ASABEA OUTDOORED

Saturday May 8th at the GYMC, the girl trickster Asabea was announced and outdoored before the enthusiastic community of Guelph. The performance was very interactive in the African style with songs, drumming, rhythm stories, story call and response. The performers were very animated, vibrant and powerful and the audience very connected and enthusiastic. I am always amazed how these shows turn out once we get going. For the first time, my son Wynne opened for me with a rap tailor-made for show, characters and mother. Three brand new stories of Asabea, two rhythmic stories: rap and call-and-echo, three dances of different styles, Ghana, Guinea and Ivorian, three songs made up a great evening. Hats off to the drummers who undergirded the evening, Chris, Mark, Kathleen and Fule, the Eramosa P.S. drummers, the Adowa dancers, Anita and Edwoba, the Guelph Youth Dance Company, and Jiwani dancers: Rocio and Mary who featured with me. Shout-outs to the tech crew, Rodney, Matthew and Nana, my admin staff, Fule, Ashorkor, Stephanie, Wynne and my great support and canvasser, Maureen.

World Malaria Day

The day passed by without my hearing a whisper that this day was dedicated to fighting malaria worldwide and particularly in my dearly beloved Sub Saharan Africa. The statistics say 1 million people die a year....what 1 million? I had better recheck the figure. It also says there is a shortfall of 50 million treated bednets, which is the best defence against the mosquito whose bite transmits the disease. The disease is particularly hazardous to infants, young children and pregnant mothers. Is anybody listening? Bed nets cost $6 a day and I'm sure if people knew where to donate they would. The buzz about Malaria Day was not deafening where I live, possibly being a Sunday and all. My attention was piqued when I saw a video circulating of an interview by scientist, malaria specialist, Dr. Opokua Ofori-Anyinam, of Glaxo Smith Kline who was my highschool classmate. Facebook brought me awareness of the news but how do we help?
Several years ago, the late Stephen Alumenda of Zimbabwe and I wrote four stories for a MacMillan Discovery Readers book entitled MALARIA, edited by Jean Conteh. My hope was that the old and the new stories would bring the facts of malaria, self help and awareness to elementary students. But while the buzz of swne flu was incessant and deafening throughout the winter months, barely a peep was heard from our global village symbolized by facebook, where the chatter never ceases.

The First Quarter Rush

My first quarter, 2010 ended in dramatic fashion. All of a sudden..first pages arrived by priority mail...which in fact was the formatted pages of my book for final proofreading. 48 hours of frenzied reading over the weekend, and I understand the next time I see the manuscript it will be a book. Magic! Then Monday returned me to the Guelph Youth Dance Company-(my current inspiration) to choreograph "Asabea." My evening dance class went well and I woke up exhausted for Tuesday and Stop the World at the Guelph Youth Music Centre. Two days of workhops for elementary school groups in African music and rhythm making. We got filmed for local TV to show next week, beginning Friday at 5:30pm after a segment where Arjay is interviewed concerning the Guelph Jazz Festival. Thursday was a treat, teaching Grade seven at NorthWestern- a fun but focussed group of students who re-energized me for our last workshop of the week.

The Festival of Joy

This week has been full of work and energy, new projects starting, old ones ending. This is life! Surprise dance workshop on Thursday for two hundred student visitors at Centre Wellington, one drum and high ceilings. Everythng was larger than the drum and the microphone but we persevered.
A new choreography is finding its path with 12 kids and one me, at the Guelph Youth Dance Company, all for Asabea's outdooring!
Proofreading Between Sisters, all weekend, preplanning Asabea, for May 8th, but the highlight of this weekend was the rehearsal of the production "The Festival of Joy!"
A simple presentation has morphed into a production because of a small demand placed on me. Mr. Oates said, we want to perform this for our "Theatre for young audiences series." So over the weekend, I wrote the script, putting together three days of workshops into a fun dramatic peiece for young children.
Never underestimate the youth. The dull indifference on day one, has transformed itself into a dynamic and dramatic presentation, showcasing storytelling, drama, dance, drumming, joy, interaction and community which is sure to be a blast. I enjoy directing and I learned from Mr. Oates just how little things dramatically impact a scene. Important key elements in all of this is trust and perseverance and patience. WRITE the VISION and make it PLAIN!

International Day of Storytelling

Today we were at the Waterloo Children's Museum- downtown Kitchener, to celebrate the International day of Storytelling. We were hosted by Latitudes Storytelling Festival, and did indeed celebrate the hour before dinner with families, telling stories with song and drum.

Old Mill Inn, Spa, Brulee A etc

Yesterday's workshops in Toronto's Old Mill Inn or Hotel were very succesful. But the experience in it's entirety had serious shortcomings. We huffed and puffed our way up and down stairs, laden with equipment with little help. I was grateful for the help of two members of staff who ameliorated what would have been a bad situation. Thank God for "a few good men."
Also I pray the lady who lost her rings found them.

Stratford Northwestern

Second workshops at Stratford Northwestern: The polyrhythms have been laid down, one over the other and the dance has progressed but what was most amazing, the storytelling! They owned the story, they TOLD it. Wow. Another thing I learned guitar students make fantastic drummers.

International Women's Day

Sad to say, I didn't celebrate today...too many celebrations from Friday, through Sunday so the day passed with me teaching workshops and my women's dance class. At least I hang out with my favorite women.

GHANA IS 53 years old.

The country called Ghana was born 53 years ago, delivered out of the womb of colonization. A thick umbilical cord was severed at birth and mother British Empire turned her swollen mammae away in disgust- let this infant fend for herself.

Which she has done, and like Tarzan, often the surrogates she found were, "Oh so wild". Yet willy nilly, she carried on, through the charged passion of her independence, with hope peaking higher than Afajato, through the withdrawal symptoms of megadeals gone awry, one party state, coup d'états upon coup d'états while civillians struggled in vain against the lure of corruption, so much money to dazzle the eyes and dizzy the mind. And the years passed, calendar months were torn of sheets and thrown in the trash.

And inspite of all this, and malaria and malnutrition and barefooted children trudging off to school, there were some who got PhDs, and then were cast adrift along channels of brain drain. And somehow by the great mercies of God, whether through the military or the military turned civillian, inspite of rumours, plans, schemes and machinations; inspite of the lack of comprehensive civil rights, human rights, freedom of speech, freedom from oppression, imprisonment etc the country has escaped the round of wars which have hit the region like the seasonal hurricanes, one after another, and another and another.

53...we are alive, more of us educated than ever before, away or at home our impact is felt, speaking out louder than ever before. Discovering, oil and more of oil, just at it seemed to be getting out of fashion.
53.... and growing wiser, pragmatic and more compassionate; daring to dream a bigger brighter world where we maintain and upkeep, plan, design and build for the glorious sustainable future...

Third Day at The Stewart School

On this third day of workshops at The Stewart School, Perth, Upper Canada School Board, everything is coming together. The rhythms are holding, the dance movements have definition, the singing is robust and the storytelling is humorous. Today we tried the rhythmic hand-game, and we're just shy of completing cycyle after cycle in perfect sequence and synchronization. An earlier break means we can relax and sort out our business emailing etc. Tomorrow we carry our practice to the stage to prep for our Friday performance. AFRIFEST-IN-SCHOOLS is the name of the celebration. This is an OAC Artist-in-Education project.

McKinnon P.S. "SOAR"

As part of their African Heritage Month and also the SOAR project inspired by Stephen Lewis, we were invited to spend the day teaching workshops at McKinnon P.S. A busy day of activities led to an evening performance by the grade five students for their parents who had supported McKinnon P.S.'s SOAR (Students helping Orphans in Africa with Relief) fundraiser.

Seventh Street Junior School

We had a pleasant morning telling stories at this school. With a great welcome from Linda Sutherland we began the program. These students have spent the month reading my book: "The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories," and will be telling five of the stories on Friday at a gathering. I was very honoured to hear this and of course I gave of my best as usual. I hope I set a fine example for storytelling.

University of Guelph

Just one hour of drumming a polyrhythm from scratch= A good feeling and a great bunch of students from the council of Biological Sciences. It had me thinking, "Once upon a time I was a student of human biology." They were very likeable.

The Trans Atlantic Slave Trade

On my mind today is one of the most compelling topics in the history of human relations, when one race for the purpose of commerce and capitalism was designated as inferior and therefore able to be classified as chattel or movable goods by another race. The unfortunate set of circumstances began with the invention of the Portuguese Caravel under the auspices of Prince Henry the Navigator. Then in 1441 Antao Goncalves captured Adahu the Tuareg and took him to Portugal. In 1445 six ship load of slaves took 200 slaves to Portugal.
The "discovery" of the Americas was the factor which gave the trade a focus and a goal. Europeans wanted cheap labour for agriculture. This was what took slavery, which had always existed, to new heights and new definitions with reference to race and trade. The trade was established by1500 A.D. at 13000 enslaved Africans each year to such numbers as 135000 enslaved Africans each year by 1800s.
The TAST wasalso known as the Triangular Trade because the ships set sail from the great ports of Europe, London, Bristol, Cadiz, Bordeaux, Marseilles for Africa. The slave coast, was that area betwen Ghana and Cameroon. Angola and Congo were also significant places for the trade. The middle journey was the 7-12 weeks it took to sail to the Americas. The last leg of the trade was the return trip to Europe when the ships were laoded with rum and sugar and cotton.

Willow Road

Two presentations at Willow Road P.S., a school we first visited some years ago. We connected with Susan P. who has often directed the Spoken Word space at Hillside Festival. I resurrected the Snake of Venda in addition to some of my season's favorites. Right now I am trusting that plans for our March 6th celebration will advance unhindered.

African Focus Group Discussion

Today was D-day, and 6pm was H-hour, and I had been planning for two weeks in my busiest month of the year. This year, March will compete strongly and perhaps win over February for presentations. I debuted as facillitator for an African focus group discussing questions on settlement. I found that I enjoyed my part of the meeting and the discussions which jumped from person to person. Once again, in spite of the stresses of finding my group, I have not regretted trying a new thing and I have learned things in the process. The bonus was meeting Anna whose family read my book, "Crabs For Dinner," over and over again while the children were growing.

TEMPLEMEAD in HAMILTON

There were two assemblies for Templemead P.S.. The first was for the primary students and the second for intermediates and grade six. This was a school rearing to go, starting from the students we met who were setting up and assisting with sound, and a very savvy MC who introduced us. For this day I resurrected Ijapa the Tortoise and Fanga Alafia. This school has started using the JIG produced interactive DVD, Sankofa: From Fables to Freedom! Wow. No wonder Fanga Alafia was a resounding success!

Mansa Kankan Musa

Mansa Musa was the next great King of the old empire of Mali after the founder Sunjata Keita. Mansa ruled from 1307 to perhaps 1332. He was known for expanding the empire to include gold producing lands and important trading centres. He was savvy at governance and a devout Muslim. His spectacular pilgrimage is well documented for the huge entourage of courtiers and slaves as well as the gold he took. In Egypt he was said to have been so generous with his gold that he depressed the value of gold for 12 years therafter. He is known for the urbanization of areas such as Timbuktu, Sankore and Niani where he built great structures of learning, mosques and palaces. Notable among these ae the Hall of Audience in Niani and the university at Sankore. Did he really travel with 60,000 courtiers and 12,000 slaves. And would he give all that gold away? It must be so, because years later stories were being told about Mansa Musa. In 1337 Mali appeared for the first time on a world map, The Mappa Muni of Dulcert. Mansa Musa had put his unusually wealthy empire on the world map for future adveturers, explorers and wealth seekers to chase after.

Planning for a King

Yesterday at 1pm, my friend Rodney and I met new friends in London, Ontario to plan for the visit of a traditional ruler from Ghana, to our part of the world. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we have met, enjoyed good company and great snacks, and set an agenda in motion. Can we really plan a royal visit for three Ontario cities? I suspect we can. It is early days yet but the convener of our meeting, is a very able man.

Laurentian Senior School

It was the third visit to Laurentian Senior School but it had been a while since the last visit. We met staff we had known previously and others who were new to us. In two performances we met the entire school of grade seven and eight students. What a robust time it was. We told of the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman, the great hero of the railroad, who trekked 300 people to freedom from the United States to St Catharines, Canada druring the mid 19th century. We did honour to Lt. Governor Simcoe of Upper Canada, who's law made it possible for the slaves who dared, to escape to Upper Canada against the considerable intimidation of the United States. We told of Ottobah who wrote the very first slave narrative in 1787, and then the humorous story of the Hen and Crocodile. By popular request, we also performed Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom. Whew, what a day. And the students were great, with very able 'screamers' who got us all excited.