Bakatue-Festival of Elmina: Part 5 „Experiences“

From childhood on being in the audience, watching the festival Bakatue for many years, now taking part in Bakatue with performances and report, that really pushed me to dive into the festival so much.  The more I report about Bakatue, the more it gives me memories of my past. I can see now, formally I didn’t understand it so much I just watched it and enjoyed it.

I remember the warrior groups called Asafo groups: Wombir and Ankobia. I followed them to many places of their performances. Each of their songs tells you which mood they are in. There are songs, which let you feel the strength of the warriors. On their way, everywhere when they reached a special place, they sang a special song. Some of their songs will really let you shivering. And songs which let you realize, that they are on fire.

Anytime they are arriving in the final performing place, they have a special song of appreciation which shows how strong they are. If they enter the music fields it became a bit a challenge with all the other groups. You can really feel the strength of those warriors. Each of them are singing songs about their ancestors and their great warriors. Being among them as a youngster, their spirit touched me so much, that I felt pulled into their mood.

Dancing Asafo music is with understanding a lot of proverbs from the rhythm. You have to be able to understand the language oft he drummer speaking with his drum to you.

I remember once I was dancing and all the elders were surrounding me, blocking anyone not to get closer to me. I did not know why, but I felt like it is a kind of protection.

After all the activites coming back home, they get to know their position. Who was first and strong in its performances. The important part of this performances is the one who is waving the flag. The movemnt oft he flag tells a story. That’s how they find out who is strong and who did well.  Especially most of the time the Asafo group of our village Egufo had good results. You  could hear their songs on their way coming back home. The good mood was carried along. The enjoyment was good.

On that day, when I was dancing, we arrived back in the village, one man called Kobena driver rised me up there and they chanted towards me. I felt like anytime they will go somewhere I will follow them. I did not know my dance steps until one elderly person was telling me, that I was communicating with the drummer so much inside the rhythms and the dancesteps, it became a challenge and that’s why they blocked the others. Since then I was not going with only one Asafo group. If Wombir was going, I followed. If Ankobia is going I was among.

With all these experiences, being among Bakatue and other festivals, everywhere I was, I got good understanding. The best part of it was, I learned their language on the drum.

Anytime I am there and I want to take part in the dancing and druming, I can respond with them.

I remember so much the day of the traditional priests dance. When none of them were on trance yet, they watched around and chose somebody in the audience, gave their special dancing broom to the person and you have to go and dance. Suddenly I have this broom on my lap. With the present of my wife, my daughter and other relatives form the village, I was really shocked, because I don’t wanted to go and desgrace myself. So I run to the priest and kneel down and told her, that I appreaciate her request, but I cannot dance the Akom dance. She then told me, thats why you have the broom in your hand.

I often watched the Akom dance, but I never danced it before. Suddenly I remmber I have to bow infront of the priest and then bow infront of the chiefs, bow infront of the drummers and before I move my steps I suddenly remember the Asafo dance.

I went one round and the fear in me turned into joy and I became so confident and came out with steps which I could not reproduce it any more. I could see, that I find the communication with the drummer very well. After some few minutes I brought the broom back, but they didin’t take it and I have to go another round.

With that cheers of the audience, I could not say no. I bow to the drummer and the movements start. This round I felt more comfortable and remembered some movements from the priests. I went one round and changed the steps into their dancing. I could see the priests from far, they were suprised. I was a bit scarred and cut it short, went and kneel down infront of them and wanted to give the broom back. Again they didn’t accepted it and they wanted me to repeat the second dance again. In my head I felt I went and caused some trouble now to myself. I watched the drummer with a sad face. The drummer then took a rhythm I knew very much from my village Eguafo. So I danced very strong and powerful and end it with the traditional priest‘s dance. The head of the priest hugged me three times and took the broom. If my family was not sitting there,  I think from the stage the journey will be to home. I felt so heavy and scarred.  As I sat down I was shaking. I saw some people from the Diaspora came just before I started the dancing and after my dance one of them also got the broom and has to dance. He did  so well and the audience was also on his side. After this man came and sat down again, three people from the priests got into trance.

 As I was sitting down there I could understand, that the priests don’t just give the broom to anybody. They watch and choose. With our funny dance we heated up the audience and a lot of laughing was around. Just for me I was thinking that we opened the way for the spirit to arrive on that event.

Afterwards I had to go with my family and sit in a spot to release the heavyness. It was something which I cannot explain, but I felt like I am not on my feet.

Everytime I am in the music field or teaching music, I use this influence also into my class. That helps both me and my students with a good understanding of music language: the communication of the drumming and the dancing.

John Kofi Donkor