Week #50 - A pilgrimage back to Niger

The end of the road! Twenty years of neglect have rendered the Say-Kobadjie road impassible for all but the most rugged of vehicles. I refused to let Soumana even consider traversing this section of the road, and thus departed by foot for the remaining 20 kilometers to Gueladio.

Although miles from any village, you are rarely alone in the bush. Here we crossed paths with several Fulani women on their way to the market in Tientiergo.

People were ecstatic when I arrived, and flocked to see photos of my family.

Children in Tchelo Djegou play atop the cattle cart.

Chatting it up with some Fulani herders near DiaKindi.

Fulani women in Tchelo Djegou. Sanda Oli heals a local herder with accupuncture.

Although the rains arrived late in the Sahel this year, people have planted their fields and I found them aggressively weeding/cultivating. Although tractors have partially replaced hand cultivation in places like Mali and Burkina, the great majority of farmer in Niger simply cannot afford such equipment, and thus must cultivate all of their fields hand. The tool of choice for this work is called a "Durow." It is essentially a horseshoe shaped blade attached to a long pole. Cultivating, or "remugal" is brutal work, where the farmer essentially reams the blade through the soil hacking away the weeds at their roots.

These two quick video clips below will give you a glimpse of this beast-of-burden toil.

My former neighbors: Dramani, Maiga and Dotia. Youba Lamido in front of his new bush taxi.

My Gueladio mother, Mme. Hadiza Pullo. Djibo, Sekou, Yousso and Maisamaria prepare

to send me on my way.

The road just outside of Gueladio

Soumana and Fatoumata waiting for me to arrive in Kobadjie.

Soumana's youngest daughter making very funny faces while getting a sponge bath.

A visit with Rabiatou Laouli's mother in Niamey. Rabia has lived in Burlington for many years, and but is currently studying nursing at Plattsburg State College.

A visit with Ramu Idrissa's family. Ramu's family is from Gueladio, and her late husband Idrissa was a close friend for many years.

A goodbye picnic with Soumana's family outside of Niamey.

Week #48 A trip to the remote village of Kanioume

The landscape changes quickly to desert when you drive north of Mopti.
Imediately after you turn off the main paved road to Douenta the trees vanish into a world of endless dust and sand dunes. Camels are still by far the preferred mode of transport here, and by mid-day hundreds of them were "parked" around the edges of the market in Kanioume.

The wind rarely subsides in this part of the desert, and your face is perpetually pelted with sand.

There was a steady flow of people emerging out of the desert dust on their way to the market.

Hiking up to the sand dunes behind Kanioume's elementary school.

There is not middle school or high school in this town, so children that receive high enough scores to continue their education must travel to Mopti or Douentza (over 100km either way) to continue their education. Because there are no real roads to this town, and because of the costs to support a child so far away (food/transporation/school fees/lodging) unfortunately noone from this town has ever graduated from lycee (high school)!

Week #38 An Encounter with the Master Fulani Griot Mr. Boubacar Hamadoun Farana

If you spend any time in a Fulani village you will quickly be exposed to a form of music called "Hoddu." Fulani Griots, called Maabudjos, make their living by traveling from town to town across the African bush with their small banjo-like instruments recounting village histories, showering praises on local chiefs, and reciting the tales of 18th century Fulani warlords. When it comes to Fulani Maabudjos the name Boubacar Hamadoun Farana's is at the top of the charts. A direct decendant of Fulani warlord Hambodedjo Hammadi's griot, Boubacar is celebrated for his knowledge of Fulani history, which he weaves together in poetry-slam style in the Fulfulde language. In some Fulani regions of W. Africa it is fair to say that he has stood alone at the top of the Fulani music charts for over two decades. I was first exposed to the griot music of Boubacar Hamadoun Farana in Southern Niger in the early 1990's. In the small village of Gueladio his cassettes were essentially the only "music" people listened to. During that time I purchased half a dozen of his tapes and did my best to make sense of his quick proveb-laden stories.

Jumping ahead almost 20 years... For the past several months I have been working with Bamako's Fulfulde radio station, FM Tabital Pulaaku, to help them repair one of their signal amplifiers, and they recently invited me into their studio to DJ one of their morning time slots. Talking with the station manager I learned that Boubacar Hamadoun was back in Bamako between tours and would be coming by the station.

After spending a good hour chatting we then drove him back to his home to meet his family, and made plans to meet again for a hoddu lesson. For a small fee he agreed to come to our home with his hoddu and make a custom cassette. Watch the top 100 for his next big hit!

Boubacar Hamadoun with his famous "hoddu" in the studio of FM Tabital (106.5 on your FM dial!) with Ali Sare and station managers Samasekou and Makka Ba.

FM Amplifier Repair at a crude electronics shop on the outskirts of Bamako. FM Tabital should be broadcasting at full power (500W) again in a few short weeks!

Live at the FM Tabital studio making morning announcements with Ali Sare.

"Pullo Bamako fini ton! Jam walli e maada!"

(Fulani's of Bamako wake up! Good Morning to you!")

Here Boubacar plays a short song for Gus in our living room. He recently returned from France where he produced his first CD. Although he has made hundreds of cassettes over the past 35+ years (Boubacar is now 53), they are copied locally so he gets no royalties for his work.

Here is a short video clip of Boubacar playing my hoddu to give you a sense of the music.

Email us if you would like information on how to order a copy of his new CD!
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Part 2: Another fun day rock climbing in Siby. Last week we brought a few of our Fulani blanket-weaver friends with us to rock climb. They are still raving about it (and recovering!)

Mamadou Sare and Maabel Drame make their way up the first pitch of a fun route named "Karamba Toure"

A very happy Ali Sare finishing "Karamba Toure"

A beautiful view of "L'arche de Kamadjan" looking west from the top of the first pitch of Karamba Toure

The prize of Siby! The two pitch "Chemin de Kamadjan" on the south side of the arch.

Starting up the second pitch

At the belay anchor just below the summit

Sunset under the Arch