Program Guide

Preface

    African Cultural Dances Gye Nyame African Cultural Dance Company Music and Dance play a great and important role in the lives of the African people. Music and Dance is an expression of the people and is performed to celebrate important events such as births and initiations, courtships and marriages, royalties and power, harvests and rituals, beliefs and worship, spirits and ancestors, deaths and funerals. Africans brought their dances and music with them to America. Today their influence and culture can still be seen in the performing arts of the Americans in dances such as Step, Tap, Break dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, and other musical dances. The movements of the dances are sometimes natural imitations of animals, birds, reptiles and the wildlife, and also of daily work activities of the people which signifies gracefulness, beauty, strength, bravery, and intelligence. The rhythms of the drums are also obtained from watching and studying the wonders of nature and the essence of life. The dances and the drumming are passed down from generation to generation to the children as early as the age of 3 when the child can comprehend. Many of the African traditions which were brought here to America by way of the slaves, and now even more so by voluntary visitors of Africa, are being kept alive through cultural dances and music taught to the American people by some of the natives of Africa. Tribes play an integral part of the African people. Each region in a particular country is made up of several tribes. In Ghana alone, which is populated by about 19 million has about 58 tribes and each tribe speaks its own language or dialect. So one can only imagine the magnitude of tribes and languages of the people of Africa.

Musical Instruments

The common instruments indigenous to the West, East, South and Central African regions are as follows:

D’JUN D’JUN - A large double-headed drum, is used to keep the traditional orchestra’s tempo. The tempo dictates the speed of the dance in accordance to the orchestra, either fast or slow. It is played with a thick stick about 2 inches in diameter, but can also be played along with the hand.

D’JIMBE - The d’jimbe is a champagne-glass shaped drum, carved with a single piece of wood and played with the hands. The d’jimbe is the lead solo instrument and melody drum in the orchestra.

DONDO or TAMMA (Small Talking Drum) – It is an hour glass shaped drum with animal skin on both ends, connected by strings which is flexible to tighten or loosen the heads on the drum to create different sounds.  The Dondo or Tamma is a drum used to relay messages to the village people, (as in public announcements). African languages are tone derived; meanings are given to words with different sounds. The drum is placed under the arm and the drummer speaks by squeezing the strings with his arm as he plays, changing the tones that create words and phrases.

BREKETE (Large Talking Drum) - This instrument is played two or more at a time. It is a bigger type drum, the shape of a larger Conga and has hand carvings on the side and animal skin on the top of it. It is a loud drum and its sound travels quite a distance when played. It is also used to relay messages to the village people.

ACHIN or SHEKERE (Maracas) - A rattle instrument made from a Gourd (a fruit tree), with beads strung on the outside that rattles when shaken. A melody instrument which provides a different type of tempo to the orchestra and to the dancers.

DAHUR (Cow Bell) - This is a metal instrument in the shape of a bell. Some are two or three headed and others are one. Each head makes a different sound which usually dictates the step of the dancers in rhythm.

BALAPHONE (Xylophone) - An instrument made of wood, having several keys of different pitch. The larger wood is a lower tone and the smaller wood is a higher tone.

The Dances

DJOLO or AGBAJA (Dancing into Womanhood; West African Dance from the people of Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast) - Initiation into adult life begins at the age of eight. The initiates are schooled by the secrets and complexity of the older women in the community. MISTIQUE (Such are the mysteries of life; Central African Dance signifying the essence of life of the people from Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, and Democratic Republic of Congo - former Zaire) - The world is a mystery to man, and in this dance, man takes different turns and avenues to figure out the intricacies of life. NOMAKANJANI (No matter what, we will persevere; South African Dance in the era of apartheid) - During the times of apartheid, the people of South Africa fought hard to survive the treacherous times as they stuck together to overcome it all. KOUMBE OLELI (Warriors preparing for war; West African Dance from the people of Ghana, the Ashanti tribe) - War is a manhood event for the Ashanti people, during the teenage years of a boy; he is groomed and taught how to go to war to protect his people. WASSIE & SARAYAMA (Wedding Ceremonial Dances; West African Dances particularly from the Malian people) - Weddings are very elaborate among the African people, especially since two strangers are being joined together as one. An extensive background check is done on both the male and female sides to make sure they are a suited match, followed by an extensive traditional meeting of the families, before the actual marriage is performed. MA GAUE ( Initiation Celebration; East African Dance from the hub of Kenya) - Births and Initiations are taken very seriously by the African people, and each tribe performs its extensive rituals accordingly. The significance of initiation is the determination of how the child will fare in life, thus the seriousness of it.