Ghana Part One

“Cuz this is Africa”  --Shakira

Guess I’ve just got a thing for song lyrics lately but here is another one :)  While I love Europe I am very glad to be moving on to the new and the different.  Ghana is a nation of happy, outgoing and occasionally pushy people.  We learned that being white tourists’ results in everyone mobbing you and attempting to sell you something (or sometimes just to say hi).  The first day here Danielle and I had a field lab for Music Cultures.  We headed to the University in Accra for our African Drumming and Dancing lesson that we were all super excited for.  We pulled up to a circle of chairs set out under a huge tree on the edge of the campus.  Beside the circle was a “pile” of these absolutely gorgeous hand-carved African drums.  I seriously was so excited I could barely wait to get off the bus. 

After we all got settled Fred, the master drummer and craftsman leading our workshop, invited us to come up and pick a drum for ourselves.  I picked out one with an intricate symbol carved into the side (though I still don’t know exactly what it means—we are working on that) but anyway it looks amazing.  Danielle picked one with a heart carved into one side which was very cool too.  We learned some basic Kponlogo beats and played a few songs, just chilling under a tree playing African beats---so awesome.  Then most of the group stood to learn a dance while a few of us stayed back to learn more on the drums and accompany the dancers.  I sat next to one of Fred’s assistants and he taught me more and more complex patterns as I caught on (I hate to toot my own horn—no pun intended—but as a percussionist it was easier for me) which was amazing!  I felt like I was in percussion heaven :) 

Then we drove through the University and took a brief tour of their infamous music and performing arts department.  We ate lunch at one of their cafeterias—some weird kind of fish and rice that was kind of spicy—and then hopped back on the bus to head back to the ship.  We had some trouble getting the drums on the ship as technically we are not supposed to bring on animal skin but Vladimir (our chief of security) inspected them and we had forms stating that they had been fumigated so it worked out well and I am so excited to bring my drum home!!!!!

That’s it for now—much more coming soon.  Love you all

~Colleen