Salaam band

Hello again,

I hope all is peace back home. It is my fifth day here in Gambia. The weather is very nice and warm, the people have been very friendly, and I have had some wonderful kora lessons. It is nice here because this is how a lot of the Jali make their living. Jalis are the musician families of western Africa. I begin my day with a cup of tea, and my daily lesson will start shortly thereafter. Moriba, my teacher, will give me the basic part, or the kumbengo as it's known here. When I have it, he will come back and give me some variations. This pattern will continue for a good portion of the day.

The food here has been wonderful. We eat two regular meals a day. The all consist of rice, a meat of some sort, usually fish, and a vegetable such as pumpkin or eggplant, and a sauce. Here, we eat with our right hand! No utensils. It is also uncustomary to eat with the left hand. I'll leave that one to you all to figure out why! It's actually common in many other parts of the world.

I had the chance to experience a wonderful performance a couple of days ago from a group called Salaam band. This band consists of people from both Jobarteh kunda (compound), where I am staying, and the kunda next door. Jali on the kora, Moriba on balafon, Bambo on electric guitar, LJ on keyboard, an bass player, three jit drummers, and a female vocalist. All of the instruments are amplified, so the sound is very loud, but it is very good. The band performed at a wedding ceremony in one of the villages next to Brikama. It is amazing to witness just how significant of a role music plays in the lives of Gambians. It is in their blood! It's like their not even trying. Everything just flows from the heart. The guests were not shy about getting out of their seats to provide a donation of some sort. Most were even dancing as they made their way towards the stage! After each of the songs finished, the reception wasn't quite what I expected it to be. Nobody clapped, and there would be about a minute between each song. I would go on, except I only have 3 minutes left to write.

Still in a relative state of shock over all that is going on.

All my love,
until next time.....