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Africa Trip

Introduction

Our trip to Guinea is first and foremost an artistic expedition to study, observe and participate in the fascinating drum & dance culture of the Malinke and Susu people. Through the common link of music and dance, we hope to grow, not only artistically, but personally as we develop and explore our new relationships with our teachers, friends, the environment, and indeed ourselves.

The trip is for three weeks in March every year. The next trip is March 2008.

Our camp is based at Centre Illymanya ("patience school"), a simple mountaintop dwelling just below the spring of Koda - Hodi. Our facility includes access to a mountain spring, stream and waterfall, 3 large huts, toilet and bathing facilities, a drum and dance space, breath-taking views, and the friendliest neighbors ever. Illymanya is on the edge of the town of Cambalyia, a small farming village just a few kilometers east of Kindia. Kindia is a large village with country restaurants, large open-air produce and fabric markets, a couple discoteques, and more balafons per capita than probably anywhere else in the world.

Since 1999, Ryan Edwards and Milla Sylla have been in partnership, aimed at artistic and cultural sharing. In 2002, they launched the first Like Water study mission, and have been at it since.

Why Illymanya?

Remote Setting

Idyllic and remote setting Illyamania is located far from the hustle and pollution of Conakry (Guinea's capital city). We prefer instead the Africa of long ago, still present in the bush... without electricity - with stars; without alarm clocks - with birds and monkeys. Atop the mountain we enjoy hot days, cool, breezy nights, few mosquitoes, and the villagers of Cambaliya as our neighbors. Cambaliya offers us a personal and intimate participation in village life, as we co-exist on the same stream, fed by the same springs. We enjoy visits to the town oven, blacksmith, and mosque, as well as participation in drum and dance parties and other festivities. The Like Water experience in Guinea is also one of patient, focused, holistic intent - we include group balafon instruction daily, choose fewer rhythms and learn them in-depth, and enjoy the rural setting so favorable to learning.

Instructors

Led by Milla Sylla, our team of teachers was hand picked by Ryan Edwards, owner Like Water Drumworks and a professional djembe player and teacher, to represent the highest in Authenticity, approachability, and openness. Milla and his team largely represent the "Famadou Konate movement" as artists dedicated to the old traditions - proud to play and dance it the way their ancestors did, with a keen attention to detail, folklore and presentation.

• Milla Sylla & Aboulaye Konde, our djembe and dunun teachers, respectively, both are lifelong students of the drum, and have cut their teeth in the community that has surrounded Famadou Konate in Simbaya, Guinea. Both Milla and Aboulaye are well steeped in the traditional drum and song repertoires of the Malinke and the Susu people. They are veterans of numerous touring groups in Guinea, are featured on international recordings, and have been teaching westerners and Africans alike for years.
• Elhai "Djeliba" Sylla is our djeli, balafon teacher, and comedian in residence. Djeliba is a virtuoso player who seems to never tire of his instrument. From the age of 10, Djeliba began his formal study with his uncle, Alpha Camara from Boke. Djeliba now spends his life leaning over a balafon at marriages, naming ceremonies, ballet performances, and every morning as your wake up call.
• Sedouba "Tiblo" Camara, our male dance teacher, began formal dance training and performance at age 21 with the group Les Etoiles de Kaloum under the direction of the esteemed late dancer Bangily Bangoura (of Ballets Djoliba and Ballet Africains). Tiblo then worked with the famous Ensemble Koteba (the National Ensemble of the Ivory Coast) alongside Mamady Keita Tiblo moved on to join Ballet Mervailles under the direction of the famous Mohammed Kemo Sano (of Ballets Africains). Soliel d'Afrique and later Ballet Hamanah both also called upon the moves of Tiblo. These days, Tiblo co-directors his own ballet, Watafre, based in the Sibmaya district of Conakry.
• Ballet Watafre is in residence with us during our stay at Illymanya - playing for dance classes, available for private lessons (Djembe, Duns, Balafon, Kora, Songs, Dance, Gongoma), as guides to town and most importantly as our friends and host team. Members of Watafre, as well as additional special guest teachers (male and female) work under Tiblo to teach dance.

The Experience

Over the course of three weeks, travelers may participate in group drum, dance and balafon classes, five days a week. We focus on a handful of pieces and work hard to learn, understand and memorize them. At Illymanya, we live with our teachers in traditional large huts, with brick walls and thatched roofs. Our meals are taken outside. Each participant receives a professional, full-sized djembe drum, included in the price of the trip. We enjoy walks through the high mountain valleys, exploring mountain streams, field upon field of fruit and vegetables, friendly village folk, a small waterfall, and caves. At the end of our trip we head to the island of Rume for relaxing on the beach, swimming and a magical island weekend experience not soon forgotten.

Change

This will change your life, but it's not easy... Many people love drumming and dancing, but not everyone loves change. The Like Water trip is designed as an academic formula for study. We would err if we did not shed light upon the inevitable change and challenge typically present while traveling, especially in Africa. A trip of this nature will bring you into contact with perhaps some of the most open and generous people you have ever met; those people are likely also the poorest you may ever meet as well. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world meeting the the ancient world, we may find our world and self-views challenged, and perhaps changing. While this change and challenge is perhaps the most valuable to one's life, it is perhaps also some of the hardest.

The Trip in a Nutshell

The Brochure and Registration Form (PDF) contains detailed information about the trip.

Basic Schedule (Sunday through Thursday)

Awakened by balafon, our roots alarm clock
8:30	Breakfast (fresh fruit, tea, bread)
9:30-11:00	Dance Class
11:00-12:30	Drum Class
12:30	Lunch
1:30-3:00	Balafon Class
3:00	time for private lessons on any instrument
6:00	Dinner
7:00	Various activities, outings to town, concerts, etc.

Food

The food will be traditional African fare, which is based on rice with a variety of sauces. Plenty of fresh vegetables, and fruit (c'mon with those mangos) will be available. Cow, goat, chicken and fish are common meats, though vegetarian meals are available if requested. Food will be prepared by Milla's family, with an open invitation to learn. Bring your adventurous culinary spirit - you won't be disappointed.

Classes

Five days a week will offer the above schedule of classes. A conscious effort has been made to select teachers of not only the highest authenticity, but also of approachability and adjustability - as teaching westerners so greatly demands. Classes will build on a repertoire, with the intent that the students will return having been exposed to the rhythms, dance, and balafon melodies of a few select pieces. Djembe accompaniments, dunun parts, echauffements, solo phrases and unison figures will be covered. Dance classes are open to all, with an emphasis on those who come to study dance specifically. Travelers are welcome to play for the dance class. Balafon classes move slowly, and as a group. Advanced students will be challenged, beginning students will be nurtured.

Weekends

The first and second weekends will include trips into the Kindia market center, famous for its fabric, especially indigo tie-dyed. Carvings, baskets, beads, and the best slingshots are also available. We will set out in small-guided groups, and meet at an open-air restaurant for dinner. Other outings may include seeing balafon builders in action, fabric being died and woven, hikes in the bush, and so on.

Our last weekend has now become a trip to the island of Rume, an hour boat ride off the coast, for hammocks, Frisbee and swimming. Rume is filled with artists, and drum and dance events abound on the island.

Price

The full price of this year's trip is $3,550, which includes:

• Round trip airfare - Detroit to Conakry / Conakry - Detroit
• Travel visa
• Travel insurance
• Lodging, based on double occupancy
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Drum, Dance, and Balafon classes 5 days a week
• Transport to and from Airport in Conakry
• Transportation in Guinea
• Trips to Market Center of Kindia, trip to Island of Rume
• Professional djembe (yours to keep)

 

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