The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #70999   Message #3604950
Posted By: GUEST,Eliza
26-Feb-14 - 03:47 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Ngalam
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ngalam
The whole of their Pirates' Choice is lovely. Ngalam is quite a long song. I have to say, in spite of my 'ear' for languages generally, I always found Wolof to be absolutely impossible to learn or even pronounce. I've travelled all over Senegal, including Casamance and Dakar, and found Djola easier to pick up than Wolof. I often stayed at a 'campement' called Mbind Djogoi, but every time I attempted to pronounce it the proprietor corrected me, as I was way off. I never did say it properly! (It means House of the Lion)
By the way, the modern and popular music styles in Senegal have strangely mixed roots. They draw from traditional griot singing, Cuban and South American music, Rasta reggae, Mali-type ballads and so on. All sung at varying loudness and softness, from tremendous volume almost a screech, to gentle and soft crooning. Their dancing is also magical. I've watched it often, and like most African dancers, they absolutely fling themselves into it like maniacs, in spite of the tremendous heat. I only once tried to do it, and caused hysterics, so never again! And their drummming... well! Wow! Their rhythms are so complex that very few Western drummers can perform them.