Dansa/Djansa

Dansa (Djansa, Yansa, Diansa) is considered to be the 'first rhythm in the world'.  The name dansa originates in Kayes, a city in the north-east of present day Mali inhabited by the Khassonké people.  Today dansa is played under different names by different peoples.  All variations belonging to the dansa familiy of rhythms are played with the same accompaniment.   The Khassonke were born from the meeting of the Peuhl and the Malinke.  

This rhythm is traditionally played by the doundoun, the taman and the tantan, a drum played with two sticks.  Its origins are in the djaoura, a Malinke rhythm, and it is divided into two parts; the original first part which is slow, and a second part that was created later and that gave its name to the dance.  

Legend relates that a drummer created the dance during a great Khassonke celebration in order to get himself noticed by speeding up its tempo.  Surprised, the drummers and dancers all stopped, except fo a few women who were party to his plans.  The drummer cried out the Khassonke phrase Alou dagn yansa, meaning 'Stop'; the contraction of this phrase is the origin of the name dansa.  This means that the rhythm and the dance cannot be bettered further and that it would be fitting to stop now.  Originally it was a competition dance for the young men; nowadays a popular rhythm, played all over West Africa..