Comment to 'Habib Koite to his son'
  • Actually this instrument played by the artist to left of Habib would be much like the original. There seems to be a desire to represent the traditions in this work. At 1: 28 the musician standing to Habib's right is dressed in hunter outfit. He is only missing the reflective charms that are reputed to supposedly make the hunters who are the main carriers of firearms, aside from the military (and now insurgents) bullet proof.

     

    As a young elementary kid I did see at least once the hunters' entertainment in the evening. A nationally acknowledged hunter lived a couple of blocks (better said as "concessions" in French...) away. He had come to fame for killing an bull elephant (sigh) the meat of which was tasted by the community. I recall this to be gummy, pinkish and smelly for whatever reasons.

     

    For the anecdotal, my favorite uncle Sunkalo at the village, younger half sibling of my father took to the hunters' path. To demonstrate his fierceness, at the occasion of a hunters' entertainment night he had himself shot publicly in order to demonstrate the potency of his so called magical garb. This was over a decade ago; It didn't work, and he died. The investigation pointing at his ceremonious attire having been tempered with or switched didn't stick. Present environments degrades certain potencies, he found out the hard way.