This website was developed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for my PhD program. It stands in the place of one of the program's mandatory comprehensive examinations (and thus serves as a prerequisite to dissertation research—my research deals with West African xylophone pedagogy and it is with the Mande bala student in mind that the information herein is presented.) I'll continue to develop the site, even though I have already been granted a "pass with distinction" for the exam. Eventually (and insofar as is possble), I hope to include transcriptions, audio, video, .jv4 files, and discographic information for all of the pieces.
In the menu on the left, named pieces from the bala repertory are organized alphabetically. Hovering over each piece, any of the following sub-menus appear: discography; references; transcriptions; videos. (If you are new to mandebala.net, it is a good idea to follow the preceding four links to better understand what the site is about and how best to take advantage of what it has to offer.)
My main interest is in bala repertory, but many bala pieces are commonly referred to using the names of the jembe rhythms with which they are most regularly associated. Thus, many of the pieces in this list are perhaps more directly related to the jembe's repertory, but have been included here because of their relationship with the bala and its repertory. Similarly, because the bala shares much with the repertory of the other Mande jeli instruments, information is presented for pieces that may have originally been played on—or are most commonly associated with—the kora, the koni, or the guitar.
I would be happy to receive feedback on this project, so please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Todd Martin
PhD Candidate, Ethnomusicology
York University
tgmartin@yorku.ca