On the historical predecessors of present day popular youth entertainments, one might refer to Meillassoux, Claude (1968): “Urbanization of an African Community. Voluntary Associations in Bamako. Seattle: U of Washington Press.” This wonderful book presents lots of detailed information on “dance crazes”and their institutional contexts in the 1960s (including “sabarnin”), and before.

One question: Who is the auther and what is the context of the nice film on sabarnin (sigi-kan)?

Best regards,
Rainer

One thing to remember is that “balani” and “balani show” is primarily a southern Malian phenomenon, originating among the Senoufo, Minyanka, and Bobo peoples. They are all historically more animist than the Mande (Bamanan, Jula, Maninka) who predominate in Bamako and the central areas of Mali. Those southern Malians are perceived as less pious Mulsims in various ways (the hit single by Molobali Keita in 2006 was titled Tchimidjama, or “millet beer – not exactly appeasing to Muslim moralists in Mali). So, like most moral panics, the complaints attached to the noise and activity around balani shows might also be a complaint about the morality of those deemed be responsible.

They also like to play really loud, and a certain amount of distortion is viewed as aesthetically pleasing (there are small resonating pieces of leaves or papers attached to the resonators on the gourds underneath the keys of southern Malian balanis – not to be found on Mande bala!). So if the amps can’t handle it, it apparently doesn’t matter too much.