Mahama Braimah, goonji group leader
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about:
Master Fiddlers of Dagbon
Master Fiddlers of Dagbon
Dagbamba
Goonji Fiddle Music
(essay and recording notes)
REVIEWS
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(essay and recording notes)
"Much
of the rhythmic drive comes not from
solo work but from the music’s steady yet shifting pulsations. Goonji music offers a
superb illustration of
how one may attribute the notion of percussive attack to a fiddler’s
bowing
technique. The
rattles’ complementary
flourishes are broken by extended periods of straightforward yet
energized
time-keeping, and I cannot think of any other music in which that
simple beat
from the rattles would seem so stunning. "
Sample songs:
Dogua Bayoyoyo (7:04)
Wanda Ya Chi Magani Yaa Baata (6:35)
"In most goonji songs, the vocal phrasing of the chorus or responsive line is duplicated in the responsive parts of the fiddles. The songs generally begin with this phrasing maintained for enough time to establish the song and its rhythmic dynamic. The leader sings various stanzas against this response, and the song gradually builds in intensity as the tempo quickens and the goonjis take flights on their instruments."
Sample MP3s present only the first few seconds of a song, and getting a real sense of goonji music from such a sample is futile. To encourage understanding of goonji music, I would recommend listening to a full song. The tempo and dynamics of the song begin changing about two minutes in and by four minutes in, the music is in full swing.
Dogua Bayoyoyo (7:04)
Wanda Ya Chi Magani Yaa Baata (6:35)
"In most goonji songs, the vocal phrasing of the chorus or responsive line is duplicated in the responsive parts of the fiddles. The songs generally begin with this phrasing maintained for enough time to establish the song and its rhythmic dynamic. The leader sings various stanzas against this response, and the song gradually builds in intensity as the tempo quickens and the goonjis take flights on their instruments."
Sample MP3s present only the first few seconds of a song, and getting a real sense of goonji music from such a sample is futile. To encourage understanding of goonji music, I would recommend listening to a full song. The tempo and dynamics of the song begin changing about two minutes in and by four minutes in, the music is in full swing.
REVIEWS
Order from:
