Mamane Barka – the last Master of the Biram
Nick Thomas | 03.11.2010 18:17
In a world of fusion and cross-over, Mamane Barka and his Biram stand apart. The Biram is the traditional instrument of the nomads of Lake Chad – and Mamane Barka is the last master initiated into its mysteries. This is the real thing! And you can catch it at the Pierian Centre in St Pauls on Saturday 6th November.
Mamane Barka returns to Bristol after the success of his sell-out concert last year. It’s not just the music of this extraordinary boat-shaped instrument that fascinates, it’s also the beliefs that surround it and the central place it occupies in the spiritual lives of the nomadic fishing Boudouma tribe. The Biram is protected from the east by the spirit of the lake Kargila, and from the south, west and north by the spirits of the desert. Only initiates can play it – and after long rituals of purification Mamane Barka was taught the instrument and its traditions by the last surviving master, who has since died. Luckily Mamane Barka is not only a master musician, but a gripping story-teller and a great ambassador for his instrument.
The Biram is without doubt an endangered species amongst instruments. Barka bemoans the loss of interest among the youth of his country. “The young people don’t want the Biram now. They don’t want traditional music – not just the Biram but all traditional music. My country is full of important and very good music but the young people want rap music, or to learn the guitar or the piano or the saxophone. I am only doing this now, going around the world with the Biram, to get the youths to love the culture.”
The sounds of this ancient instrument evoke the rippling waters and rustling reed beds of Lake Chad – and they combine with the talking drums of fellow griot Omar to produce “a hypnotic triumph of last-ditch musicology” (Lucid Culture). This unique meeting with another world takes place on Saturday 6th November at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 – and must be booked on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre.com. The Pierian Centre is at 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA.
Mamane Barka returns to Bristol after the success of his sell-out concert last year. It’s not just the music of this extraordinary boat-shaped instrument that fascinates, it’s also the beliefs that surround it and the central place it occupies in the spiritual lives of the nomadic fishing Boudouma tribe. The Biram is protected from the east by the spirit of the lake Kargila, and from the south, west and north by the spirits of the desert. Only initiates can play it – and after long rituals of purification Mamane Barka was taught the instrument and its traditions by the last surviving master, who has since died. Luckily Mamane Barka is not only a master musician, but a gripping story-teller and a great ambassador for his instrument.
The Biram is without doubt an endangered species amongst instruments. Barka bemoans the loss of interest among the youth of his country. “The young people don’t want the Biram now. They don’t want traditional music – not just the Biram but all traditional music. My country is full of important and very good music but the young people want rap music, or to learn the guitar or the piano or the saxophone. I am only doing this now, going around the world with the Biram, to get the youths to love the culture.”
The sounds of this ancient instrument evoke the rippling waters and rustling reed beds of Lake Chad – and they combine with the talking drums of fellow griot Omar to produce “a hypnotic triumph of last-ditch musicology” (Lucid Culture). This unique meeting with another world takes place on Saturday 6th November at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 – and must be booked on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre.com. The Pierian Centre is at 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA.
Nick Thomas
Original article on IMC Bristol:
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/697587