A Drum Master's Workshop... and my new toy :)

August 18, 2011

Now that we have settled into the final days of our journey and adventure, there were only a few things left on the agenda.  Today's adventure was to David Amoo's drum workshop.  Let me tell you, I never could have imagined how many drums we would see, or how beautiful they are from start to finish.

David is a very funny, and very eccentric older man.  He runs the shop, as well as works as the Artistic Director for the National Ghanaian Dance Ensemble. We will be seeing them tomorrow.
He discussed with us how the drums are created.  Starting at the bare necessities of it all.  The wood.  He told us it is very important to make sure they replace the trees that they cut down.  Ghana is only forested on 1/3 of its land.  The rest is desert.  So, if they cut down all the trees without replacing them, drums could no longer be made of wood, they would have to switch to plastic, fiberglass, or other materials.

The wood is carved, treated, and sent to the shop where David and his workers continue to work on masterpieces.  The designs are drawn on, then carved into the wood and the drum is sanded. After this, the wood is stained to the darkness that they choose by mixing a mineral rock dye with water.  From there, the hole for the pegs are put in.

David's brother took on the next part of it. He showed us how they take the skin of a caprine antelope and take the hair off of it to make the drum head.  He said some drums use goat skin, but antelope is stronger.  He stitches the drum head to make it fit with the twine perfectly around the drum.  Each peg gets looped four times for stability.  This is all done after the skin has soaked for about 20 minutes in water to soften it.

When this is complete, the skin must dry.  Then the tightening process begins.  He puts in new pegs, and hammers each one in, making sure the drum is in tune.

Watching this was incredible.  On top of that, we all got to take our drums back with us.

I can't wait to show my sogo off in my classroom!

Untold beauty

August 17, 2011

Today I had one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  We went to Kakum National Rainforest. Upon arrival, you have to hike this intense set of cobblestone stairs.  The stairs take you to the canopy level.  That is where my breath was taken away.

  

It is hard to describe in words the beauty that is held in the greens, blues, yellows, and browns of the rainforest.  You are surrounded by lushness everywhere you look.  It is an entirely different perspective to be essentially floating within it.  The ropes hold up planks that connect from tree to tree.  While the course is only 350 meters long, it is 350 meters of breathtaking views and sounds.  I still can’t believe that I did it.  You are up so high, you wonder how you are even managing it, looking down isn’t the best idea, but you just can’t help yourself.  I wish that everyone could see something like this at one point in his or her life.  It puts a lot of things into perspective.

On a side note from the wonder, I found a tree in the forest that looks and awful lot like the Lorax trees in the Dr. Seuss book.  I am very curious whether or not Theodore Geisel visited Kakum before working on that book.

After Kakum, we took the long drive back to Accra and the Afia.  More to come later!

Beach Day? I think so.

August 16, 2011

A day sitting on a beach in Africa.  Not much more to say than that.  I slept, read, and listened to music in a lounge chair on the beach for the day.  Relaxation at its finest!  For a while in the morning, Kerrie and I napped underneath a coconut tree while the ocean was lapping at the sand about 20 feet away.  Later, we ate lunch, which was later followed by... another nap on the beach!  All that dancing finally caught up to me.  Another victory, I had African pizza for dinner.  It was delicious!

A very intense, historically based, day

August 15, 2011

Coach busses in Ghana are awesome.  Tro-tros are scary, but the coach bus we took to Cape Coast was/is awesome.  It has air conditioning….and seat belts!!! We were all very excited.  I sat with Davida as my seat mate which is always a fabulous time.  When we got to Cape Coast, we stopped the bus to eat our boxed lunches from Afia.  Mine was a very tasty bacon sandwich, though it was more like ham.  We took a quick stop at Barclay’s for some people to change money, then it was off to the Castle.

Cape Coast Castle is a very intense experience.  It is one of three castles in Ghana that was used for the slave trade.  While it is the youngest of the three castles, there were still millions of Africans shipped on slave ships from within the dungeon walls.  President Barrack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama came to the castle in 2009, they came because the First Lady is a descendant of one of the many people shipped from there.  They put up a plaque memorializing the place and its significance, alongside another plaque that hopes we will never see atrocities like this again.

**On a complete side note: Everyone in Ghana is absolutely in love with/obsessed with President Obama.  When they know you are from the U.S. they instantly start talking about how wonderful he is.  There are billboards with his face on them.***

Inside the dungeons we lead through the living quarters where 200 men would live (in each of the sections) in a space smaller than my classroom.  They would be there being fed once a day, not bathing, and having no access to a bathroom.  You could almost feel the suffering in the air.  The most intense part of the tour was in the cell.  There was a cell where captured Africans who tried to fight back were placed.  They were literally locked in this room with no food, water, light, or air until they died. When we went in, it was instantly sweltering, when the guide turned off the lights, you could almost imagine the torture these men and women went through.   A few of us went shopping in the center within the castle after the tour.  I got a lot of fun things for some people at home J

After that we went to check in at the Anomabo Beach Resort.  This is the first time we all had our own rooms.  Personal space is a much more valuable asset than we give it credit for. The rooms walk right out onto the beach.  Picturesque…and I am sure make it very clear as to what I will be doing while I am here!

Short but sweet

August 14, 2011

Today was pretty tame.  We said our goodbyes to everyone at Dagbe and left for Accra.

 Posing for pictures with our private lesson teachers was pretty much what everyone did before we left.  Here I am with Mensah (left) and Odartey (below).

 Davida and I posed with Emanuel Agbeli, the owner and head of the Dagbe Center. (Left)

Below: The back row of the van in all its glory.  Davida, myself, Jacob, and Kerrie.

When we got to Accra, we checked back into the Afia Beach Hotel.  Most of us ordered extremely “Western” food for lunch.   That means we collectively ordered cheeseburgers (that don't actually taste like what you think they do) and fries.  Different, but good.

 Mid-afternoon we took a walking excursion to the ATM…a little intense.  People try to sell you things as you walk down the street; the desperation is so thick. We were almost pulled into the market by sales people but we decided to wait until later in the week.

Bedtime is very early tonight because we are traveling again in the morning.

Performance Day...and Baby Powder

August 13, 2011

Today was our last day at Dagbe.  We woke up in normal routine, ate breakfast, then went to a ceremony.  At the ceremony our group presented some educational and soccer supplies which Kristen and Shellie brought.  

After lunch we had a quick walk-through of our pieces for the performance.  Finally, at around 3:00pm we went to the gazebo to get dressed for the performance.  We  were wrapped in traditional cloth creating skirts for the girls and pants for the boys.

We went into the Kopeyia Market square where we danced on a dirt stage that had been prepared and swept for us.  That performance was probably the most exhausting thing I have ever experienced in my life. 

Our group performed a total of 7 pieces, most people only doing about 3.  Tara and I performed in 6.  It was insane.  We both did Gahu dance, Gahu drumming, Agbekor drumming, Agbekor dance, and Tokei (I danced, she drummed).  Then on top of that she had her solo dance, and I had mine.  Tara danced a very fast version with new variations of Agbekor with George.  I danced Kpanlogo with Odartey. 

Needless to say, I was very tired afterwards and I am sure Tara was as well.  We both rocked it out though!

After we performed some of the staff members performed other pieces, it is always a blast to watch them!  We all went back to Dagbe to have a feast.  

Earlier that morning, a goat that our group purchased was “prepared for feast,”  in other words, it became dinner.  There was also chicken.  The more exciting part of the feast was that all of the villagers came to eat with us along with the staff.  It was nice to see everyone getting a good meal.

There were four of us who had a birthday while on the trip, and Jeremy arranged for us to have a celebration during the feast.  I was called up to the table with Kerrie, Ann Marie, and Shellie where we cut a cake that was banana and chocolate chips.  Cake in Ghana is more bread like, but still good.  Afterwards we all danced together with reggae music and Ghanaian high life music blasting.  Little did we know that the birthday part was not over.  Later on, the four of us were told to sit on a bench where we were blindfolded and covered in baby powder.  That was probably the best any of us smelled the entire two weeks. 

A group of us danced for hours doing the Macarena, the Electric Slide, Cotton Eyed Joe, Cupid Shuffle, and a few others that we taught to children and our teachers.  Jo and I actually ended up waltzing for a little while which was pretty funny.  Waltzing in Africa….good idea?.......great idea?......brilliant idea?  I think so. 

 Tara and I having a sweet dance party!

Typical "Leeeeeeenda Rae"

Leading the Electric Slide.

Waltzing with Jo!

Dress Rehearsal: Ghana Style

August 12, 2011

Today has been completely exhausting.  I am confident I sweat off at least two pounds.  Morning dance class was a dress rehearsal for as many songs as we could fit in.  Most people danced one or two.  A few of us danced three songs.  Tokoe, Gahu, and Agbekor.   During Tokoe, Nani decided to add another variation….so I am hoping it is still as good with the new moves. 

After dance, I finished my basket, which looks great!!

 

I then had a quick lunch before my Kpanlogo dance lesson with Odartey.  We worked our way through the dance.  I think I am ready.  I will be performing it for my classmates and the staff with Odartey during drum class.  We will also be performing Tokoe again.

I am pretty wiped.  Dancing all day on concrete can do a number on your muscles.  All I know is that I will sleep well tonight.  I can’t wait to show everyone the videos of Dagbe. 

I am thinking instead of doing Zumba, I should teach all of you Gahu.  It is a very intense cardio workout.  Maybe I will do a couple classes for the staff at Spruce.  Hahaha!!