DanceAfrica Text Transcript

[00:00:05.07]
- Hi everyone. My name is Laurie Cumbo and I'm the Majority Leader of the New York City Council. I represent council district 35, which encompasses Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, and of course, Crown Heights. I am so proud to represent district 35, which is a mecca of arts and culture in New York City, including the one and only Brooklyn Academy of Music.

[00:00:29.02]
2021 marks the 44th annual celebration of DanceAfrica, the nation's largest festival of African dance, hosted right here in Brooklyn, New York. DanceAfrica is coming to you from downtown Brooklyn. This is a festival that rises out of and celebrates our ecosystem, bringing together art, community, and small businesses to celebrate the African diaspora and its history. Every year for the past 44 years, I've looked forward to attending Brooklyn's own signature event, DanceAfrica.

[00:01:01.03]
DanceAfrica represents the energy, the vibe, the essence, the love, the joy, the comradery, and the creativity that emanates throughout the African diaspora right here in the best borough in the land. Local Brooklynites gather to partake at this moment, a moment of remembrance, a moment of celebration, and definitively, a moment of pride. I even got this cape and this necklace at DanceAfrica. During these challenging times, we've been reminded of just how significantly we as a community are to each other. We've been challenged in finding community together while apart, and just as Brooklynites do, we've risen to the occasion.

[00:01:40.08]
As we are still on the road to recovery, today we will once again gather virtually, in song, dance, and richness of beauty and spirit for vibrant celebration. We give thanks to the local Brooklyn communities that support the event each year who are truly pivotal to the continuation of the tradition. As we bring the world to Brooklyn, we are thrilled to simultaneously bring Brooklyn to the world, and we welcome you to join us for this experience. Ase.

[00:02:14.09]
(dramatic orchestral music)

[00:02:26.04]
- [Baba Chuck Davis] Deep, Deep within the belly of the drum lies of the soul of a continent, lies the history of my people. From Africa, we dance the earth's dance.

[00:02:47.06]
(drumming and chanting crescendo)

[00:03:03.05]
- Ago.

- [All] Ame.

- Ago.

[(audience applauding)

- We are the DanceAfrica family. We are the African Diaspora family. We are Africa!

[00:03:13.07]
(audience cheering)
(high energy percussive music)

[00:03:46.09]
(a cappella singing and clapping)

[00:03:58.07]
- [Baba Chuck Davis] We have to remember the fact that we are standing, all of us, standing on the shoulders of those who paved the way and developed that firm foundation.

- [Baba Abdel R. Salaam] Ibaye, Baba Chuck

- [echo of voices] Baba Chuck

[(a cappella singing to ambient music and natural sounds)

- [Baba Chuck Davis] Now repeat after me.

- [Baba Chuck Davis] Peace.

- [Crowd] Peace.

- [Baba Chuck Davis] Love.

- [Crowd] Love.

- Respect.

- For everybody.

- [Baba Abdel R. Salaam] Peace.

- [Crowd] Peace.

- Love.

- Respect.

- For everybody.

- Peace.

- Love.

- Respect.

- For the family.

- And the elders.

- And the teachers.

- And community, and the planet.

- Uh-huh.

[00:05:10.07]
(choral singing)

[00:05:15.06]
- [Baba Abdel R. Salaam] Peace and blessings, family, and welcome to DanceAfrica 2021. I am Baba Abdel Salaam, your Artistic Director, and I'm here to take you on a journey. This year we are celebrating the culture of Haiti or Haiti. So let's move through the culture of Haiti as we dance and we sing and we enjoy the rhythms of Africa and its diaspora.

[00:05:44.08]
At this time, it is important that we acknowledge the life and the spirits of those who have transitioned into the ancestral realm. These have been dark times, times of sadness and times of loss, but it's also important to remember, as my father used to say, that out of every form of darkness emerges the beauty of light. And as we look at what is happening to our world today, there are new forms of thought and creativity and dance and rhythm, and what better way to celebrate that light and that rhythm, not only in a theater, but in your home, eating a little dinner, telling the kids to shut up.

[00:06:39.00]
Join us this year as we celebrate the culture of Haiti. We have HaitiDansCo, Rara Tou Limen from Oakland. And then we are blessed to have three companies from Brooklyn. Àṣẹ Dance Theater Collective, Fritzation, and Restoration Youth Arts. And let us not forget the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers from New York. And this year we celebrate and honor our council of elders and all those who present DanceAfrica throughout the United States and its diaspora. We would not be here without their blessing.

[00:07:16.09]
Join us this year as we offer the DanceAfrica Bazaar, DanceAfrica art, FilmAfrica, and Community Day and classes. We teach our young people to always honor their past because it informs their present and it will one day help them determine their future. DanceAfrica, in that light, has its roots and its beginnings from the mind and the creativity of its great founder in 1977, Baba Chuck Davis.

[00:07:52.03]
So we honor him and thank him for this gift. Ibaye, Baba Chuck. Ase. In the tradition of DanceAfrica, we always start out with the ago, me. It's in the Twi language, which means, are you listening? And the response is ame, yes I am. So when I say ago, you respond ame. Ago. Ago. Ago. And now the Brooklyn Academy of Music, affectionately known to the world as BAM, is proud to present this year's 44th Annual DanceAfrica.

[00:08:39.03]
(crescendo of light drumming)

(a cappella group singing in harmony)

(a cappella solo voice singing)

(a cappella group singing in harmony)

(a cappella solo voice singing)

[00:09:13.02]
(bell ringing, singing continues)

[00:09:14.07]
- Ago, ame, ago, ame, ago, ame.

[00:09:19.03]
(a cappella singing call and response continues)

[00:09:27.02]
(Festive djembe drumming with shekere accompaniment)

[00:10:33.06]
- [Baba Chuck Davis] Our distinguished elders.

(drumming, audience response, clapping)

[00:11:09.06]
(mbira, percussive plucking)

[00:11:58.04]
(djembe and shekere)
(solo vocalizing)

[00:12:10.06]
- Greetings. I am Najwa the First, Chief Elder Emeritus of the DanceAfrica Chicago Council of Elders. We are so excited and honored to welcome DanceAfrica back to Chicago. We are also elated to be joining the ranks of the greater DanceAfrica family. We give thanks to the creator that paved the way for our journey. Ase.

(djembe and shekere)

- Ase.

[00:12:52.06]
(audience applauding)
(percussive music)
(percussive music with clapping)

[00:13:21.00]
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our motherland ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our elders ♪
♪ Let's celebrate Umoja ♪
♪ Let's celebrate, let's celebrate ♪
♪ Our heritage ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh, Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our motherland ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our elders ♪
♪ Let's celebrate Umoja ♪
♪ Let's celebrate let's celebrate our heritage ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Joy is spread through the air today ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our motherland ♪
♪ Let's celebrate our elders ♪
♪ Let's celebrate Umoja ♪
♪ Let's celebrate let's celebrate our heritage ♪

[00:14:26.09]
(ambient music)

[00:14:31.05]
- I am going to first cleanse the path for the ancestors. I give praise to God.

- Ase.

- The creator. I give praise to all of the spirits of God.

- Ase.

- I give praise to all of the priests.

- Ase.

- I give praise to the mothers and fathers.

- Ase.

- I give praise to all of the elders.

- Ase.

- I give praise to the ancestors.

- Ase.

- I give praise to the past, present and future.

- Ase.

- I give praise to all those that reside in Heaven.

- Ase.

- I now give praise to our ancestors who have passed from DanceAfrica.

[00:15:36.01]
- Ase. In memoriam to DanceAfrica's Council of Elders who are now ancestors, Baba Charles Chuck Davis. Ibaye. Baba Scuddie McGee. Ibaye. Mama Sarah McGee. Ibaye. Mama Hajjah Rahkiah Abdurahma. Ibaye. Baba Hajji Bilal Abdurahman. Ibaye. Baba Chief Bey Aiyailu Ibaye. Mama Barbara Bey Ogunrelekun Ibaye. Baba Walter P. Brown. Ibaye. Nana Opare Yao Dinizulu. Ibaye. Baba Bill Grant. Ibaye. Baba Kwame Ishangi. Ibaye. Baba Montego Joe. Ibaye. Baba William Jones. Ibaye. Baba Mzee Moyo Ibaye. Baba Joe Nash. Ibaye. Mama Madelyn Yayodele Nelson Ibaye. Baba Michael B. Olatunji. Ibaye. Mama Mary Robinson Oru Oba. Ibaye. Baba Luther Sulaimaan Wilson Ibaye. Mama Mary Umolu. Ibaye. Mama Elsie Washington. Ibaye. Mama Pearl White Osun Aina. Ibaye. Mama C. Katunge Mimy Omilade Ibaye. Ibaye gbogbo egun. Ibaye.

[00:16:44.01]
- To all of those that rest at the foot of God at the river's edge. Ibaye. I would like to acknowledge the President of BAM, all of the staff, we ask for their blessings and protection. We want to acknowledge that the Brooklyn Academy of Music is on unseated land of the Lenape people. We acknowledge indigenous stewardship of this land and honor the Lenape elders, past, present, as well as future generations. I pour these waters to the earth asking for the blessings of the ancestors. Ase.

[00:17:23.00]
(Water rushing and low rumbling)

[00:17:32.03]
(Voices at a distance)

[00:17:51.01]
(wind howling)

[00:17:55.07]
(thunder rumbling)

[00:18:00.05]
(thunder crashing)

[00:18:06.00]
(thunder crashing)

[00:18:08.07]
(waves crashing)

[00:18:18.00]
(intro bass line)

[00:18:36.02]
(seagulls squawking)

[00:18:47.09]
(quiet Yoruba spoken chanting with synth hum)

[00:18:52.00]
(quiet Yoruba spoken chanting with synth hum)

[00:19:03.05]
(quiet Yoruba spoken chanting with synth hum)

[00:19:08.04]
(quiet Yoruba spoken chanting with synth hum)

[00:19:30.05]
(music synths increasing in intensity)

[00:19:41.07]
(quiet spoken chanting with synth hum)

[00:20:24.00]
(quiet spoken chanting)

[00:20:26.09]
(steady rhythmic drumming with ogan bell)

[00:20:34.04]
(rhythmic drumming increases in intensity)

[00:21:25.01]
(quiet chanting, drumming continues)

[00:21:42.05]
(thunder crashing)

[00:21:46.06]
(quiet chanting, drumming continues)

[00:22:00.07]
(drumming increases in volume and intensity)

[00:22:13.04]
(thunder crashing)

[00:22:20.04]
(chimes to low frequency synth, percussive music)

[00:22:51.09]
(electronic house music)

[00:23:36.07]
♪ Fadjamou, “Oumou Sangare” ♪
(vocalist over house beat)

[00:24:57.07]
(drumming, house beat, synths, and vocal harmonies)

[00:25:57.00]
(chimes)

[00:26:05.00]
(solo vocals)
(quite percussive music)

[00:26:45.00]
(low frequency rumble)

[00:26:53.06]
(Haitian drumming)

[00:27:00.05]
(Haitian traditional offering song to the ocean spirit)

[00:31:24.04]
(drumming and singing stop)

[00:31:28.06]
(birds chirping)

[00:31:33.00]
(crow squawks)

[00:31:39.08]
♪ Ashes ashes ashes ♪
♪ Ashes ♪
♪ Ashes ashes ashes ashes ♪

[00:31:50.08]
- Whew. What a beautiful day. Where is my lipstick? Where is my lipstick? Oh. Niecy! Is that you baby? Come give your auntie some sugar. How's your mama?

- Good.

- How's your daddy?

- Good.

- How's your brother.

- Good.

- All right then. Do you want some candy?

- Yes, please.

- All right. Don't tell your mama.

- Okay.

- All right.

[00:32:31.06]
Whew. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

- If the saints uphold the virtues-

- Let Gede uphold the last.

[00:32:45.03]
(in Creole)

[00:33:02.04]
(quiet Haitian Vodou drumming)

[00:33:12.07]
- Maman Brigitte, she guards the graveyard.

- Guede Nibo, he protects the young.

- Baron Samedi turns city upside down.

- You thought it was over-

- [All] But the party has just begun.

[00:33:31.03]
(quiet Haitian Vodou drumming)

[00:33:36.06]
(birds chirping)

[00:33:40.07]
(laughing)

[00:33:42.00]
(sobbing)

(Haitian Vodou drumming with electric guitar and bass)

[00:33:45.09]
- Freddie. Let me go. Freddie, Freddie, why? Why, Freddie? Why'd you leave me, Freddie? Why'd you leave me? Not fair, Freddie. Freddie, why? Why? Why, Freddie, why? Why, Freddie? Take me with you. Freddie.

[00:34:25.05]
Kwa Senbo! [All] Kwa!
Kwa Senbo! [All] Kwa!

[00:34:32.02]
(drumming with ogan bell at energetic pace)

♪ Gede Nibo Papa nou anonse o ♪
♪ Papa Gede Nibo nou anonse o ♪
♪ Nou anonse o ... devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ Gede Nibo Papa nou anonse o ♪
♪ Papa Gede Nibo nou anonse o ♪
♪ Nou anonse o ... devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ Gede Nibo Papa nou anonse o ♪
♪ Papa Gede Nibo nou anonse o ♪
♪ Nou anonse o ... devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ Gede Nibo Papa nou anonse o ♪
♪ Papa Gede Nibo nou anonse o ♪
♪ Nou anonse o ... devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪
♪ devan Bawon Samdi n ap rasanble ♪

[00:36:22.05]
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Gede Nibo ayi Masafula ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪
♪ Ayi Masafula Brav se Gede ♪

[00:37:02.01]
(high intensity drumming, all vocalizing)

♪ Banda eh o Banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Banda eh o Banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪
♪ Voye rele banda pou mwen banda la laka eh ♪

[00:37:39.02]
(high intensity drumming, all vocalizing)

♪ Gede gran neg sa ♪
♪ Gede Nibo gran neg sa ♪
♪ Ki sa kap fe ? ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Manman Brigit! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Baron Samdi! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Gede Nibo! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Gede gran neg sa ♪
♪ Gede Nibo gran neg sa ♪
♪ Ki sa kap fe ? ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Woy woy Papa! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Oh Bel Gason! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Oh Mazaka! ♪
♪ Ki neg sa kap mene ah? ♪
♪ Gede gran neg sa ♪
♪ Gede Nibo gran neg sa ♪

[00:38:28.07]
(drumming continues, all vocalizing)

♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ pa tande moun yo mare kod o ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ pa tande moun yo mare kod o ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ Gede Mazaka pran yo ♪
♪ pa tande moun yo mare kod o ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪
♪ Brav Gede ♪
♪ M'engaje ♪
♪ Kod sa mare 'm o Gede ♪

[00:40:51.04]
(drumming ends)

[00:40:57.07]
(laughing)

[00:40:59.07]
(sobbing)
(percussive music)

[00:41:09.09]
Freddie, why? Freddie, why'd you leave me, Freddie?

[00:41:17.01]
(quiet smooth singing)

[00:41:40.06]
(music fades, voices at a distance)

[00:41:59.08]
(industrial machinery sounds)

[00:42:10.06]
(metal scraping)

[00:42:16.02]
(metal clang)

[00:42:20.02]
(metal scraping)

[00:42:22.09]
(swords whoosh through air)

[00:42:26.07]
(metal grinding)

[00:42:42.06]
(wind whooshing)

[00:42:52.04]
(Conga and Haitian drums at medium steady tempo)

[00:43:17.02]
(metal scraping on wall)

[00:43:22.07]
- Ayibobo!

- A flame with the heat of the battle.
He is iron, the ultimate fighter.
The faithful warrior that will defend you through the end.
We are ancestral conduits of warriors.
He strengthens us.
We are Steel Standing.

- Ogou
O! Awoshe Nago!!
Ayibobo!

[00:46:20.08]
(flame whooshing)

[00:46:23.01]
- Bilolo.

[00:46:37.05]
(swords whooshing)

[00:47:39.04]
(wind whooshing)

[00:48:31.01]
(swords whooshing, silences drums)

[00:48:34.08]
(pulsing industrial sounds)

[00:48:42.05]
♪ Trouble the water ♪ ♪ Oh, wade! ♪

[00:48:49.06]
- We heard the call and answered. We are here in this moment. In Benin, the birthplace of Vodou. Connecting the dots, unlocking keys.

(percussive music)
(singing in foreign language)

The Vodou voyage continues.

[00:49:10.08]
(drumming with ogan, singing)

- Agb. Agwe.

[00:49:22.03]
(waves on the shore)

(shekere with steady beat)

(singing of Haitain Creole prayers)

[00:51:55.02]
(rapid drumming on traditional Haitian drums)

[00:51:59.08]
(conch shell)

[00:52:12.06]
(singing resumes)

[00:56:11.04]
(drumming fades)

[00:56:13.05]
(ocean waves)

[00:56:15.07]
(voices sing quietly)

[00:56:36.05]
(quick light drumming)

[00:56:58.02]
(drumming ends)

[00:57:02.05]
(chimes, lively low drumming)
(distant voices singing)

[00:57:34.07]
(melodic kora fingerpicking)

[00:57:49.03]
(Fadamou, "Oumou Sangare")
(house beat with rhythmic claps, singing)

[00:59:02.05]
(new beat, singing)

[01:01:14.00]
(light chimes)

[01:01:19.04]
(a cappella choral singing)

[01:01:22.06]
- [Baba Abdel R. Salaam] Ago, ago, ago. Man, that was some bad sugar honey iced tea, wasn't it? Thank you so much for joining us and inviting us into your homes to watch and celebrate this year's 44th DanceAfrica 2021 virtually. And now we would like to take this time to pay respect where respect is due, and acknowledge the visiting dance companies who have made this year's DanceAfrica possible.

[01:02:00.03]
We have Rara Tou Limen, all the way from Oakland and the Artistic Director is Portsha Jefferson. Fritzation all the way from Brooklyn. Its Artistic Director is Fritzlyn Hector. Àṣẹ Dance Theater Collective, also from Brooklyn, and it's Artistic Director Adia Tamar Whitaker. And again, from Brooklyn, Restoration Youth Arts, Artistic Director, Karen Thornton. And we have the DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers and its Artistic Director, moi, Abdel Salaam. Our visiting dance company from the diaspora of Africa HaitiDansCo, and its Artistic Director Dieufel Lamisere.

[01:02:49.07]
None of this would be possible without Jennifer Anglade, Co-interim President, Vice President and CFO; Elizabeth Moreau, Co-interim President, Associate Vice President, and Senior Producer; Coco Killingsworth, Co-interim President, Vice President of Creative and Social Impact, and Interim Head of Virtual Programming; David Binder, Artistic Director; BAM's board members, patrons, and staff, and you, our DanceAfrica community.

[01:03:22.06]
(Lively percussive drumming)
(solo vocalist)

[01:03:36.03]
(Lively percussive drumming)
(choral singing)

[01:04:13.00]
- [Baba Abdel R. Salaam] Peace, love, respect for everybody.

[01:04:18.07]
Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.