Guinea

Trip Start Nov 11, 2008

Trip End Feb 01, 2009

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Where I stayed

Famoudou Konate's house

(Conakry hotels)

Flag of Guinea Conakry, Guinea
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Well I'd been wanting to go to Guinea for a long time ... I'd spoken with people who had gone, seen pictures and read about it ... but nothing really prepares you for it. The area that I stayed in is extremely poor, didn't have sealed roads and the rainy season eats concret, so things are pretty tough for the people who live there (many of who don't have enough to eat every day). The guys who came round to sell statues and masks were desperate and a little pushy ... I had to walk past them to get to my room, so running the gauntlet several times a day was an interesting experience.

The coup was interesting, although it didn't really have a direct impact on us ... the army set up road blocks to extort money outside of Conakry, but that was about it. The day that the death of the president was announce we were due to head out to Sangbarala (Famoudou's home village in the centre of the country), but we decided to wait an see how the situation unfolded before making the trip. In the end we decided the leave the next day, which is when the rebel threat was announced ... but I didn't find that out until we had made it back to Conakry.

Sangbarala was unlike anything I have ever seen, a village of thatched mud huts on a river that joins the Niger. The dust and poverty is very confronting (it was the first time I have ever seen the bloated stomachs of children who are starving). The music and dancing for the ceremonies were unbelievable. That being said, the trip out was an adventure ... the 660km of potholed roads took 20 hours to drive, and the minibus and packed to the roof ... true African style.

The drumming was great! Famoudou is a very humble man, considering everything that he has achieved, and an excellent teacher. We studied a new rhythm every day, which meant that I didn't advance as much as technically as I otherwise might have ... but it was very interesting to get exposure to a lot of new music.

We made a side trip out to the island of Roume, it was the only part of the country that might attract non drumming tourists ... quiet nice and peaceful. I wouldn't recommend Guinea to anyone, except the most hardened drumming enthusiast.