Balan Sondé is a Dunumba-rhythm from the Malinke-people in Guinea: “Balan” is a village near Kouroussa, “sondé” means thief. The inhabitants of the village are called thiefs in the song that goes with this rhythm (teasing). The rhythm is an exception within the Dunumba-rhythm-family. It’s played on circumcision-festivitys where both men and women dance. While the men are dancing dunumba-steps, the woman are dancing the söli-steps.) The song is on the Rhythms of the Malinke- CD from Famoudou Konate but it’s hard to hear the lyrics. The translation is:
“You, the people of Balan are thieves!”
“We are no thiefs, we haven’t stolen anything yet”,
You lied, it’s not true, not true