters with their rifles in the forest

In addition to the oral tradition, the Bogolan fabrics reveal that the writing and drawings that are displayed on the cloths encode family biographies, advice and incantations...

Without wishing to be exhaustive, as the journey would take years and years (and we would certainly continue to document and learn), we do intend this "African Deep Roots" journey to be a sensory journey, a learning journey, a great little introduction to the origins, we want to delve into the roots.

African Music Expedition
Troubadour playing the Ngoni, Malinke Country

Cultural and Music Expedition

Music and dance

  1. A fascinating approach to the world of the Griots, the living history of West Africa. The whole route
  2. Visits to different instrument-making workshops. The whole tour
  3. Mali: Balafon, ngoni, jam session, fusion and more...
  4. Guinea Conakry: Balafón, Dundunba, percusión, ngoni, bolón, etc
  5. Casamance y Gambia: Kora, percussion and singing. Jam session evenings and small stage.

AUTHOR'S TRIP by Nuria Domenech and Austerio Alonso

Nuria Domenech: Ethnomusicologist and music manager of Momi Maiga, among other artists, specialises in the study of West African oral tradition music. Her approach is based on an anthropological, social and cultural approach. She has lived for four years between Guinea Conarky and Senegal, and with her incomparable knowledge of the field and guiding the Austerio Alonso expedition, we will live a wonderful and profound African musical and cultural experience.

Music and dance in Africa
Aliu Gasama, who will introduce us to the world of the Kora.

Cultural & Music Expedition through Casamance, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Mali

West Africa has an enormous diversity of peoples, each with their own customs, languages and traditions. On this expedition to the roots of West Africa we will travel from Mali to Gambia through Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau and Casamance, focusing much of the journey on the fascinating Malinke culture.

The Malinke, originally descendants of the Mali Empire, have spread throughout most West African countries since the days of the Empire's first ruler, Sundjata Keita, and today belong to the largest ethno-linguistic group in West Africa, the Mande.

mural depicting the assembly of the Mande empire in 1236

Most Malinka live in family compounds in traditional rural villages run by a chief or a group of elders. Agriculture has always been their predominant occupation. Today, almost all Malinka in Africa are Muslim, although a mixture of Islam and traditional rituals is still quite common in the countryside.

African Music Expedition

Djelis (Griots) and oral tradition

But most Malinkes still live in an oral society, with a tradition of oral history going back hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation through songs, proverbs and stories of griot family members with famous surnames such as Konte, Suso, Jobarteh and Kouyate (the first griot). For centuries, these were the traditional historians, genealogists, praise singers, war agitators, denouncers, denouncers, advisors, arbiters, jesters, gossipers, satirists, reporters and political commentators. Only those born into the griot caste could become enjali, and unlike their fellow tribesmen, they did not have to work in the fields or fight.

Griots Africa

SOLI Malinke

Next year we are very lucky to have been invited to a big "Soli", circumcision party. Our hosts, a family of Nunaka Fadakudu (blacksmiths) since time immemorial, will show us in depth many of the secrets of the Malinke culture. A world of tradition, culture, music and powerful masks for protection. We will spend 3 days attending the different celebrations of the Soli of circumcision.

mask of dozo hunters and man with gri gri

https://youtu.be/721-daxIoNE
SEND ME MORE INFOrmation

DETAILED ITINERARY

IMAGES GALERIE

THIS TRIP INCLUDES

THIS TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE

SEND ME MORE INFOrmation

Kumakonda values & our travel philosophy

  • About us
  • For whom are our trips in Africa
  • Responsible travel in Africa, our philosophy
  • Terms and-conditions

Kumakonda Trips & Destinations

  • Kumakonda trips
  • Destinations in Africa
  • Kumakonda blog

Follow us

Facebook-f Twitter Youtube Instagram

2023 © All rights reserved

Developed with ❤ by WordPress Combo

YES, send me more info about this trip

I agree with treatment of my contact data in order to receive your commercial info.

Scroll to Top