ChinesedrummerspreadsAfricanrhythmathomeIfyouplaythedjembe,youneedtoknowabouttheculturebecausecultureisveryimportant.Ialwaystellmystudentswhyweplaythedjembe:becausewewanttoconnectwithdifferentcultures,differentpeople,anddifferentcountries.Chinesejournalist-turneddrummerZhaoYuWhenZhaoYuplaysthedjembe,hispleasureisinfectious.Eachstrokeonthegoatskin-covereddrumindicateshislovefortheinstrumentandtheWestAfricanMalinkecultureitoriginatesfrom.Zhaodiscoveredthedjembewhenhewas25andoneofhiscolleaguesgiftedhimatoydjembeasasouvenir.Theyoungmanwasintriguedbythetinydrumandafterlisteningtotherhythmsitcouldproduce,decidedtolearnhowtoplayit.However,hecouldnotfindateacherinBeijing.SoZhaostartedtolearnbyhimself.Afterfiveyearsofpractice,hefelthecouldn’timproveonhisownanymoreanddecidedtomeetthemusicianheadmiredmost,MamadyKeïta,therenownedmasterdrummerfromGuinea.Determinedandpassionate,hetraveledtotheUnitedStatesin2011toparticipateintheannualworkshoporganizedbytheGuineandjembefola(“djembeplayer”inMalinke).AnewlifeFromthenon,Zhao’slifewasneverthesame.“AfterthefirsttimeIstudiedwithKeïta,somethingchanged.IrealizedthatifIplayedwell,maybeIcouldchangemylife.SoIquitmyjobandopenedastudiototeachthedjembe.”Thislife-changingdecisionsurprisedhisfamilyandfriends,whoconsideredthedjembetobeonlyahobby.Inspiteofhisparents’disapproval,Zhaowentaheadwithhisdecisionandtoday,theformerjournalistismoresatisfiedthaneverwithhisdecision.“Afterschool,mydreamwastotravelaroundtheworld,andseedifferentoceans,differentcities.SometimesIhadmoneybutnotime,sometimesIhadtime,butnomoney.TeachingthedjembeIcannotmakealotofmoney,butItravelaroundtheworld.Somydreamcametrue.”Everyyear,ZhaoattendsKeïta’sworkshops,organizedallovertheworld.Bypursuinghispassionforthedjembe,hehasvisitedtheUnitedStates,Japan,MexicoandGuinea.HisadmirationfortheAfricandrummerisclear:“Heislikemyfather,”ZhaotoldChinAfrica,praisingthewisdomofthe66-year-olddjembefola.IntroducingAfricaLearningthedjembemeansalotmorethanjustpracticinganinstrument.ItmeansdelvingintotheancientMalinkeculture.“Ifyouplaythedjembe,youneedtoknowabouttheculturebecausecultureisveryimportant.Ialwaystellmystudentswhyweplaythedjembe:becausewewanttoconnectwithdifferentcultures,differentpeople,anddifferentcountries,”explainedZhao,now35.Theinstrumenthasbeenatoolofculturalexchangeforalongtime.AfterGuinea’sindependencefromFrancein1958,thefirstpresidentofthecountry,AhmedSékouTouré,wasdeterminedtopromoteGuineanculturearoundtheworld.Tothispurpose,hefundedvariousdancecompanies,aimingtospreadtraditionalGuineandanceandmusic.Inadditiontotheirculturalgoal,thesetroupesallowedTourétobringtogetherthecustomsandritesofdifferentethnicgroupsofthecountry,reinforcingtheculturalidentityofGuineans.Theimpactofthisculturalfocusisstillvisibleinthecountry,asconfirmedbyZhao.“Guineahasthebestmusicinthisworld.Everyoneisamusician,thewomensinganddance,themenplaytheguitarandthedjembe.”ChinahailsthedjembeBornin1950,MamadyKeïtaispartofthegenerationofartiststrainedunderPresidentTouré’sinitiative.HewassevenwhenhestartedplayingthedjembeinBalandugu,hisnativevillageinnortheastGuinea.At12,hewasrecruitedtothefirstregionalballetcompanyinSiguiri,acityinnortheastGuinea,andtwoyearslater,wasselectedtotheDjolibaNationalBallet,followingaveryintense,andsometimesbrutal,trainingforninemonths.Withtheballetcompany,hetraveledextensively,promotingGuineanculture.KeïtaremembersclearlyhisfirsttriptoChinain1965.“WhatimpressedmewasthewelcomeIreceivedfromtheChinesepeople.Ineverycitywearrived,wealwayshadawarmwelcome,peopletreateduswithrespectandtheywereveryfriendly.Weknewthattheywereveryproudoftheirculturebecausetheywereveryeagerandproudtoshareitwithus,andtheywerealwaysveryhappy.”
COURTESYPHOTOSPerformanceattheMakoLiveHouseinBeijingin2015ZhaoYuwithhismasterMamadyKeïta,inConakry,Guinea
Afteraverysuccessfulinternationalcareer,theGuineanmasterfoundedthefirstTamTamMandinguepercussionschoolinBelgiumin1991.Today,16certifiedteacherssuchasZhaoruntheschoolsinninedifferentcountries.AccordingtoZhao,thereisagrowinginterestinthedjembeinChina.“Everycityhasastudio,classes,andteachers,”hesaid.Tra-ditionalAfricanpercussionattractsawidevarietyofpeople.Zhao’syoungeststudentiseight,andtheoldest65.ForKeïta,thisinterestcanbeexplainedbythesimilaritiesbetweenChineseandAfricanrhythms:“IntraditionalChinesemusic[too],youhavepercussioninstruments.Ithinkwhenthey[Chinese]discoverthedjembetheyloveitbecausethedjembeisalwaysplayedwithjoy.”ButChineseandAfricanssharealotmorethanthedjembe.“Tradition,respectandfood,”theGuineanmusicianexplained.Thereisastronghumanconnection,reinforcedbythecontinuousChina-Africacooperationatthegovernmentlevel.“SincetheindependenceofGuinea,wehavealwayshadaverygoodrelationshipwithChina,”Keïtaconcluded.“Gooddiplomacyandgoodbusinessbetweenthetwocountries.”CACommentsto