#Bambara Architecture

[panafrocore]

Exploring Bambara Architecture: A Window into the Sudano-Sahelian Mud Architecture of West Africa

Bambara Architecture in Segou, the Sudano-Sahelian mud architecture typical of West Africa. The Bambara are a Mandé ethnic group native to much of West Africa, primarily southern Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. They have been associated with the historic Bambara Empire. Today, they make up the largest Mandé ethnic group in Mali, with 80% of the population speaking the Bambara…

[anotherchariotpulledbycats]

Fantasy setting feeling stale? Here's some cultures you can rip off take inspiration from!

-Finno-Uralic cultures (Finland, Estonian, Mordvin, etc.)

-Southeast Asian cultures like the Vietnamese, Burmese, Khmers, Malays, Javanese...

-I'm actually surprised that there aren't more people trying to make fantasy cultures based off of Turko-Mongolic peoples.

-You know there's more than one culture living in Africa, right?

-Seriously, there are hundreds of them. It's the second largest continent on the planet.

-You're telling me you can distinguish Mediterranean, Central European, and Eastern European styles of dress and architecture, all of which are situated within the same continuum of temperate forest climate, and you can't find three African cultures to choose from?

-I'll give you several: Amazigh, Amharic, Oromo, Bambara, Fula, Somali, Soninke, Swahili, Zulu, Kongo...

[sallypsymath]

Hey friends, I am currently an freshman in mathematic degree in college. And I wanted to open an studybrl so that’s why I was truly happy to create this one. It’s a new journey for me and I’m clearly so great to start it with you all.

So

1. my name is Salima and I’m 21 years old. ( on 5 march 2023 I will be 22 years old Ehehe )

2. I’m an Malian Gabonese and I live in Mali.

3. I am a 1nd-year university student in math. I’ve always find fascinating people who’s strive to know more about science. I’ve always loved science especially math but I’ve been so much bad at math my whole life. I thought that would stop me from understanding math. And loving it fully. But no. It’s does stop me in a way but than I realize I’m the only one who can stop me. Neither my math professor who got a bad opinion on whether I should do math because I was very bad at it. Or my grades not being that good . I’ve realize I can teach myself again math ( and that’s probably why I created this account. So I can help myself more on a environment I’ve choose to be in and I will feel more confident) . I also love psychology too and want to teach myself that as well.

4. I can understand and speak French . Also I can understand and speak Bambara however, I am struggling with it a little bit.

5. My favourite genre of music is French love song. ( I don’t know for sure if I can says it’s a genre but yes )

6. I love writing a lot. Im currently writing a book that I may put on wattpad for more appreciation. I would probably put the link here. So everyone can have access to it.

7. My favourite beverage is definitely tea 🍵. I love tea so much. It’s truly something that bring me peace and make my soul calmer.

8. I don't have a good career goal yet but I am thinking about being a architecture in the future. But I’m still thinking about it.

9. I prefer to work in group but sometimes I love also to work alone. It’s more of a balancing things.

10. I like sociology, music,dance and math.

11. My language goal is this : I want to learn Korean. Spanish, Arabic, And improve my English.

12. The language im currently trying to study : Spanish.

13. Im trying to work harder so that one day I’m being able to reach a country I love for studying. I’m thinking about (South Korea; Canada) .

Thank for reading my presentation. I’m definitely open to everyone who want to know more about me and also I will definitely love to know more about the studybrl community and you guys !

My ask is open!

Sending love to everyone !💕

[learnentry]

To learn Bambara language, common vocabulary is one of the important sections. Common Vocabulary contains common Bambara words that we can used in daily life. Architecture are one part of common words used in day-to-day life conversations. If you are interested to learn Architecture vocabulary words in Bambara, this place will help you to learn all Architecture vocabulary words in English to Bambara language. Architecture vocabulary words are used in daily life, so it is important to learn all Architecture vocabulary words in English to Bambara and play Bambara quiz and also play picture vocabulary, play some games so you get not bored. If you think too hard to learn Bambara language, then 1000 most common Bambara words will helps to learn Bambara language easily, they contain 2-letter words to 13-letter words.

[mywifeleftme]

42: Aïcha Koné // Linda

Linda Aïcha Koné 1983, Shakara

Aïcha Koné has been a star in her native Côte d'Ivoire for over 40 years. Despite this, English-language info on her career is pretty sparse online—most of the top search results for her are from Ivorian columnists outraged in 2022 by her support for Assimi Goïta, who became president of neighbouring Mali following a series of coups d'état. If nothing else, she remains a significant enough local figure to get the Morrissey treatment. I can also tell you that she was the youngest of 15 (!) children born to a local aristocrat in Abidjan, the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire. Her father was Senufo, a West African ethnic group, and evidently Koné’s lyrics tend to be written in one of their languages. Online translators don’t have much support for Senufo, so my sense of what she’s singing about is minimal, but Senufo does borrow some words from Bambara, in which the word Linda translates to “wait for it,” so let’s go with that as the general vibe of this 1983 effort.

(As usual when reviewing African records, I end up reading a lot of sick ass lore that has very tenuous connections to the music, such as, “The Kulubele specialize as woodcarvers, the Fonombele specialize in blacksmith and basketry work, the Kpeembele specialize in brass casting, the Djelebele are renowned for leatherwork, the Tchedumbele are masters of gunsmith work, while Numu specialize in smithing and weaving,” or “Caryatid figures are seen as representations of the role of women as spiritual mediators and the Sandogo use them in ceremonies as symbols of this bilateral celestial discourse.” I’m so hungover right now I had to think about whether the ‘column’ in ‘newspaper column’ is spelled the same way as the architectural feature, so there’s no way I’ll retain any of this, and I’ve already played the album in full three times without getting to the music.)

Koné’s sound is an interesting one. Both sides of Linda open with joyous highlife-derived jams of the sort that swept northern and western Africa during the late-‘70s. “Djigui” (“hope” in Bambara) features some dazzling interplay between bassist Toure Aladji and guitarist N’Goran Jimmy Hyacinthe, and the sort of ebullient sax hits that would soon make Paul Simon and composers for cruise ship commercials an abominable amount of money. On the flip, the title track has a different flavour than the Ghanaian or Congolese highlife/soukous recordings I’ve heard thanks to the prominent sound of the kora, a stringed instrument that sounds like a harp played flamenco-style. In interviews, Koné has mentioned sensing a shared root between her own local Mandinka music and the mandolins of Greek dollar bin titan Nana Mouskouri, and those tastes show through particularly on “Linda” and the smooth tropical exotica of “Ile.”

Linda’s other ballads are sparse synth pop numbers not far off what American high school kids would’ve been slow dancing to at the time. ‘Pretty’ might be the best word for Koné’s voice—when she sings it’s easy to imagine the expression on her face. Most of the time that expression is the serene smile she flashes on the back cover of the LP, and it makes even the treacly “Mata” (the album’s dullest song and the only one Koné didn’t write) a perfectly soothing listen.

Linda’s an album I can happily flip over repeatedly as I putter around cooking or cleaning. The LP’s evidently scarce enough that until just recently Discogs only listed a 1990 cassette version (and only a couple of tracks are on YouTube), but it’s worth snagging if you’re into the style and come across it a fair price.

42/365

[nununiverse]

Architecture Bambara

[placesandpalaces]

Bambara architecture, Segou, Mali

[jacobwren]

You asked me earlier about sources with stories. That story “Broken Field Running” came about because I was doing an essay on environmental design and urban design, particularly architecture and noticing the way in which kitchens got legislated out of existence. This meant if kitchens were the headquarters of the elders and if you no longer had kitchens you didn’t have your elders in your house anymore. Also, benches were removed from in front of low-income projects. If you don’t have benches you don’t have places for mom and pop Johnson to sit down or the old guys to play cards or dominos and drink beer and keep surveillance of the turf and develop some sense of community sovereignty because they’re out there. The first group to go are the elders; you put them in old age homes and forgot about them, then you cut off your critical tie with the past.

Toni Cade Bambara

[botanytoo]

Predicting photosynthetic productivity of intercropping systems with image-based reconstruction Intercropping systems contain two or more species simultaneously in close proximity. Due to contrasting features of the component crops, quantification of the light environment and photosynthetic productivity remains challenging to achieve, however it is an essential component of productivity.

[haitilegends]

THE RHYTHMS OF DIASPORA : Godwin Louis SPEAKS | JAZZ SPEAKS - http://www.jazzspeaks.org/the-rhythms-of-diaspora-godwin-louis-speaks/

"On the process of doing research for his upcoming album Global

" I’ve spent the last seven years exploring that and studying and understanding the connection that was brought to #Haiti from West #Africa. I’ve gone to Africa five times in the last four years. The music on my upcoming album, Global, is based on the music transported out of Africa, to the rest of the world via the transatlantic slave trade.

This process of exploration began thanks to a grant that The Jazz Gallery gave me to pursue my compositional voice. During that period of 2013-2014, I was noticing a lot of connections between Haiti and New Orleans. I was fortunate enough to live in both places, and I couldn’t help but notice the similarities in terms of culture, architecture, even in terms of cuisine, musically, of course. And then historically, I found major connections rooted in the Haitian revolution. In 1790 and 1804, you had a lot of affranchis, free people of color, that fled Haiti to what was then known as #French #Louisiana. And, of course, they brought their culture and their rhythm. So I was intrigued in that and I began exploring that music, and I presented some of that at the Jazz Gallery in June 2014.

And because of that, I was able to continue to dig even deeper. I went back “across the pond” to Africa to see some of the things that were brought in and how much they’ve changed, and I’ve extended those studies to South America as well.

I began to understand that whenever I see triple meter, that’s something that’s coming from West Africa. So that’s an area that spans from Senegal to Western Nigeria, and back then we would consider that as either Upper or Lower Guinea. In places like Haiti, you hear terms like that, where they’ll say “nég Guinea” meaning, a fella from Guinea. And then also, the other term that you would hear is “nég Kongo” meaning a person from Kongo, meaning a fella from Kongo, which is modern day Cameroon all the way down to Angola. And that’s sort of like “duple meter.” So in West Africa, you have a big triple meter connection, and whenever you see technical things that are in 6/8 or 3/4 , that kind of “Afro” sound that they call it in jazz: “Afro-Cuban”, “Afro-Jazz”….that triple sound is coming from West Africa: Yoruban rhythms, Dahomey, Benin, Togo, Ghana. But whenever we’re dealing with duple meter, which is some of the sounds found in Haiti and New Orleans—you know, Congo Square.

One of the hubs for a lot of the cultures that were transported is Haiti because, in Haiti, there were tribal religions that were preserved. You have rhythms for instance, called Nago, and I found that the Nago rhythm that I always heard in Haiti is actually coming from a tribe in Benin. Nago is pretty a much the Yoruba people in Benin. So if you’re in Nigeria, you’re Yoruban, but if you’re from Benin, you’re Nago. In Haiti, there is a rhythm called #Nago, and that’s very similar to what we know today as the swing rhythm. Sort of like when you’re listening to Elvin Jones, that feels to me like a Nago rhythm.

So, the Haitians were able to conserve and preserve some of those rhythms. And also we have #Kongo, which is also a rhythm that happens to be a duple meter rhythm, and those roots are coming from Kikongo culture from Central Africa. And then we have rhythms like #Yanvalou. All of these rhythms are associated with places in Africa, the names of kings, and so on. So I think because of what the Haitians achieved in gaining independence from slavery, they were able to keep a lot of those rhythms and a lot of those tribal names. Lots of people doing research on the African influence in the United States tend to bypass Haiti, but I really found it to be the hub. The three hubs are #Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil in terms of finding that pure connection to Africa. But again, researchers and #ethnomusicologists usually go to Cuba and #Brazil but don’t know anything about Haiti. So it was interesting for me to connect it all. 💡

On the compositional process and how it related to his research:

I spent a lot of time visiting certain regions and certain tribes and listening to the different sounds and the use of language in the music. I was in Mali listening and learning, and I was sitting in a rehearsal. It was fascinating to me the way that Bambara, which is the local dialect that they were singing in…it was interesting to me how the time signature was always based on the text. So a lot of the time, you would have an over-the-bar-line idea because of the text. And I would sit trying to figure it out, and I asked them: “why is it like that? This isn’t really 6/8…I heard a bar of 5 here, a bar of 6”. And then I was told, “oh no, this is all based on the text. So I have to finish the phrase, whether it falls on a bar of 4 or bar of 5. You Americans look at it like this, but for us, it’s all based on the text.” So for me it’s about exploring the rhythm in the language. I try to have the melodies match the feeling and rhythm of the language. And oftentimes, that means writing melodies that go over the bar line. I call that a “textual approach to melody”, which is the way they would do it in Mali or with the Dahomeys or in Benin.

Now, I think the next thing will be exploring East Africa. Going to Ethiopia, to Egypt, Kenya. Because I’ve found some interesting connections, historically and musically between East Africa and West Africa, but that’s for the next excursion.

I used to play in an Ethiopian jazz band called the Either/Or Ensemble, and that was really my introduction to African music in general. I got to play with the great Mulatu Astatke, and I’m actually featured on one of his albums. The band got to travel to Ethiopia and it was an amazing experience, and that was my first time playing that music. And I found that influence in Togo. Vodoo music in Togo uses that same scale called the Anchihoye. So I’m kind of intrigued. How did that mode get from Ethiopia to Togo?

On Haitian saxophonists that inspired Godwin:

I grew up listening to a lot of this Haitian saxophonist named Webert Sicot. He was known as the Siwel saxophonist. It’s sort of like the Caribbean or Haitian version of a Trad-Jazz or Dixieland style of playing. Sort of like Louis Armstrong in the way that Louis Armstrong emotes on the trumpet: all those beautiful melodic ideas. That’s called a Siwel. And I grew up listening to that kind of sound and that super-melodic way of soloing, and Webert Sicot was one of the kings of that sound. So I was learning a lot of this language through Webert Sicot without even knowing what it was. Webert Sicot was the king of a genre called Cadence Rampa that was influenced by the French Antilles, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica. He was actually Nemours Jean-Baptiste’s [ the popular Haitian tenor saxophonist and bandleader] rival. Nemours Jean-Baptiste carved out the Compas genre as his own, so Webert Sicot decided to start his own style called Cadence Rampa. And they both are amazing musicians of course, but in terms of marketing, they decided to go their separate ways. Cadence Rampa was more French Antillean. But Compa became the music of the people because of the lyrics and accessible sound. "

SOURCE :

💡 READ MORE :

http://www.jazzspeaks.org/the-rhythms-of-diaspora-godwin-louis-speaks/

-------------------------------

💡Rock Paper Scissors - Godwin Louis - Godwin Louis Explores the Worldwide Impact of Afro-Caribbean Sounds and Concepts on Music and Takes them Global

https://godwin.rockpaperscissors.biz/dispatch/pu/25474

----------------------

GLOBAL by GODWIN LOUIS on Amazon Music -

https://www.amazon.com/Global-Godwin-Louis/dp/B07NDJ93NS

GLOBAL by GODWIN LOUIS on iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/global/1451576702

GODWIN LOUIS | Global | CD Baby Music Store

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/godwinlouis

----------------------------------

🎥 Watch "GODWIN LOUIS -

"I CAN'T BREATHE"

https://youtu.be/uHa_jaG9BRo

From his upcoming album:

G L 🌍 B A L

to be released on February 22, 2019

Music video featuring: Maleek Washington Directed by: Hans Johnson Blue Room Music

-----------------------------------

Godwin Louis | About💡

http://godwinlouis.com/

-----------------------

HAITI⭐LEGENDS

#GodwinLouis #Global

#Haitiansaxophonist

#NewCD #Feb22 #Jazz

#MaleekWashington #HansJohnson #NewMusicMonday #BlueRoomMusic

#jazzspeaks #musicresearch #rhythmsofdiaspora

#WebertSicot

#CadenceRampa

#NemoursJeanBaptiste

#AfroCaribbean

#Compas #CompasDirect

#BerkleeCollegeofMusic

[gwendolynlerman]

Discovering the world

Mali 🇲🇱

Basic facts

Official name: جُمْهُورِيَّةْ مَالِي (Jumhūriyyet Māli)/Mali ka Fasojamana/Republik bu Maali/Mali Laamaa/Mali Tɔgɔbadugu/Tagduda n Mali (Arabic/Bambara/Fula/Songhai/Soninke/Tamasheq) (Republic of Mali)

Capital city: Bamako

Population: 21.7 million (2023)

Demonym: Malian

Type of government: unitary presidential republic

Head of state and government: Assimi Goïta (President)

Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $61.62 billion (2023)

Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: 33% (medium) (2010)

Human Development Index: 0.410 (low) (2022)

Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)

Fun fact: The wealthiest man to have ever lived was a Malian king.

Etymology

The country’s name comes from the Mali Empire and means “the place where the king lives”.

Geography

Mali is located in West Africa and borders Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso to the southeast, Côte d’Ivoire to the south, Guinea to the southwest, Senegal to the west, and Mauritania to the northwest.

There are three climates: hot desert in the north, hot steppe in the center, and dry-winter tropical savanna in the south. Temperatures range from 8 °C (46.4 °F) in winter to 48 °C (118.4 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature is 28.4 °C (83.1 °F).

The country is divided into nineteen regions, which are further divided into 156 cercles, and one capital district. The largest cities in Mali are Bamako, Sikasso, Koutiala, Ségou, and Kayes.

History

100-1200s: Ghana Empire

7th century-1325: Gao Empire

1000-1858: Kingdom of Gajaaga

1054-1235: Sosso Empire

1054-1860: Kingdom of Diarra

1235-1670: Mali Empire

13th century-1549: Jolof Empire

1430s-1591: Songhai Empire

1510-1659: Saadi Sultanate

1650-1890: Kingdom of Kaarta

1650-1898: Kénédougou Kingdom

1712-1861: Bamana Empire

1818-1862: Massina Empire

1852-1893: Toucouleur Empire

1878-1898: Wassoulou Empire

1880-1959: French Sudan

1959-1960: Mali Federation

1960-present: Republic of Mali

2012-present: Mali War

Economy

Mali mainly imports from Senegal, the European Union, and China and exports to South Africa, Switzerland, and Bangladesh. Its top exports are gold, cotton, and bovines.

It has gold, kaolin, limestone, and phosphate reserves. Agriculture represents 41.8% of the GDP, followed by services (40.5%) and industry (18.1%).

Mali is a member of the Alliance of Sahel States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Demographics

The Bambara are the largest ethnic group (33.3%), followed by the Fulani (13.3%), Senufo (9.6%), Soninke (9.6%), Mandinka (8.8%), Dogon (8.7%), Songhai (5.9%), Tuareg (3.5%), and Bobo (2.1%). The main religion is Islam, practiced by 95% of the population, all of which is Sunni.

It has a negative net migration rate and a fertility rate of 5.5 children per woman. 45.4% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 62.4 years and the median age is 16 years. The literacy rate is 35.5%.

Languages

The official languages of the country are (Hassaniya) Arabic (spoken by 0.3% of the population), Bambara (51.8%), Bobo (1.8%), Bozo (1.5%), Dogon (6.4%), Fula (8.2%), Kassonké (1%), Mandinka (5.1%), Minyanka (3.7%), Senufo (2%), Songhai (5.2%), Soninké (5.6%), and Tamasheq (3.1%).

Culture

Dance parties are common among friends. Musical traditions are often derived from performing poets.

Men traditionally wear a flowing, wide-sleeved robe (boubou) and fitted pants. Women wear a blouse and a wrap skirt (pagne) or a dress and a matching head wrap.

Architecture

Traditional houses in Mali have mud brick walls and thatched conical roofs.

Cuisine

The Malian diet is based on meat, rice, and vegetables. Typical dishes include bouille (a burned milk tart with custard filling), La Capitaine Sangha (marinated grilled Nile perch fish with fried bananas, rice, and tomatoes), labadja (meat in butter sauce with rice), maafe (a stew with meat, peanut butter, and vegetables), and tiguadege na (meat in peanut butter sauce with carrots and potatoes).

Holidays and festivals

Like other Christian and Muslim countries, Mali celebrates Easter Monday, Christmas Day, Ashura, Mawlid, Prophet’s Baptism, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. It also commemorates New Year’s Day and Labor Day.

Specific Malian holidays include Sovereignty Day on January 14, Armed Forces Day on January 20, Martyrs’ Day on March 26, Africa Day on May 25, and Independence Day on September 22.

Independence Day

Other celebrations include the Dogon Mask Festival, the Festival on the Niger, which features boat races, dance, music, puppet shows, and the Gouin Festival, where musicians perform among wildlife.

Dogon Mask Festival

Landmarks

There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Cliff of Bandiagara, Old Towns of Djenné, Timbuktu, and Tomb of Askia.

Tomb of Askia

Other landmarks include the Bamako Cathedral, the Gourma Elephant Biodiversity Reserve, the Komoguel Mosque, the Lac Magui Nature Reserve, and the Médine Fort.

Lac Magui Nature Reserve

Famous people

Ali Farka Touré - musician and singer

Amadou Hampate Ba - writer

Aminata Traoré - writer

Balla Moussa Keïta - actor and comedian

Djénébou Danté - athlete

Koman Coulibaly - soccer referee

Mariatou Diarra - basketball player

Rokia Traoré - singer

Salif Keïta - soccer player

Youma Diakite - actress and model

Koman Coulibaly

You can find out more about life in Mali in this post and this video.

[pablolarah]

Quarantine Diaries

Moulin de la Galette

The Moulin de la Galette is a windmill and associated businesses situated near the top of the district of Montmartre in Paris. Since the 17th century the windmill has been known for more than just its milling capabilities. Nineteenth-century owners and millers, the Debray family, made a brown bread, galette, which became popular and thus the name of the windmill and its businesses, which have included a famous guinguette and restaurant. In the 19th century, Le Moulin de la Galette represented diversion for Parisians seeking entertainment, a glass of wine and bread made from flour ground by the windmill. Artists, such as Renoir, van Gogh, and Pissarro have immortalized Le Moulin de la Galette; likely the most notable was Renoir's festive painting, Bal du moulin de la Galette. . . . 🏤 Rue Lepic is an ancient road in the commune of Montmartre, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, climbing the hill of Montmartre from the boulevard de Clichy to the place Jean-Baptiste-Clément. It is an ancient road resulting of rectification and re-arrangement of several dirt-roads leading to the Blanche barrier (Place Blanche), starting life as Chemin-neuf (Le chemin-vieux was rue de Ravignan). In 1852 it was renamed rue de l'Empereur, and renamed again in 1864, after the General Louis Lepic (1765-1827). Located near the Métro station: Blanche.

Two Windmills in Rue Lepic: At n°15, brasserie Café des 2 Moulins where the film Amélie was set. At n°77, Moulin de la Galette and Moulin le Radet.

Le mur des je t'aime, lit. the I Love You Wall,  is a love-themed wall of 40 square metres (430 sq ft) in the Jehan Rictus garden square in Montmartre, Paris, France.

The wall was created in 2000 by calligraphist Fédéric Baron and mural artist Claire Kito and is composed of 612 tiles of enamelled lava, on which the phrase 'I love you' is featured 311 times in 250 languages. Each tile is 21 by 29.7 centimetres (8.3 in × 11.7 in)

It includes the words 'I love you' in all major languages, but also in rarer ones like Navajo, Inuit, Bambara and Esperanto. The wall is open to the public free of charge.

lesjetaime dot  com

La rue Lallier est une voie publique située dans le 9e arrondissement de Paris. Elle débute au 26, avenue Trudaine et se termine au 53, boulevard de Rochechouart.

#ruelepic #montmaitre #sacrecoeur  #architecture #arquitectura #arquitetura #StreetPhotography #StreetPhotographyInColors #IG_StreetPhotography #StreetPhotographyCommunity #StreetPhoto  #PeopleInFrame #PhotoDocumentary  #StreetPhotographyInternational #StreetPhotographyWorldwide  #CandidShots #Paris #France #Europe  #ParisMaVille . . . . Made with ❤ & @photoshop .

[xdnatravel]

Mali, Africa’s hidden gem

We started the route in Bamako, the capital of Mali. There is not much to see in the city, it is quite chaotic and without many points of interest. We wanted to spend more time in rural Mali where you really experience the contact with the people and the culture. The first stop was in a village between Bamako and Segou called Segoukoro where there is an old mud mosque. Today it is open to the public, of course we were the only tourists, in fact we were the only tourists in all the areas we visited. We were with the village chief who received us in his house and we walked through its streets always accompanied by children curious to see tourists. We were welcomed, amidst laughter and games, the children did not stop asking us for pictures and for us to dance with them. Our first contact with the Malians was a real experience, pleasant and smiling people who said goodbye to us between "mercis" and "byes" coming out of their friendly and shining faces. A few km away we reached Segou, one of the main cities of Mali and capital of the old Bambara empire. Here we prepared the camera well, as we went to the market in the city on the banks of the Niger River. It was a moment of much commotion, the market is very lively, narrow between stops and large crowds, but it was one of those moments when the photographer enters into an absolute meditative state, because there are so many souls in their daily moments that there is no time to think about anything but capturing them. The market was a good moment to show us the different ethnic groups that inhabit the country: Tuaregs, Fulani, Bambara and Bozos among others.

Mali is not a country much influenced by tourism because it receives very little from a covert civil war where the fronts and enemies are not well known. An almost non-existent state that does not have the capacity to control the ethnic struggles, which has caused the UN to be installed in almost a perennial mission. Even so, although it seems very discouraging to visit the country, even if it is a high security risk, we go into its lands focusing on the south, as the north is still quite a sensitive place. And there, old Timbuktu is almost inaccessible. It can be said that there was only a moment of panic when we came across the Dogon militias - a kind of paramilitary that watches over Dogon Country - which are one of the ethnic groups involved in the conflict. Apart from holding our breath for 5 minutes, the rest of the trip was very calm and pleasant.

The next day we returned to the road to reach Dogon Country. This area of the country is located in a kind of plateau, where there are high cliffs. The villages are characterized by a special mud architecture based on barns, differentiating the male and female. The former hold pearl millet and other crops, while the latter hold women's belongings and kitchen utensils. They have a square floor plan, finished on the ceiling like a pointed hat with pearl millet leaves. The Dogon are of the animist religion and some have adopted Islam. To reach this village we had to walk a few miles through cliffs. While the women porters carried our bags and moved among these rocks as if nothing had happened, we suffered by climbing up and down rocks. Even one of them was carrying her baby on her back, my bag on her head, and yet she had the strength to suddenly turn the baby over to nurse. I couldn't stop looking at her, where do these women get so much strength from?

They offered us the rooftop to sleep because it was not cold and the night sky is a spectacle of stars. The women prepared typical dishes for us such as meat in sauce and cereals. The children sang us Dogon songs. The next morning a surprise awaited us.

[fa210]

Wednesday, 8 April

WEEK 10: MAORI House Post Figure

Model meeting house made of wood. The roof is made from strips of bark. Made by Ngati Raukawa. British Museum

Below the “keep reading” link are all of the questions & comments I’ve received, and I will add more as they come in. I’ve added in a few notes of my own, and will sum things up on Friday. Then, next week, we’ll do the same process (Mon. information; Wed. questions; Friday summary) with Maori tattoos. The week after that we will circle back to the House Post figure and then wrap up the class. 

If you have any questions or concerns for me, I’m available by email and twitter, and would be willing to talk via Zoom (or Teams) if necessary. 

Your Questions & Comments: 

After reading that the wharenui is a meeting place for social things, cultural things, and religious things. It made me think that it's a sort of combination of a church or community lodge where people come and celebrate their culture and religion.  

I really like the point here that social, religious, and cultural things are all a part of the community and its collective identity. I think that’s one of the most important things art does -- art forms and styles  are deeply embedded in and expressive of cultural and community identities. This is true of lots of things that aren’t necessarily called “Art” but are still art: food and cooking; clothing and personal grooming; language; sports and games and hobbies. 

In reading the links posted on the blog today regarding the Wharenui and the other Maori meeting houses, I couldn't help but think about how they have similar symbolism to that of European architecture, specifically in the churches. It reminded me of how Christian churches are shaped to resemble a cross, just as the Wharenui built their houses to represent parts of the human body. It shows that they put their emphasis on their multiple ancestors and their stories, whereas in European architecture most places of worship are based on one person, being Jesus. My question is: Are these meeting houses based on individual family ancestors (like a grandparent), or are they based on famous ancestors to the different tribes of the Maori people?

Yes -- Christian churches have their own symbolism. Not only do a lot of them use the cross shape, but the original form is based on a kind of Greco-Roman building called a “basilica” that was used for public buildings, especially law courts. 

The Wharenui reflect both a broad cultural tradition and local traditions. They are part of a local community which is like an extended family, as well as a regional and national and cultural community. 

Analogy: our college sports teams and our gym & fields; those of other colleges in our specific regional conference; those of all the NCAA Division III colleges; those of the other NCAA Divisions. All the way up, they are the same, but our local community identities are the strongest and most intense. (I’m not saying college hoops and March Madness are like religion or anything, but I know some people who might.)

I noticed within the diagram it shows how some of the features within the architecture has symbolic meaning such as the posts separating earth and sky. In the article I read about the mythology and the outside being the house of the God of war and speeches being more forceful; it makes me wonder if there are different God's for different sections. Connecting other mythology, I know there are actual God's for the sky and earth so do they recognize the same, have different names for the same symbols, or only recognize in particular ones?

I really enjoyed the reading you posted for today's class to help us get a better background on the culture behind Maori Art. My question connects to the Maori mythology and the importance of ancestors. Are their different house post figures for each god that is symbolized by parts of the Marae? The reading on Marae protocol states that the courtyard outside the meeting house is the domain for the god of war, so does that mean there is a house post located at the courtyard with carvings of that god? If so was the domain of Rongo, the god of peace adorned with house posts that resemble him?  

My general sense is that the various parts of the building are analogous to the various aspects of the world and universe as the Maori see them. It’s very common for people to compare their social structures to the structure of the universe. We saw this in the art of Benin and of the Dogon and Bambara peoples. It would take some work, but we can see it in the Chinese culture, and in our own as well. 

The Maori also extend the symbolism of the Meeting House in other ways. Here is an example of how a person’s wellbeing is like a Meeting House:

When I was looking at the house I began to wonder what type of wood they would have been working with to build such beautiful architecture and so I searched up what would have been native to that region and discovered that there were a lot of different types of trees they could have used to build the funeral home (Maere).

Cool. Could you share a link to that information, please?

I find it interesting that Wharenui's are a meeting place but also symbolize the human body in structure. It shows the connection to the body and mind connecting and living in unity. It also shows that the human body is a work of art which this culture acknowledges and surrounds themselves with by living in art as well. 

Well said. And we’ll see how that works when we move ahead to Maori tattoos next week. 

I personally think that the Maori meeting house in Rotura is pretty cool. I think its amazing how every piece in this piece of architecture means something, but my question is what do the geometric shapes mean in the interior? or do they mean something? Or are they just theyre for decorative purposes? 

I wish I knew, but I don’t. This article is a start, but I’d like to know more.

I’d like to see the houses for Te Kooti to see the similarities and differences in the styles between carvings and paintings. I also thought it was interesting that multiple families would live in one home and share community cook houses. That’s pretty far from the way I’d say that current western society prizes private positions. The idea of the columns separating earth and sky is conceptually close to the verticality in dogon art representing the earth and the universe. Excellent point! Sometimes it’s hard for me to come up with a specific question so I hope that talking about what I think is interesting counts. It does, yeah, absolutely! I feel like this class helps us see the things that all human cultures do and value and have in common. 

The questions below are all about traditions & ancestors. 

So I’ve been noticing that with all the things we’ve learned about so far, people have continued them as traditions. Will there ever be a point in time that we stop the traditions and stop honoring our ancestors?

A question I had is mainly about the video and how the woman spoke about a specific way you have to put on a cloak on the coffin and part of me wonders who started this tradition and why they believe that it can only be this way? Do they believe the spirit will not be able to rest if they do it any other way? What other traditions d they have that are similar to this one? What does the Cloak look like?

Wanted to make a comment on Mondays post comparing the meetings that the Maori and the Benin people with they're funeral ceremonies. it is very interesting how the two tribes respect death very differently. like how the Benin people do a whole ceremony for the elders of the tribe and not just one person and usually takes place in the field. The Maori people have building where they usually hold multiply events but are most common for funerals, where they pay their respects for one person.

So, speaking very broadly, traditions are ways of preserving culture and cultural identity. “We are us, because we do things this way.” This happens in families, extended families, and at every level of a society. 

(I’m thinking right now about how many traditions are being affected by the pandemic situation -- religious holidays like Easter and Passover and Ramadan are all happening in different ways this year.) 

Part of our cultural identity is also our ancestors -- the people who started the traditions, the people we remember through our traditions. This is true for “advanced” societies like ours and for all human societies throughout history. If you have questions about how all this works, you should read about or take a course in anthropology. 

After watching the video of the woman talking about the Marae, I learned that funeral ceremonies are done in a very specific way. Rules and traditions are strictly followed and only certain people may be allowed to perform certain tasks. I understand the importance of keeping tradition, especially in a ceremony such as a funeral, but how come the Marae is so strict? It seems like nothing at all is allowed to go a little bit differently.

I’m going to say that whereas our culture in American tends to value originality and experimentation, many other cultures value consistency and respect for the past. That was definitely true for China, though we didn’t really emphasize it, and it’s even more so for indigenous cultures -- especially those who have been suppressed or oppressed. For many people today, hanging on to traditional ways is a defense against the loss of cultural identity. 

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Hogon-Tours Voyage will participate in the 16th edition of Ségou'Art / Festival on Niger, from 31 January to 09 February 2020 at the Quai des Arts de (Segou), Mali. Segou is the prestigious capital of the former Bambara Kingdom, in the heart of West Africa on the banks of the Niger River. The richness of its architecture, the charm of the banks of the river, the richness of its historical past as well as the natural courtesy of its inhabitants have made in recent years a major tourist destination, with good hotel infrastructure, restaurants and other Attractive activities related to the river.To join us for this beautiful discovery of Malian culture contact us: hogontours@hogontours.net hogonservices@gmail.com www.hogontours.net/destinations WhatsApp +223 93 75 65 72

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le Mali

Mali became free from France in 1960, and its capital is Bamako, located in the south. The top portion of the country is a part of the Sahara desert, forcing the population to live in the southern portion. The most widely spoken languages are French and Bambara. Ninety percent of citizens are Muslims. The Great Mosque of Djenné is part of an urban center in the inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The mosque is a large adobe building, considered by many architects to be one of the greatest achievements of the Sudanese-Sahelian architecture. It is one of many beautiful Islamic worship centers in the country. 

Pictured above is the flag of Mali.