On our way home...

This is Jen on behalf of Ian. He and most of the others are in downtown Amsterdam right now while a few of us are a little tired and have chosen to hang at the airport.

It has been an amazing trip and it will probably take months to get all the stories out of the travellers when they get home. So much has happened. Since the last update we had two "typical village days" and what we now know is there is no such thing. On Tuesday, our last full day in the village, we presented the school with all the stuff we had brought, minus what we gave to Dzogadze last week. The kids from the village could barely contain their excitement. Much pomp and ceremony and appreciation.



Our goodbyes began Tuesday morning with the elders gathering us before the 'stool houses' to say a prayer for us and our safe return home. It is a sacred spot for the village and we were honoured to be witnesses to the pouring of libations. So don't worry, we're covered by the gods now. That night, a party was held and much dancing and drumming in front of the lodge took place.

Wednesday, we left the village in the morning for Accra and it was a very quiet ride with the odd sniffle thrown in for good measure. One of the boys that had been helping us with the bell came out to say goodbye (most of the other kids were in school) and his tears were enough to send most of us over the edge.

After last minute shopping at the arts centre in Accra, Kwasi and his family, the drivers, and Ledzi, our teacher, came to the airport to see us off. Lots of pictures, some tears, and hugs and we were on our way.

I think while many of us are sad to have had to say goodbye to such great people, we are happy to be coming home now. It has been a great trip, one I'm sure none of us will ever forget. And you can bet, some are going to want to do it again. Start saving now!

See you all tonight.
On behalf of the gang,
Jen

PS Volleyball game results: Yevuwos 1, Dzogadze 4. But it was hard fought and they were all at least 6 feet tall - including their token woman. (Ewe translation: Yevuwos - "visiting white folks")

Typical days in Dagbamete...

It's been about 5 days since we last were able to provide an update to the blog. It's not because there hasn't been a whole lot of activity to report but simply that we haven't had the opportunity. Since the last update from the Hans Botel, we had our planned visit (revised schedule) to the Slave Castle on Tuesday morning.

I won't try to describe the experience here, because I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I will say that it was a heavy experience - heavy in atmosphere at the castle and heavy on the emotions. Hundreds of years of West African history was beautifully summarized and presented by our guide Ato. The following day back in Dagbamete, we held two separate discussion groups, one for the adults and one for the youth, to give everyone the opportunity to share the experience.

It turned into quite a long day, with a stop for lunch, a visit to the bank, and many hours on the road landed us back in our village at about 9:00. Travelling down the last 40 km of road in the dark this time made the heavily pot-holed road an adventure. People were very exhausted from the road-trip, but were all relieved to be back "home". We all slept-in the following morning, and enjoyed a late breakfast.

On Wednesday there was a funeral in Dagbamete, and the youth had been asked to perform. It was likely one of the most sensational performances that they've ever had. Not that the performance itself went flawlessly, but that the audience had to be the most appreciative ever. As the performance began, the crowd were all seated in chairs off to the sides, under the shady trees. However, as soon as the performance began, the entire audience formed an instant stadium around the make-shift stage area. Both older and younger members of the crowd expressed their delight and surprise at the drumming and dancing. Some of the older attendees were joining in with the singing, and truly appreciated the "older" style of the Bobobo piece.

Yesterday we took the short drive over to the neighbouring village of Dzogadze, where several of the towns drumming groups put on a special performance for us. It was nothing short of spectacular. We sat enthralled for over three hours as the presentation unfolded in front of us. As the performance continued, many of our group were encouraged to join-in, and their efforts were clearly appreciated by the crowd.


Many photographs were taken of the event, but the best record will be from Kathy's video camera, as the still photos do no justice to the dynamic non-stop motion.



Today, the kids have been having more lessons, but Gaelen & I set up the all-important volleyball net, by the primary school - with the help of several young men from the village. It is now in prime shape for the challenge match (!?). Yesterday in Dzogadze, Kwasi laid down the gauntlet to the village and challenged them to a volleyball game - Dzogadze versus Baobabtree & Dagbamete. Later he made it very clear that losing is not an option. Uh oh...

Love from all of us to all of you. Hope everyone is well. We'll pass on comments to others. We'll try to update again, but may not be able to until we get to Accra on Wednesday. It will be bittersweet to leave Dagbamete then.

Rainforest & Elmina...

We started our morning with a canopy walk 30-40m off the ground along seven bridges strung between 8 trees in the most fabulous national park. Although we saw no evidence, there are apparently 250 elephants in the park. I think between us we saw a dragonfly, some lizards, and a snake who had recently eaten something (small child maybe?). Don't worry we did a head count and it wasn't one of ours. (our typist (Jen today) just experienced technical difficulties due to inhaling a bug)

We lunched in the rainforest and bought some presents...we can't tell you what...it's a surprise...

After some time at the District Assembly Hall waiting for the mayor - who unfortunately was otherwise engaged - we made our way to a central square in Elmina, just minutes from the slave castle. It's hard to paint a picture of what we saw but here goes: goats and chickens strolling between the audience and the stage; everyone else trying to stay out of the sun under canopies or the shade from the buildings in the square; behind the stage, up a hill, were several decaying colonial buildings in various pastel shades; street vendors all around; an incredibly large sound system screamed pop music as we set-up. (Ian is being the grammar police here.)

The plan was to do five pieces but the response was so favourable that Kathy and the kids ad libbed two additional pieces, including Kinka with Kwasi and Ledzi and a shortened Gahu. For Kinka, the girls went out with fistfuls of Canada flags and invited people to dance with them. Arial, Zoe, and Lucia just about got mobbed by all the eager kids when they saw that the flags were being given away. They actually got some of us adults up, as well.

And Master Dan does a very groovy kinka, we must say! There was spontaneous applause at various points in the performance. We aren't sure why but think it may be that they recognized words to songs and were so impressed with these kids from Canada doing their thing.


The region of KEEA (Elmina region) took us all out for drinks and food at a local restaurant set at the oceanside. The kids got to put their toes in the water which then led to their ankles, which then led to their knees... we had to get them out at that point as the tide was coming in and dinner was served. Afterwards, we all ended up back at the Regional Assembly Hall to finally get to meet the mayor, who was kind enough to stay late. He gave an inspirational speech about the importance of the Ottawa-Elmina connection and we were pleased to be a physical presence on behalf of the City of Ottawa here in Ghana. The two youth groups exchanged t-shirts and thanks and left with the promise to continue to build the ties. The next time we see their youth group, they may be in Ottawa drums in tow.

As we wrap up, there is a full moon outside hanging over the lagoon and the kids have started an impromptu jam session with the other hotel guests.

We're happy, healthy, and full of new experiences to share when we get back.

From the Hans Botel...

It's 9:30 on Sunday night, and we've just finished our supper in the Hans Botel. We revised our schedule slightly, and came straight from Dagbamete to Elmina today, without stopping for a market visit in Accra. The trip took longer than anticipated, due to traffic and road construction. We also had our first Ghanaian van breakdown on the road. However, it was all repaired within about half an hour, and we continued our trip uneventfully - thanks to the mechanical wizardry of Master Dan & Kobla.
The Botel is currently under renovation and the restaurant over the water (brown, swampy) is not currently open. After a day of snacking Ghanaian-style foods en-route, we all enjoyed a good dinner tonight.

Following our last update, we attended a funeral in a neighbouring village. There were over 300 people at the funeral, all drumming, dancing, and singing - in a true celebration of life. Arial's dancing was much appreciated, as she was adorned by shawls (a sign of appreciation of someone's skill). Ben was also presented with a tuque, which according to tradition, you return to the giver before you leave the event. There will be another funeral later this week, for someone in our village who recently passed away. It is a three day celebration carrying on through the night.

We are looking forward to a volleyball tournament with a neighbouring village (Dzogadze?) - where our local instructor, Ledzi comes from. Not only is Ledzi an awesmone drummer, dancer, and teacher, but he can also open coconuts with a machete, while holding the nut in his hand.

Tomorrow morning we're taking a canopy walk in the Kakum rainforest, and the performance in the afternoon. We're switching the Slave Castle tour to Tuesday morning (this is all typical Ghanaian flex-time). Hopefully, we'll be able to provide another update tomorrow evening, after the show in Elmina.

An update from Yanek...
"The life here is amazing in so many ways. The differences and similarities all stick out and make the experience more unique. The food for example is not...perfect for someone who doesn't enjoy an all-fish diet for dinner. The new pieces we're learning are awesome, but the atmosphere around the drumming is even more impressive! We practise in the dirt with cute kids all around and spectators to the left and right whatching our progress. I'm never quite sure if thery're laughing or smiling at us. I am using one of the few computers that work in this cafe, so i will say goodbye now"

Update from Dagbamete...

It feels like we've been here a week already, although it hasn't yet been 48 hours since our vans pulled into Dagbamete. As we arrived in the village, there was a large welcoming committee in front of the Kathy Armstrong Lodge, performing a Bobobo for our benefit. After a few awkward moments, everyone joined in with the dancers.

Although our schedule calls for "typical village days", we haven't had one yet. Yesterday was market day in Akatsi, and it was sensory overload for everyone. Every product imaginable was available for sale. About two hours were spent doing some shopping. If you have ever been to the Stittsville Flea Market, you could imagine triple the number of stalls.


We attempted to get an internet connection yesterday in Akatsi, but the lines were down. Some time was devoted to drumming lessons later in the day yesterday (our first day in the village).

This morning we had a chance to visit with the village priest - Kwasi's senior brother, named Hunau. We were introduced as a group and all shook his hand. Then according to custom, we were presented with a gift, which, again according to custom, were invited to share before we left. A small amount of libation was made available to each visitor.



The kids are already integrated into the community. They are actively involved in football matches during the day, and after dark. The adults and kids are participating equally in the lessons, and we are working on a variation of Astiagbekor today.


All the youth and adults are adapting well to their new surrondings and the climate. The weather has been humid and hot, but overcast most of the time, with a nice breeze. We'll let you know how we feel after a hot sunny day.

On Our Way!!!

Wow! It's hard to believe that we're really on our way... While most of our families are snoozing in their beds in the early hours of Tuesday morning - the Baobaob entourage has hit the ground in Amsterdam. It's 8:30 AM local time (2:30 AM at home) and most of the group have headed into the City for a couple of hours of sightseeing.

Exactly 12 hours ago, we pulled out from the train station in Ottawa, on the KLM bus bound for Montreal. Tearful goodbyes and loads of best wishes sent us off on the start of our journey. Montreal airport was a bit of a zoo, but we made it through the check-in, through security and onto the Boeing 747. They must have upgraded to a larger aircraft, as we'd been led to believe that it was a sold out flight - instead we had plenty of empty seats so many of us had some room to spread out - not that I saw many of the teens getting much sleep. The flight was a bit bumpy at times but the service was excellent.


We're all meeting at our departure gate at noon. The weather here in the Netherlands is fair today with a foecast temperature similar to what it'll be in Accra later today.

Kick-off Performance

With just over two weeks before the tour leaves Ottawa, the Baobab Youth Performers were joined by the adult group, Akpokli, at the NAC 4th Stage, for an energy-filled performance. The youth group assembled outside on Elgin Street to make an entrance with their piece called Drum Talk.


A capacity crowd of 125 patrons filled the intimate space of the 4th stage, with cafe-style seating. The teens modelled their new Footsteps to Ghana T-shirts for the performance.



The quiet Bell Forest piece was illuminated with deep blue lighting which really added to the atmosphere.



The final number for the evening was a traditional community piece known as Kinka, where all attendees become performers and people switch roles to alternate between drumming, playing bell, shaking an Axatse, and dancing. The stage area was filled with the youth performers, the Akpokli group, parents, and audience members caught up in the excitement of the evening.

St Michael and All Angels

On June 4th, the Youth Performers joined the congregation at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, on Bel-Air Drive, Ottawa, for their Sunday service.



The performance was suggested and sponsored by Flo Collison. Kathy Armstrong, the group's artistic director, worked with Father John Blakely to integrate the performance of four traditional West African pieces into the service.

The service began with a processional hymn of Ghana Alleluia with the congregation encircling the church and joining in with the chorus. At the conclusion of the service the Youth Group performed a quiet piece called Bell Forest; where the music of the drums and bells mimic the sounds of the rainforest.

The final fundraising performance prior to the trip to Ghana, will be held at the NAC 4th stage on Friday June 16th. This will be the kick-off performance for the Footsteps to Ghana trip for 2006. Tickets are $12 each, and are available from the NAC box office (947-7000 ext. 280). Performance starts at 8PM.

Film Screening Fundraiser

Over 100 people attended a Film Screening Fundraiser at the National Archives in Ottawa last night, as a fundraising event for the Footsteps to Ghana trip. The audience members braved the nasty freezing rain conditions outside to take a virtual trip to Ghana with the Youth Performers' film record of the 2001 trip. The one hour film showed how the group of 13 Ottawa teens prepared for and experienced their trip to west Africa, and was directed by François DesRochers.

The fund raising event included a wonderful assortment of finger foods generously donated by Thyme & Again catering, and a cash bar. The present group of Youth Performers were joined by three alumni from the 2001 trip, to perform a piece called "Bell Forest" at the conclusion of the film. Then during intermission the group performed "Gahu" and "Gota", to give the audience a sample of their talents. The second film of the evening was called World Drum, an NFB production shot at Expo 86, in Vancouver.

Special thanks to Anne Thompson for coordinating this event.

Getting Started

The project called Footsteps to Ghana is an initiative of the Baobab Tree Youth Performers. They will travel to a tiny village in Ghana, West Africa for several weeks of cultural exhange, drumming, and dancing. The group consists of 15 Canadian teens who perform rhythms and dance in the west African tradition. Kathy Armstrong, the dynamic and talented musical director of the group, will be assisted during the trip by parent chaperones.

Fundraising for this trip began one year ago. A keen group of parent volunteers, family, friends, and supporters have been working hard to raise the $40,000 required for food, lodging, and courses in their host village.

See more details about this trip at Footsteps to Ghana 2006.