Frequently Asked Questions
The most frequently asked questions we receive,
and our best answers:
1. What is included in each track?
2. Who played all the instruments?
3. Who is Fara Tolno?
4. Who is Kemoko Sano?
5. How did you pick these 50 rhythms?
6. Will it always be the same 50 rhythms?
7. Why are there 84 djembe tracks for the 50 rhythms?
8. Why are there 139 dun dun tracks for the 50 rhythms?
9. Where were the tracks recorded?
10. What is the quality of the recordings?
11. Do you also sell the tracks on CDs?
12. Do you also have performance ensemble CDs for sale?
13. Will you be adding instruction videos or CDs?
14. Will you be adding dance practice tracks?
15. I lost my card or authorization number, what now?
16. Who do I contact if I have questions?
17. Whose idea was this?
18. What other instruments are you planning to record?
1. What is included in each track?
Go here to read more about the exact structure of each Djembe track, forexample. Each instrument will be a little different, but we will include everything you need to remember each rhythm ,and make it easy to find and use each rhythm and part. Advanced students may find they can also learn from these recordings, but they are recorded and organized as memory tools for the rest of us, rather than learning tools. TOP
2. Who played all the instruments?
All Djembe and Dun Dun recordings were played by master drummer Fara Tolno. In fact, he played all instruments, one at a time, recording on top of his own recordings, so that everything would be authentic and clear like only a master drummer could play. Fara will also soon be recording Krin log drums,which are originally from his home town of Kissidugu.
Future artists for other instruments will all be masters of each instrument,born and raised in the villages where the music is in their blood, and in their family tradition. We will reveal the artists as the tracks are recorded and engineered to be as accurate as possible, and available for sale on our site. TOP
Fara Tolno is a master drummer from Guinea, West African. He is former lead Djembe for 9 years for the national ballet performance troupe for Guinea, called Les Ballet Africains. Under the guidance of famed choreographer forLes Ballet Africains, Kemoko Sano, Fara developed into one of the most respected and virtuosic drummers in the West African genre. You can read a complete Bio for Fara Tolno here. TOP
Mohamed Kemoko Sano (called “Papa” Sano by his admirers and students) is the famed choreographer, drummer, and dancer who created Les Merveilles De Guinea Percussion and Dance Company in the Republic of Guinea in 1986. He made his reputation as one of the leading choreographers of West African music over his many years of devoted service leading the Ballets Africains de Guinee, the national dance troupe of Guinea. Papa Sano is one of the most celebrated dancers, musicians and choreographers in West African hisory. He was commissioned by President Sekou Toure to provide leadership in the area of arts and culture in Guinea after independence. TOP
Born in a village near Macenta, in the Forest Region of Guinea, Sano
became a leading figure in the country's performing arts in the decades
after Guinean independence in 1958, when traditional arts were revived and
initially supported by the government. He performed with Les Ballets
Africains and later with Ballet Djoliba through 1986 and was a resident
choreographer at Les Ballets Africains from 1987 to 2000.
In 1986 Mr. Sano founded Les Merveilles, which toured the world. He taught music and dance as a Fulbright artist-in-residence at San Francisco State University in 1994 and at LongIsland University/C. W. Post and the State University of New York at Stony
Brook in 2000 and 2001. He passed away May 24th, 2007 in Guinea, West Africa. His memory will live through music and dance we have all come to love and study.TOP
5. How did you pick these 50 rhythms?
Since these recordings are meant as a memory tool, and not as much as a
teaching tool, we wanted to choose the rhythms that were taught most often
around the world. We worked with Fara Tolno and asked other teachers and
many students which rhythms were most popular, so we would touch on most
parts that people have already learned in the US and Europe. TOP
6. Will it always be the same 50 rhythms?
For Djembe and Dun Duns, as well as solo phrases and dance moves, songs,
balafon, and krin, we will use the same 50 popular rhythms as much as
possible. Where there are no songs, or no krin, etc, we may introduce other
rhythms to make every collection we offer into a major resource for students
and teachers of this genre, and every future genre we introduce. TOP
7. Why are there 84 djembe tracks for the 50 rhythms?
Fara has enormous respect for the teachers that led the way for him, Kemoko Sano, Mamady Keita, Abdoul Doumbia etc. For 34 of the 50 tracks, Fara recorded not only the version that he was taught by his teacher, Sano, but he also plays a version commonly taught by another one of his elders. That makes a total of 84 tracks. TOP
8. Why are there 139 dun dun tracks for the 50 rhythms?
Yeah...139 tracks. This collection continues to amaze me. This is an enormous reference. Each rhythm has the traditional 3 part dun dun version(3 people 3 duns and 3 Bells) Each rhtyhm also has a ballet version (1 person playing 3 Dun Duns and 1 person playing sangban and bell) For many of the rhythms there are multiple ballet or traditional versions! It's honestly hard to fathom. TOP
9. Where were the tracks recorded?
In one of the top sound studios in the country, Immersive Studios in
Boulder, CO. The engineers were skilled, the equipment was state-f-the-art,
and the design of the studio was very impressive, no expense spared to
achieve maximum quality in every recording project.
And nothing speaks to the quality of the studio like the quality of the
recordings, which you can hear for yourself here. TOP
10. What is the quality of the recordings?
The quality of these recordings may be unsurpassed in the world today. We
are very proud of the quality we have achieved. Thanks to the skilled
engineer at Immersive Studios in Boulder, CO., the dedication of the owners
to investing in top quality microphones and state-of-art studio design, and
the skill of Fara Tolno in addition to his passion for sharing this music,
you will find the quality is amazing. Five high end mics were used on every
drum, picking up every nuance, from the sharp clack of the slaps, to the
mellow tones, to the lingering clear resonance of the bass, these recordings
replicate the way it sounded in the studio with such accuracy it is
stunning. Sorry, I just have to say it that way, even though it might sound
like a sales pitch. Its just that good. The only way to know what I mean is
to hear the recordings on good speakers, or at least on some high end
headphones, to get the full effect of what each tracks holds. If you don’t
like the quality, tell us, you can have your money back. We don’t expect to
have a single complaint, ever.
Put on your best headphones, preferably Bose or studio quality headsets that
reveal the full sound we are providing in these tracks, and you will hear
what we mean. Sample tracks are here. TOP
11. Do you also sell the tracks on CDs?
No. This new digital format for music has so many advantages, from making
changes and improvements quickly, to lower cost and higher quality, that we
do not yet see the time for making CDs. We have that step in our future
vision, but cannot see that we are ready quite yet. TOP
12. Do you also have performance ensemble CDs for sale?
Yes. Fara Tolno has music CDs of his troupe, Kissidugu, available. And we
have to admit, they are some of the most entertaining and some of the
highest quality recordings of West African music we have heard. In fact,
Fara’s first CD, Binye, is one of the reasons we chose Fara as a partner in
this huge project. It exemplifies the talent, focus, perfectionism, and
passion for this genre that we were looking for.
If you would like to purchase a copy, and support the artist
and all of his goals to create a school in Guinea to teach children about
their powerful musical tradition. You can download one from our site here. TOP
13. Will you be adding instruction videos or CDs?
Only for a few instruments at this time, such as Balafon, because it is
better to receive personal instruction, with a teacher who can verify that
your playing has the right feel, and that your technique is clear and
consistent. Anything less than the attention of a master drummer will not be
as helpful for the serious student who wants to play correctly and
confidently no matter where you go or who you play with. TOP
14. Will you be adding dance practice tracks?
Yes. We have plans to add longer recordings of each of the 50 rhythms, for
dance teachers to play while they teach, and for dance students to play
while they practice moves. These will be coming out over the next few months
as we succeed at sharing the current recordings and accumulating cash flow
to pay for additional recordings. TOP
15. I lost my card or authorization number, what now?
For all issues about your download, please call:
Call Scott Griffiths: (303) 800-6052
For Technical difficulties contact: support@discrevolt.com
16. Who do I contact if I have questions?
For Payments and Website Issues:
Call Scott Griffiths: (303) 800-6052
For Comments and How to Use the Rhythm Method:
Call Robert Hensley:(970) 366-0867
For lessons, workshops, and performances, call:
Fara Tolno: (303) 800-6052 TOP
How the Rhythm Reference Project Started
My name is Robert Hensley. The original idea for the Rhythm Reference
project came to me because I wanted this for myself to use! I wanted to go
beyond written notation and record an expert master drummer playing each
hand part, so I could hear the real flavor and micro-timing that notation
just cannot convey. I wanted to listen to every nuance and correctly
remember exactly what I learn in lessons, and I never found the CDs and DVDs
convenient or complete enough for my needs. When I take a lesson to learn a
new rhythm, it was always difficult for me to remember them the next day,
and virtually impossible to recall them months later when I wanted to
practice a rhythm with drummers in other cities as I travel. As a student
that was ready to commit to improving, it was all very frustrating.
So I had the idea to record a master drummer for each part and pay him as I
would pay for lessons. But I soon realized the idea had a huge potential to
help every percussion student, so I decided to give this project to Project
Drum, featuring my trusted friends Fara Tolno and Scott Griffiths, and make
the recordings available to everyone. And the Rhythm Reference project was
born.
Now this first series of Djembe tracks is available to help every djembe
student instantly find and remember any popular accompaniment part. Each
track is complete with authentic introductory breaks and all the proper
micro-timing that is crucial to express the authentic flavor heard when
played by expert native players. Fara Tolno -- as former lead drummer for
the world-renowned National Ballet of Guinea and devoted student of famed
drum and dance choreographer, Kemoko Sano -- has proven the perfect source
for this huge body of knowledge. And together we share this passion to share
this music, and to secure the tradition at its source in Guinea. TOP
Basically, this project started out as my own driving need for a way to
quickly find, listen to, and practice the many rhythms I have learned over
the years. And now it is available for everyone to use. Don’t you just love
technology sometimes?
So I started making arrangements to create these recordings for my own use
at first, only to find a huge demand from other people that craved the same
tool. And when I met Fara Tolno and heard his desire to teach West African
music in Guinea (not just to westerners traveling to Guinea, but also to
make it available in the most authentic way to boys and girls growing up in
Guinea), we joined forces to create the Rhythm Reference series and the
escrow account to create a school.
As a student, I have always wanted a fast, comprehensive reference source to
find, listen, and practice the djembe accompaniment parts I have learned
from the West African master drummers I could locate as I travel. Lessons
from master drummers are important but expensive, and the parts are hard to
remember from one lesson to the next. So for a while I bought every
instructional CD and DVD I could find. Then I had to carry a box of discs
around with me, and dig through them all to find the one part I wanted to
practice with my group, which meant listenining to track after track, often
having to guess a part in a performance. If you are a student of djembe, I
am sure you can relate to the same issues. TOP
Notations Are Not Enough
Frankly, I don’t like using notations, and I don’t think it’s enough. They
don’t give me the subtle micro-timing that give a part the authentic flavor
delivered by a master drummer playing it in Africa. I do not believe the
true flavor of a rhythm can be passed along by notations of any kind.
When I am trying to play a new rhythm in a group, or when we are playing a
rhythm we have not played in a long time, we want to be sure we practice
correctly and avoid bad habits. We want the muscle memory to be grounded in
accuracy, so we want to listen to played correctly. And the popular books
with notations lack the precision timing of a recording, and they are hard
to carry around. Written notation systems vary from author to author, and it
takes time to flip through a book to find the right one. And notations need
to be translated, so the accuracy of your playing depends on how well you
translate notation from the paper to the drum, and how well someone
translated from the sound of the drum to notes on paper. That is too many
variables for my taste. TOP
18. What other instruments are you planning to record?
We will continue to add instruments and expand into different genres. First
we will complete the series for West African drumming, beginning with Djembe
Accompaniments, Dun Dun Arrangements and Dun Dun Advanced Ballet, which have
already been recorded. Then we are adding Djembe Solo Phrases to go with
popular dance moves. Next will be Krin (log drums), Balafon (wooden
xylophone), and recording a wonderful voice for Songs, all of these will be
performed by masters in each field.
While we are finishing the West African projects, we will also start
recording Doumbek and Riqq from the Mideast and Nearest traditions, as well
as Tabla, and all the other traditions over time. Of course, the more
successful we are at sharing the first collections we sell, the more we can
invest in recording additional instruments.
Please support our goals by becoming a Registered Supporter, and do not
share these files with anyone else. Registered Supporters receive many
benefits and contribute to the preservation of the age-old tradition of
music in Guinea by funding a new school created by Fara Tolno for children
to learn in the traditional ways.
