[2007是台灣的曼丁元年]- Taiwan starts Manding Culture at 2007
Mamady Keita 以色列講座2006 - Israel Workshop
這是以色列的全班, 這些人的火力足以成立八支頂尖樂團
The students in this workshop can easily form 8 top Manding ballad troops
馬爺在2005因病缺席了鹿兒島的固定講座，擔心之虞，出現了一個機會。
Due to an illness of heart, Mamady did not show up at Japan in 2005. I was so worry. But a chance came to me which leads to a possibility.
一位以色列的陌生人 Izik Lichtenfeld 在2006商務來台，這人參加過一些非洲鼓課程，也熱愛拉丁音樂，他怕自己在台灣的旅程太無聊，就在網路上搜尋Djembe Taiwan, 找到我，於是就約好見面，我本來以為是個年輕人，結果他從環亞飯店透明電梯下來的時候，他看到我的表情，笑著說「The only thing I didn't tell you is my age」，我們一起參與了大安森林公園的固定練習，結束之後他說馬爺下個月會在以色列舉辦講座，要去的話他可以發給我商務邀請，簽證比較好過，所以，我就去了。
An Israeli stranger email me for he wants to join any drum/djembe circle during his free time. It appears that he has been to Djembe workshops and needed to have some fun thing to do in his business trip to Taiwan. I went to pick him up at his staying hotel. He came out of an elevator and smile to me who is in a little bit shocked, “The only thing I did not tell you is my age”. So we went to Da-An park for a good afternoon. We used to host free drum circle in the park on every Saturday afternoon. We spoke about many things about djembe. I think I showed him Mamady’s book. He then told me, he could try to send me a business invitation for my Israeli VISA if I am interested in Mamady’s workshop next month.
So I went.
Izik有一個更大的秘密沒說，因為我到的第二天就是他60歲生日，他只是說，來我家，一起吃飯，還開車來接我，然後我一到，一整個百人的宴會，他看著我驚訝的表情，就像是看著一個傻愣子被耍的開心笑著說，「今天是我60歲生日，你應該是唯一不是以色列人的賓客」，天底下就是有這種人，促狹地幽默，就是他的風格，我接著還一起上台表演，祝賀他生日。
Izik 稍後幾天不但帶我去上課，也帶我去海豚海灘，參加沙灘的打鼓，也去了很多家餐廳，還去他家參觀他收藏的鼓，也拜見了夫人。
Izik holds an even bigger secret for me. The next day of my arrival on TelAviv was his 60th birthday. He did not say much when picking me up at my staying hotel, “come to my house, let’s eat together”. So I was in a tremendous shock when witness over a hundred guests sitting by many tables, “You are probably the only foreigner today”. I can still remember his weird smile. This man, Izik, is later I discovered the most funny and generous guy on earth.
I even join the guests to play Djembe in his birthday party. In the coming days, Izik took me to the Dolphin beach to play in the drum gathering and to many restaurants and even supermarket. I even went to his house and see his drum room and his lovely wife.
馬爺講座的第一天結束之後，我到休息室覲見皇上，問候他的身體，就哭了（不誇張，話還沒講就.....），老大就安慰我，叫我不要再哭了，然後不知哪來的勇氣，問他能不能來台灣，他笑著轉頭問了太太Monette，Monette說行程已經排到2008之後了，我說沒關係，還是謝謝老師。
After the 1st day of Mamady’s workshop, I went to the rest area to meet Mamady and told him how much we appreciate his culture and his book and video. Not a few seconds did I bursts crying while still saying. I was not sure why is that. After I stop crying, I ask if Mamady could consider visiting Taiwan anytime soon. He then turned his head to Monette and consult for the schedule. Monette told me that Mamady is fully booked till the end of 2008. So I said to Mamady that I thank him anyway.
第三天課程結束之前，老大問了"Any question?, Big question? Small question? ... No question?", （幾年之後才慢慢知道這是老大的收工前必說的經典橋段），然後勉勵大家，不要回去之後就把抄的筆記收起來，要常常練，等等等等，就在大家準備要鼓掌謝謝回家的時候，老大突然在台上看向我，然後說，他要宣佈一件事情，這時候空氣是凝結的，我的心臟也是。
After we finish the 3rd day of the workshop. Mamady speaks his ending speech. "Any question?, Big question? Small question? ... No question?”. Later did I slowly understand that this is a standard cheering speech to end his workshop. He then encouraged the students to start play what they learn in this workshop ...blah blah blah.. It was the moment that all the students were almost ready to applause and start packing their djembe. Mamady then turned his head and face to my seat. He told the class that he would like to announce one important thing. I can still feel the air was frozen, no noise, no anything beating, not even my heart.
隔天老大請主辦的Pierre邀請我跟他和Monette一起去耶路撒冷的清真寺看一看，我在車上問老大，為什麼他會決定來台灣？老大說，那是一種感覺feeling，我問他，我哭了是不是很丟臉，他說，「很多來看他的人，都是劈頭先哭，這很自然」，所以這麼多年之後，我霍然覺得，就是那愛哭的眼淚帶老師來台灣的。
The next day, I was invited by Pierre joining Mamady to visit Jerusalem. I asked Mamady what makes him decide to visit Taiwan. He says it is an instinct. A feeling. I then sorry to him for crying. Monette says, it is just normal, many people came to see Mamady and they cried too. After all these years, I suddenly think, it could be the tears that brought Mamady to Taiwan.
後來的事情，就是老師和Monette帶著剛出生的女兒Nasira來台灣，在2007開啟了台灣的曼丁文化，因此2007是台灣的曼丁元年，那時候的我們完全沒想到，會因此認識了好多的朋友，台灣的，以色列的，比利時的，法國的，荷蘭的，西班牙的，幾內亞的....
Mamady, Monette and the new born Nasira came to Taiwan at 2007. We started Manding culture in that year. So 2007 is the founding year of Manding culture at Taiwan. We did not realize that this culture later will lead us to friends not only in Taiwan, but also in Israel, Belgium, France, Holland, Spain, Guinea, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and many other countries.
