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Masters of the Sabar
Wolof Griot Percussionists of Senegal
Temple University Press, 2006
ISBN 9781592134205
224 Pages
Summary
Masters of the Sabar is the first book to examine the music and culture of Wolof griot percussionists, masters of the vibrant sabar drumming tradition. Based on extensive field research in Senegal, this book is a biographical study of several generations of percussionists in a Wolof griot (géwël) family, exploring and documenting their learning processes, repertories, and performance contexts—from life-cycle ceremonies to sporting events and political meetings. Patricia Tang examines the rich history and changing repertories of sabar drumming, including dance rhythms and bàkks, musical phrases derived from spoken words. She notes the recent shift towards creating new bàkks which are rhythmically more complex and highlight the virtuosity and musical skill of the percussionist. She also considers the burgeoning popular music genre called mbalax.
The compact disc that accompanies the book includes examples of the standard sabar repertory, as well as bàkks composed and performed by Lamine Touré and his family drum troupe.
Contents
Contents
List of Figures
List of Musical Transcriptions
Contents of accompanying audio Compact Disc
Guide to Pronunciation and Orthography
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. You will be griot in another way
The Ethnomusicologist's Story
2. There once was a king called Maysa Waaly Jon
Sabar History, Instruments, Ensemble, and Sound
3. The griot lineage, we are one
Wolof Caste and Identity
4. My foreparents used to beat the drums
Wolof Family, Kinship, and Musical Genealogy
5. If a snake bites you, you will think of death
Sabar Repertories
6. Dancing fish and rice
Performance Contexts
7. The 'pax' you play is so sweet
The Role of Sabar in mbalax
Conclusion
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Discography
Interviews
Biography
Patricia Tang is Associate Professor of Music at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a scholar and performer of Senegalese music.
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