Customer Reviews

Wonbere

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4 star:		(1)
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When the musicians of Fore-Fote and guest artists from Guinea, West Africa got together to create this CD, the booklet tells us, the experience was so uplifting and exhilarating they decided to name it "Wonbere" which means "with joy" in the Susu language. That joy is passed on to the listener in this energizing CD. As an ethnomusicologist and a student of traditional djembe music who has traveled to Guinea to study, I highly recommend "Wonbere" as a 'must-have' for every djembe enthusiast's collection. Not only is the drum work truly representative of the living culture in Guinea today, but the high production quality sets this CD apart from many others that are currently available. Check out M. Lamine "Dibo" Camara's virtuosic drumming on tracks such as "Yole," "Ligueba," and "Soko." For kora (african harp) aficionados, Prince Diabate is awesome on "Sabar," "Sunu," and "Yankadi." Additionally, the booklet, written by Fore-Fote member and Dibo's adopted son Ryan M. Camara, gives valuable information about the instruments used and the history and meaning of the traditional rhythms comprising this inspiring collection.

I am, in my early sixties, learning how to drum. Have really just begun a few months ago. I took a live class with Fore-Fote before I even had struck this kind of hand drum -- and I was flummoxed, couldn't do much at all. BUT, the quality of the sound there in that room, and the very special deeply loving and happy energy that was there in abundance came into me and somehow changed me. I have been taking lessons from local people in the interim and just yesterday had the opportunity to take a second lesson with Fore-Fote. I did better at drumming, for sure -- but the more important thing was the confirmation of my first impression of this music. I bought their CD (Wonbere) and listened to it today at home, and that love and special energy came through. This is soul-stirring stuff, that somehow reminds me of my potential for being happy in an all-connected kind of way that I vaugely remember from somewhere, sometime -- maybe from my childhood, or, maybe from a genetic memory. It really has a special shine, and I feel blessed to have it now to listen to and to drum with.

Decades of playing and teaching have helped 'Dibo' and Miguel find the creme de la creme of students: the proof is in the listening, as good or better a group as we have ever heard.

 An extra delight is the sense of swing found in some tunes which begs the question "is swing actually of African origin?"

 Fore-Fote is only a four-member group, but you'll swear there just has to be more of them.