A
History of the Ballet d'Afrique Noire and their performance of The
Mandinka Epic
Introduction
| Storytelling | Drumming
| Doudou N'Diaye Rose | The Mandinka
Epic | The Mandinka Story
The Mandinka
Epic is performed by Ballet d'Afrique Noire, a company of 30 dancers,
singers and musicians founded in 1958 whose haunting chants, exuberant
songs and soaring dances immerse the audience in this captivating
history. Ballet d'Afrique Noire is one of the oldest active folklore
groups in Sénégal. This production has never been seen outside of
Dakar. The musical sounds of the Mandinka people are used in the production
and feature ancient instruments like the djembe,
sabars and tamas (types of drums) and the 21-string kora (a harp lute).
The Mandinka Epic
is a beautiful and inspiring narrative production of a famous period
in African history told through traditional West African dance
and music. The source of the epic
is embedded in the oral tradition of the griots and the legend of the
Mandinka people discovering
America before Columbus. This epic has been passed down through
the generations. Mandinka refers to a region and society located in
West Africa (currently covering the territory of Sénégal, Gambia and
Mali) and to the common language that they speak.
The Mandinka
Epic is based on the legend of the mariners of the Mali Empire
who embarked on a voyage westward across the Atlantic in search of
trade. The piece spans the period between the 12th and 15th centuries
and tells the story of three significant kings, the last of whom launched
an armada of 2,000 ships that was said to have landed on the coast
of the Americas. The choreographer, Jean Pierre Leurs, has endeavored
to personalize the history and to show the spirit of the people and
the essence of their civilization. He does this through dances and
songs that show both the personal side of village life, and the political
wars, negotiations and festivals among competing tribes. This narrative
epic transports the audience from a power struggle between tribal
leaders, to a birthing ceremony where the village women gather for
the arrival of the new king, to his coronation ceremony in which a
troupe of women perform highly choreographed drumming for the king,
to the final launching of the fleet to make the voyage across the
Atlantic.
Read
on for the full story.
![[image: drum]](graphics/side-top.gif)
