Introducing Mamane Barka

Introducing Mamane Barka (Introducing, INTRO114) Lone master of the biram; traditional roots of desert blues As a nomad of the Toubou tribe, Malam Mamane Barka is the indisputable son of the desert and the world’s only remaining master of the biram. He maintains the tradition single-handedly, bringing the boat-shaped instrument to world’s attention with his own unique blend of desert blues.

'Mashi' In 5.1 Surround Sound **FREE DOWNLOAD**

Available to download as a special edition giveaway, is the song ‘Mashi’ from Introducing Mamane Barka, specially recorded in 5.1 surround sound. Even if you don’t own a 5.1 compatible stereo or computer, it is still possible to experience the enriched sounds of this recording by using a good pair of headphones.

Click here to download (to save to hard drive, right-click and select 'Save As...')

Lone master of the biram; traditional roots of desert blues

Mamane Barka was born in Tesker, in the eastern part of the Niger Republic, in 1959. He was a teacher for many years before his skills on the ngurumi, a traditional string instrument, made him a celebrated musician in Niger and Nigeria. In 2002, he received a UNESCO scholarship to materialize his dream of reviving the tradition of the biram, an enormous boat-shaped five-string harp. He travelled to Lake Chad to meet the Boudouma, an ethnic group of nomadic fisherman, and their sacred instrument, the biram, which they believe is protected by the spirit of the lake Kargila. At the time Boukar Tar – the only remaining master of the biram – was still alive and he taught Mamane the secrets of the holy instrument and the lyrics of the mystical songs. He then gave Mamane the last biram and asked him to promote it all over the world.

After Mamane performed on the biram at the Desert Music Festival in Rissani, Morocco, in 2005, he was invited to perform at other concerts abroad, including events in France and Germany. In 2008, he performed at WOMAD with the percussionist Oumarou Adamou. Mamane’s life-long friend Oumarou is the son of a Hausa griot in the city of Maradi, in southern Niger close to the Nigerian border.

Mamane and Oumarou began recording this album shortly afterwards in July 2008 with producer Paul Borg. Most of the songs are traditional Boudouma songs that talk about the life of the ancestors, the spirits, the animals the nomads live with, the braveness of the warriors or the beauty of the water in the lake or in the desert. Mamane has also added some new compositions which reflect today’s ever-changing society and contain important messages for today’s youth. He sings in the Boudouma language as well as in Hausa, Toubou and Kanuri, all languages spoken in Niger.

Sadly Boukar Tar has now passed away and Mamane is the only master of the biram in the world. He is maintaining the tradition single-handedly, bringing the instrument to the attention of the wider-world with his own blend of desert blues. With Oumarou’s trance-inducing percussion this album not only pays respect to the spiritual biram, but is also homage to the traditional percussion instruments of the rich Nigerien culture: the douma (the spiritual drum), the kalangou and the calabash.

Tour Dates 2009

Album Lyrics

Translations and commentary by Sandra van Edig

Mashi
This is a traditional song for the Boudouma warriors which expresses braveness and courage. The young Boudouma is a fisherman who should not be scared of water during day or night, nor be scared of spirits, lions or panthers that could attack the cows.

Alhadj
Look at me Alhadj
If I have the age of getting married you should know
Alhadj
Since I have been little you knew me
You knew from my birth on.
You know my parents as well
Alhadj
You can count the night I have slept and the mornings when I got up
So please look at me right away Alhadj
If I have the age of getting married you should know, Alhadj
To be allowed to discuss with a Boudouma girl you should know.

How to get into water
How to fish
How to herd the cows
How to swim on a calebash
Beautiful Boudouma girl
Beautiful
So beautiful
She is beautiful.

Lack of knowledge is darker than a night
That one who is wearing a short should have his reasons to wear one
Why buying the porridge without the milk?
Look at me Alhadji
If I have the age of getting married you should know
If not you should know as well.

Sung in haussa language.

Bulanga
One of the most moving songs ‘Boulanga’, is a song full of loneliness. It’s a tragic and emotional story about an old man who misses his friends who have died before him. Magaram, a woman in Doro Lelewa had a recording of this track performed by the old master Boukar Tar, and she gave it to Mamane Barka as a gift when he was visiting in 2006. Mamane studied the lyrics and the sophisticated way of playing the biram for several months to create a perfect composition. Producer Paul Borg has excelled on this recording in producing a sound resembling the old master himself. It represents the old man sitting in his empty courtyard in a Boudama village thinking about his friends.

Give me a throne and I will be a king
Give a sword and I will be a soldier
Give me wings and I will be a bird
Put me under earth and I will be strong next to you
The dead are not dead
Maybe invisible, intouchable
Come here spirits of the great masters
Come here spirits of water
Come here spirits of wind.

If I play for Mala Kouli, his name is in my mouth
If I play for Kabboula Kadaou, his name is on my Biram
If I play for Abbaye Nami, his name is on my strings
A king without a thron is he proud?
A soldier without a sword what can we say about him?
A bird without wings is he beautiful would he be fine?

Sung in Boudama language.

Kiota (gift)
There are simple gifts
For nothing and there are gifts like a bean
When planted they need to grow
Some people only make gifts because they want something from you.

Tchidim
For the African youth, Tchidimin in toubou language means something that is not right, for example; A tall man on a small camel or a rich guy in a small and ugly outfit. Mamane was inspired by tchidim to write a song dedicated to the African youth, a young generation that is not working or developing.

Stand up youth of Africa to develop the continent
Go and find the knowledge
Find out about the secret of success
It is the well done work
It is of course a lot of
Work a little bit longer while the others are taking a rest
That is finally the source of liberty.

Sung in toubou language.

Buni (Fish)
Fish are very important in Boudouma life. For several decades Lake Chad has been decreasing in size, and the islands are no longer surrounded by water. The return of water is reason for a big feast and also a time for reflection.

So many fishes in the lake
Everybody can serve himself as he likes
Fish for the men
Fish for the women
Fish for the children
Fish for the birds.
That the fish lives to make the people on the border of the lake will live
That the lake lives that the fishes will
Fish for the sake of life!

Sung in kanuri language.

Doro Lelewa
Doro Lelewa is the village of Mamane’s teacher. It is a Boudouma village situated in Lake Chad in eastern Niger, just on the border between Chad and Nigeria. This song pays homage to the village and its inhabitants.

Oh, you can live well in the little village of Doro Lelewa.
There where the master of the Biram lives.
A little village right next to the lake.

Bird´s singing all life long and creating harmony
Fishes, cows, horses and goats
Far from noises of the cities, far from noises of motors and cars.

Sung in haussa language.

Banané
Most Boudouma are muslim today but many still practise in pre-Islamic cults, which are famous for their witches and witchcraft. This song considers the confrontation with bad spirits as an everyday challenge which everybody faces.


Yes we need it
We need your protection
We need your benediction
Against the black spirits
Against bad witches
Against bad spirits.

GOD you are powerful
We need your protection against those who are stronger than us.
Give us your benediction.

Sung in kanuri and Boudouma language.

Wo Kuru (listen to the elders)
The respect of elders is very important in the traditional society of the Boudouma. They believe that if the balance between the generations is disturbed the whole culture is in vain. Modern developments, environmental changes, migration and other changes has already affected the Boudouma society considerably.

Between the human being and the animal there is a big difference
Life is the moral
To do good or bad
There is culture for the human beings that says precisely what he should do.
Sometimes we regret
Sometimes we laugh
Sometimes we cry.

The future is the corn we plant
If you lived long
you should teach the youth
If you did not live long yet
You should learn
Add something positive to humanity and the humanity will be grateful.

Malloumi
A song about religious authority in a Boudouma village.

Madou you are the well known marabout. You are the most famous one
Stand up and go to fish.
Stand up and go to pray
To find peace for us
Let´s be friendly between us
Let´s be tolerant
You have been to Mecca
You have been to Bornu to meet the famous Cheik
You are wearing the turban of a wise person
You own the hat (head cover) and the praying carpet
Madou you are the most famous marabout
Nobody has any doubt about that.
Stand up and go to fish
Stand up and go to pray.

Sung in Kanuri language.

Pitti Kori
This song is about Pitti Kori, the legendary chief of a Boudouma village and a well known witch. Legend has it that one day Pitti Kori went fishing with two friends and they were swimming in the lake with their calabashes when suddenly Pitti Kori disappeared. For hours his friends searched the lake and tried to find him, but without any luck. Finally they gave up and returned home thinking that their friend had been taken by the lake´s spirit, which had been seen to happen before to other people.
On the way home they started to discuss the heritage of their friend and who should get what; the house, the wife and so one. Neither of them knew that Pitti Kori was a strong witch, who was able to disappear before human eyes and become a fly. Pitti Kori listened to his friend’s words and became very angry, he passed them without being seen and returned to his house to await the return of his friends. When he heard them announcing the terrible news to his family he called inside the house, shouting at them: “You are not real friends, I have listened to all you have said, about sharing my heritage. Instead of helping my family you want to just abuse my death and take a profit!” Neither friend could believe what they were seeing, and started to shake, stuttering: “But we thought you were dead…”

This song represents how shame on family names can be transported from generation to generation; which is the worst thing that can happen to somebody in Boudouman society. Because of this the song became an anthem in the Boudouma area.

Migaii Jamaii does not know
Kara Kara malloumi does not know.

Chouwi Kouli Kime does not know
Mallou Yachi does not know.

There all did not know that Pitti Kori has been just enough for himself
Pitti Kori did not need to inherit somebody
Pitti Kori is the chef
full of mystical power
He can transform himself in a fly
In a sandstorm.

He can be visible or not visible
What ever you like and whenever you like
You all have maybe forgotten
Forgotten about his power, his force.

But without thinking you will remember.

Sung in Boudouma language