Sunjata

A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples

Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by David Conrad
From a Performance by Djanka Tassey Condé

Published by Hackett Publishing Company

Click HERE to download a 10-minute sample recording (4.8 MB) of Djanka Tassey Condé's performance of the Sunjata epic.

This sample begins with a few minutes of quiet conversation as Condé prepares for his performance. Condé then calls for Mamadi Kouyate, his naamu-sayer. Upon hearing Kouyate's reply, Condé delivers the Islamic blessing and introductory remarks that open David C. Conrad's translation (lines 1-32), introduces some of the epic's principal characters, and launches into the early parts of his narrative.

This audio sample has been saved as an MP3 file and can be played using most media players, including Windows Media Player and iTunes. If you have difficulty opening this file, the following players are available as free downloads: