Virtuoso Percussion Ensemble Visit Finney on World Tour

by Tim Willcutts
12/8/00

In 1988, the Republic of Guinea’s ministry of culture gathered the finest drummers in the country to form Les Percussions de Guinee, an ensemble that packs as much technical virtuosity as they do humor-laden charisma. Now on their 2000 and 2001 world tour, these sixteen drummers left Finney Chapel reeling last Saturday evening with an inexhaustible two hour set of music, dancing and implicit narratives. 
They took the stage in white-feathered head-dresses, swinging their djembes and extending their arms to the audience between beats, making visual splendor as much a priority as the music. Most astonishing were the spastic dances drummers would intermittently perform. While maintaining a firm, centered stance, the dancer would begin shaking ecstatically, as though on fire, turning him or herself into an indistinguishable blur. At times, the movement on stage was as polyrhythmic as the drumming. 
The first piece, the program stated, told the tale of young boys returning to their home village from intensive studies in the forest. With arched backs, eyes to the ceiling, the drummers expressed overwhelming gratitude. The audience partook in this apparent gala, breaking into the aisles to dance. 
As the evening progressed, a recurring theme emerged: that of women assuming roles once reserved for men in Guinean culture. The fourth piece depicted a village celebrating its good harvest. The male drummers seemed surprised at the entrance of two women playing djembes, eventually dismissing them with a wave of their hands. However, the women persisted and managed to impress the men with their deft drumming, earning themselves a place in the drum circle. This reflected Les Percussion de Guinee’s own line-up shift. For the first time in Guinea history, they have welcomed several women drummers into their ensemble, most notably Hawa Soumah, a much lauded djembe, krin, sikko and doundoun player. 

In the show’s second half, the women assumed a larger role, leading the entire ensemble in one piece, enjoying a warmer reception. A bit of friendly competition livened the mood, as two djembe drummers faced off. 
What was most appealing about Les Percussions de Guinee’s performance was how thrilled they were to be at Oberlin, just one of numerous venues on their tour. They were, above all, a generous ensemble, out to please the audience and, on Sunday, they offered West African drum and dance workshops in the Bratenahl Community Center in Bratenhal, Ohio. 
From the outset of the performance one felt a torrent of energy had been unleashed, culminating in the final breakdown as they welcomed the audience onto the stage. After months of seven-hour rehearsal days, the drummers were primed and ready to let loose, indulging in playful stage antics, always amiably aware of the crowd.