WHEN THE MUSIC CHANGES
SO DOES THE DANCE
DANDANA is a coalition of musicians from the Netherlands, The Gambia and Senegal.
Their sound pays tribute to traditional West-African rhythm and sounds.
Besides musicians, they are creatives, filmmakers and artists, a collective of like minded storytellers,
who like to take you on a journey to West-Africa by music.
Inspired by West African psychedelic Wolof music and Mbalax sound,
they combine traditional instruments from Senegal and The Gambia such as sabar,
xalam and balafon,with fuzzy guitar riffs, rhythmic DX7 marimba, live drums,
saxopfone jazz and a range of ambient vintage synthesizers sounds.
Thanks to the great mandingue pioneers Guelewar, Ifang Bondi, Touré
Kunda and Super Diamono and to the synth-driven inspirators Air & Tame Impala.
Members:
Bas Ackermann – synths, guitar
Joop de Graaf – bass
Roy Hogervorst – drums
Kai Tseng – guitar
Modou Joof – marimba keyboard
Bart Sturing – saxophone
Filly Dioma – guitar
Ebou Gaye Mada – sabar, talking drum, vocals
(Jackson Loman – drums)
Booking & Management:
Tineke van der Gaast
[email protected] – +31639194656
WHEN THE MUSIC CHANGES
SO DOES THE DANCE
DANDANA is a coalition of musicians from the Netherlands, The Gambia and Senegal.
Their sound pays tribute to traditional West-African rhythm and sounds.
Besides musicians, they are creatives, filmmakers and artists, a collective of like minded storytellers, who like to take you on a journey to West-Africa by music.
Inspired by West African psychedelic Wolof music and Mbalax sound, they combine traditional instruments from Senegal and The Gambia such as sabar, xalam and balafon, with fuzzy guitar riffs, rhythmic DX7 marimba, live drums, saxopfone jazz and a range of ambient vintage synthesizers sounds.
Thanks to the great mandingue pioneers Guelewar, Ifang Bondi, Touré Kunda and Super Diamono and to the synth-driven inspirators Air & Tame Impala.
Members:
Bas Ackermann – synths, guitar
Joop de Graaf – bass
Roy Hogervorst – drums
Kai Tseng – guitar
Modou Joof – marimba keyboard
Bart Sturing – saxophone
Filly Dioma – guitar
Ebou Gaye Mada – sabar, talking drum, vocals
(Jackson Loman – drums)
Contact & Management
Tineke van der Gaast
+31639194656
Bookings
Bravissimo music
+31643907343
[email protected]
FREE THE SYSTEM
Our new album ‘Free the System’ has been released on Rebel Up! Records in cooperation with Wormfood Records.
The album contains six tracks and it’s about broadening musical tastes, travelling, friendship and letting go.
On Juneteenth 2020 we already welcomed the single ‘Free the System!’
The title track is about the gap between the older generation and the younger generation.
The old system can’t easily deal with young or new ideas. The current pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement
clearly show us that the system needs to be changed, we have to free ourselves from it.
“Une invitation à changer nos modes de vie grâce à notre imagination.”
– Pan African Music
“It’s an unusual mix but it’s one that yields a surprising depth”
★★★★ review by Jim Hickson in Songlines Magazine [UK]
“Met bandleden in drie landen wordt Dandana geplaagd door coronarestricties,
maar tot ze live te horen zijn, is er dit album om je aan te verwarmen”
★★★★ review by Leendert van de Valk in NRC [NL]
“Dandana vernieuwt door dieper in de traditie te duiken”
Article by Ton Maas on MixedWorldMusic.
“Meer dan intrigerende Afro-westers experiment
dat bij het beste hoort dat dit jaar onze oren mocht beroeren!”
Article by Tim Ianna.
“L’heure est ã la contemplation avec Dandana”
Music Video premiere of Ndanka Ndanka on Pan African Music [FR]
“Une invitation à changer nos modes de vie grâce à notre imagination”
Music Video premiere of the single Free the System! on Pan African Music [FR]
“The release of ‘Free the System’ by international collective Dandana couldn’t be more perfectly timed”.
Music Video premiere of the single Free the System! remix on The Ransom Note [UK]
“A burst of energy accompanied by rhythms and
grooves from different cultures”.
Turkish article by Bantmag. [TR]
“Une invitation à changer nos modes de vie grâce à notre imagination.”
– Pan African Music
Ndanka Ndanka — which means ‘easy easy’ in Wolof — refers to the Gambian mentality of taking the time day by day.
The ambient DX7 marimba intro by Modou Joof embodies the Gambian countryside peace and humbless.
When the talking drum calls, it slowly evolves into a melancholic sound that takes theinner soul for a universal journey.
The character we are following is Simon, an albino Rastaman from Nigeria.
He expresses love, unity and humbleness in its deepest meaning:
“Respect to di youth dem. Respect to di man dem. Who are hussling on dem streets.
Always remember that, positive thinking will always bring a positive thought.”
Aftermovie After Summer Tour 2018
Our new album ‘Free the System’ has been released on Rebel Up! Records in cooperation with Wormfood Records. It contains six tracks and it’s about broadening musical tastes, travelling, friendship and letting go.
On Juneteenth we already welcomed the single ‘Free the System!’.
The title track is about the gap between the older generation and the younger generation. The old system can’t easily deal with young or new ideas. The current pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement clearly show us that the system needs to be changed, we have to free ourselves from it.
“Une invitation à changer nos modes de vie grâce à notre imagination.”
– Pan African Music
“It’s an unusual mix but it’s one that yields a surprising depth”
★★★★ review by Jim Hickson in Songlines Magazine [UK]
maar tot ze live te horen zijn, is er dit album om je aan te verwarmen”
★★★★ review by Leendert van de Valk in NRC [NL]
“Dandana vernieuwt door dieper in de traditie te duiken”
Article by Ton Maas on MixedWorldMusic.
“Meer dan intrigerende Afro-westers experiment
dat bij het beste hoort dat dit jaar onze oren mocht beroeren!”
Article by Tim Ianna.
“L’heure est ã la contemplation avec Dandana”
Music Video premiere of Ndanka Ndanka on Pan African Music [FR]
“Une invitation à changer nos modes de vie grâce à notre imagination”
Music Video premiere of the single Free the System! on Pan African Music [FR]
“The release of ‘Free the System’ by international collective Dandana couldn’t be more perfectly timed”.
Music Video premiere of the single Free the System! remix on The Ransom Note [UK]
“A burst of energy accompanied by rhythms and grooves from different cultures”.
Turkish article by Bantmag. [TR]
“L’heure est à la contemplation avec Dandana” – Pan African Music
Ndanka Ndanka — which means ‘easy easy’ in Wolof — refers to the Gambian mentality of taking the time day by day.
The ambient DX7 marimba intro by Modou Joof embodies the Gambian countryside peace and humbless.
When the talking drum calls, it slowly evolves into a melancholic sound that takes the inner soul for a universal journey.
The character we are following is Simon, an albino Rastaman from Nigeria. He expresses love, unity and humbleness in its deepest meaning:
“Respect to di youth dem.
Respect to di man dem. Who are hussling on dem streets. Always remember that, positive thinking will always bring a positive thought.”
Most of the album was recorded in The Gambia and Senegal, The Smiling Coast of West Africa. During the travels, the jams, the conversations and encounters, it became clear how uncertain the future is, people having to survive on a daily basis with minimal means.
It’s a certain hopelessness that is normally far from our Western minds: “Life in Africa is easy and peaceful somehow.
Beautiful sunlight, beautiful nature, the natural resources and also the beach too is beautiful in Africa. No matter how the wind disturbs the palm tree. It can never stop it from dancing.”
Aftermovie After Summer Tour 2018
FREE THE SYSTEM
THIRD WORLD NIGHTCLUB
