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Djembe d'Or, Le Sacre des Meilleurs, Conakry. Guinea|Guinée

Flag Guinea

Friday, November 30 2007

3 years, 4 months, 8 days

Conakry, Guinea

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 53,276km

Trekking 335km

Ferry 1,514km

Train 238km

Other cars 43,399km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > guinea > 20071130-conakry

Doundoun, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
80 percussionists.
Doundoun drumming girl, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Doundoun drumming girl.
Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Part of the opening act.

Jean Baptiste Williams, Jeannot.

Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate giving a speech, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate.
Jan Baptiste Williams, Jeannot giving a speech, Director of Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
JB Jeannot Williams.

The 8th edition of the Djembe d'Or Festival is on, I call Jeannot Williams the jouranlist/direcor of the festival, and he grants me permission to take pictures. Jeannot is Guinea's TV presenter numer 1 what ever concerns music. Djembe d'Or is his invention and is one of the prime cultural events in Guinea, it is like the Grammy in Guinea. And Prime Minister of the Republic of Guinea Lansana Kouyate attends, a great honour for all participating artists and audiance. The man has my deepest respect.

"Djembe is not just and instrument, it is our language".

First day is in the Hotel Camayenne, 2nd in the Palais du Peuple. Light, sound and stage are excellent. There is money involved. The list of sponsors and partners includes Intercel, TV5, RFI, CFI, Africable and a few more.

I enjoyed most Guinean Missia Saran Diabate who sang about peace and love and no war, she's cool. I am quiite happy with the pictures taken of Malian Babani Kone.

Mamady Keita, Djembefola, a man who makes the djembe talk is the highlight in the Palais du Peuple. For 25 minutes he and his group Sewakan show what great Guinean Ballet is all about. Stunning after all that I have seen. Well he is (one of) the best.

And certainly I did not expect Sayon Camara to win the Djembe d'Or for best album of the year, most albums sold.

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Missia Saran Diabate.

Peace and Love, strong words like "No more war in this country", she's cool.

Missia Saran Diabate, Peace and Love and Strong Words like No more war in this country, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate.
Missia Saran Diabate, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, her acompagning guitarist, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Missia Saran Diabate, her acompagning guitarist, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.

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Djely Kany Fanta.

Djely Kany Fanta, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Djely Kany Fanta.
Djely Kany Fanta, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Djely Kany Fanta, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Djely Kany Fanta, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Djely Kany Fanta, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.

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Babani Kone, diva from Mali.

Babani Kone, play back. I like the pictures I manage to take from her. I meet her next morning in the lobby of Hotel Camayenne. She pulls out her card. "My last one!" "You better keep this. I know how to contact you in Bamako."

Babani Kone, Diva, griote from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Babani Kone.
Babani Kone, Diva, griote from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Babani Kone, Diva, griote from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Babani Kone, Diva, griote from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Babani Kone, Diva, griote from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.

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Fallou Dieng.

Senegalese.

Fallou Dieng, Senegal, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Fallou Dieng.
Fallou Dieng, Senegal, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Fallou Dieng, Senegal, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.

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Kabakoudou, Grand Devise.

Grand Comedians, some music clip of them is on TV all the time. I call them les deux chapeaux.

Kabakoudou, Grand Devise, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Kabakoudou, Grand Devise.
Kabakoudou, Grand Devise, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Did he cry?.
Kabakoudou, Grand Devise, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
He did.
Kabakoudou, Grand Devise, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.

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Mamady KeÏta.

Djembefola, someone who makes the Djembe talk. Mamady KeÏta (wiki), Guinean lives in the US, owns a dozen of percussion schools around the world. He is one of the best. At the age of 14 he entered the Ballet National, became later its artistic director for some 10 years. A great honour for every Guinean, when he is back. Absolutely stunning.

Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady KeÏta.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Griote sings ...
Mamady Keita, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
... him praise.
Mamady Keita wife, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
His wife.
Mamady Keita wife, or Mamadie, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Mamady Keita honoured, djembefola, or djembefolla, djembe percussion ballet made in Guinea. His groups name is Sewakan, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Ambassador for Guinea.

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Michel Gohou, comedian from Cote d'Ivoire.

Michel Gohou, comedian from Cote d'Ivoire, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.
Michel Gohou (wiki).
Michel Gohou, comedian from Cote d'Ivoire, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.
Michel Gohou, comedian from Cote d'Ivoire, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.

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Mangala Camara, Mali.

Only play back, I would admire him performing live in Segou, Mali soon, a magic voice.

Mangala Camara, from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.
Mangala Camara.
Mangala Camara, from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.
Mangala Camara, from Mali, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry, Guinea, Guinee.

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Fatoumata Kamissoko, Sayon Camara, best album of the year.

Fatoumata Kamissoko, best album of the year, according to popular vote via SMS, thanks to Intercel, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Fatoumata Kamissoko.
Sayon Camara, best album of the year, according records sold, Djembe d'or Festival, Conakry Guinea, Guinee.
Sayon Camara.

Both won the price. Fatoumata Kamissoko, according to popular vote via SMS (thanks to Intercel). Sayon Camara, according most records sold. It is Fatoumata's first album, Sayons 3rd. Fatoumata's album came out only a few weeks ago, her beautiful song La Guinée where she sings about the recources the land has and how little is done with it, is extremely popular at the very moment. Whereas, Sayon's album has been on the market for a long time. Sayon had been popular for many years. It is her 3rd album.

For many more pictures of Sayon Camara go back a page.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > guinea > 20071130-conakry

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