tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46362853324865645052024-02-20T07:33:09.431-08:00music in traditionPeter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-17964991264479701992017-08-08T01:08:00.001-07:002017-08-08T01:13:37.030-07:00<h2>
<span lang="DE" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></h2>
<span lang="DE" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Story in our travelling</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">or </span><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">van Gogh as an adventure</span></span></span></b></span><br />
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<b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Our family holiday this year was in the Netherlands,
Egmond. To get up every morning with the wonderfull view over the see, sand and
gras was our first aim in this holiday. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">The colours of
the sky with its various clouds changes rapidly and reflects on the little
village of Egmond. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can
see the wind in the growing of the plants. Every time going out and visit
another city, we enjoyed the sightseeing while just driving there so much. The
city gives you excitment, after hours of walking around and seeing known areas,
we came back to Egmond and it took all the tiredness of the day away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">In every holiday we do an adventure. As we get older our adventure was this year the
museum of Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam. When we were in the queue my daughter
spoke already a lot about the museum we are coming to enter. Because she
studies graphic design, she already knew a lot about it. So we started to discuss
about van Gogh and his life. It was sad and not funny. The only people, who
didn`t put effort in was me and my nephew. Specially me, I don`t know anything
about painting so I didn`t know what I should achieve from it, but I still want
to go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Often I made a lot of jokes with my nephew about why
somobody comes and shows his paintings and a lot of people from allover the
world line up to watch them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">We were in the queue for more than an hour. I can see
excitement from my wife, she could not wait to enter this museum, including my
last born, he was also so interested to enter and see. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">That gave me
courage and I started to enjoy the queue. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we entered, the beginning of the painting didn`t give me
any knowledge or feelings of interest. You watch and read and watch and read. But
as we got more and more inside, floor by floor, suddendly my interest was kicked
and I can see the painings so real and even see what was the reason of the paining.
And if you read the text it was exactly the way I was thinking, when I watched
it. I found myself discussing with my elder daughter about the paintings and
she was surprised about my knowledge and interest. The art just touched me so
much. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">The paintings have drawn me inside and told me
stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The further
we got the more the whole family talked about this art work. My nephew knew
about painting from Highschool, but in Ghana they didn`t teach van Gogh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">I heared about it, but never saw the original ones. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now seeing the original paintings
made you to feel real art. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">As a musician it immediatly draw me
into my art and music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This brings
me to my motto into a bigger world: Art brings energy, energy brings happyness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-56296745944446758442017-08-01T01:44:00.003-07:002017-08-01T01:44:50.692-07:00<h2>
<b><span lang="DE" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">angel patience</span></i></span></b></h2>
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<b><span lang="DE" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Our new book, printed this year
July by Paramon Verlag, Switzerland.</b></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The story is all about patience.
The characters are traditional drums from Ghana: the Ewe drum set with
percussions: <i>Adzimevu, Sogo, Boba, Esevu,
Kidi, Kagan, Gakogvi and Aya.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This family is called <i>Drum</i> and lives in a village called <i>patience</i>. The love and patience they
have for the people got them a lot of friends. They became famous, because of
their names. Often they go to shopping and meet families and have a chat about
daily life activities. As you know children like to get a lot of gifts, like
toys, the main character Kagan got and demanded always a lot of toys. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He always wants
to get more, although he has a lot of them already. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This behaviour made him to loose a lot of friends. Many families don’t
want their children to visit Kagan anymore, because of his behaviour of
demanding.</span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But one day things changed. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He had a
dream about an angel, who was called <i>Patience</i>.
In his dream he was asking the angel:“ Why are you called <i>Patience</i>? Is it the patience like our village name?“ and the angel
replied: „ yes excactly!“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> The angel was speaking
to Kagan about the meaning of its name and described what you can gain from this
name. You can get more than you ever wished, you can get friends and you can
get happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This leads me to my motto: „music brings energy, energy
brings happiness!“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Buy one and enjoy this story, together with your children or
grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">You can order the book
directly through our website email (contact) or in various shops and online. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is
where you can get or order the book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Amazon</div>
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Thalia Holding GmbH</div>
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Weltbild</div>
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Hugendubel</div>
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Mayersche</div>
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Osiander</div>
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Libro </div>
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Morawa</div>
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Orell Füssli</div>
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And in the National Libry of Germany Frankfurt available.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is the German version (Engelsgeduld) and the Englisch one
is coming soon. We will keep you informed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-52960509911646072982016-12-30T03:45:00.002-08:002016-12-30T03:45:26.267-08:00A wonderful cultural journey through time<h2>
<b><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A wonderful
cultural journey through time</span></b><b><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b></h2>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">100 years Anniversary: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">organisation <i>god helps Uganda</i> in Zizers, Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On this festival we supported Uganda. We are there as
the African presenters. There were a lot of activities on this festival. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Bookwriters were there to give speaches and other
organisations had their stands on the festival place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We had the African
stand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From 9 am. till 6 pm.
we offered every 45 minutes a workshop and presented a concert. Aaron and me
started the day with a show to announce the starting workshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After two
workshops, we got people lining up to take part in the next round. This kept
going on till the evening. The workshops and concerts had its own story to
tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> In the afternoon we got half an hour brake and
we used that opportunity to watch around on the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Every stand you go
had its own history to tell. You can see pictures and working tools of 100
years ago being used in Zizers / Chur. You can follow the production of the farmers
of the area, such as seeing the cornmill, cider press or snaps distillery. We
had possibility to try some of them by ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We visited also a
stand where they dressed you up to look like the people 100 years ago. A lot of
families dressed up like this with their children and took pictures in black
and white with that old type of camera. And the studio looked also like 100
years ago, with its chairs, cupboards and room items. This was really
fascinating. Suddenly as we were watching them, some of the workers there
started smiling at us, talking to eachother. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We got closer and they said,
they want to show us a picture. We saw then old pictures of Africans who visited
the Swiss friends 100 years ago in this village. Such a surprise! We were the
only two Africans in that Moment on this stand. So we use that possibility to
play a bit a theatre. Aaron should dress like those Africans 100 years ago in
Zizers and I will come as a musician friend who visited him in that time. After
they dressed Aaron up and me standing next to him in African dresses, with a
talking drum under my armpit, waiting for taking picture, people started to
gather and watch us. I think it really looked to them like a cultural journey
through time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After taking the
picture, a lot of people asked to take pictures with us. We nearly missed our
next round of giving workshop. Suddenly we saw the organiser walking towards
us: „ people are waiting for you!“ Aaron undressed fast and we quickly went to
our stand, 10 minutes late, but they were still waiting for us. The workshopo
went on successfull and we had a good show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Finishing and to pack the drums was another
surprise. We found out, the Swiss working there, were all relatives. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Since generations
they had contact and exchanges with African people. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Everybody who helped us there, was telling us a story
about where they have been in Africa. Some where also in Ghana before and many of
them still live in African countries and just came for the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The wonderful cultural
journey through time brings the motto : music is energy – energy gives
happyness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-34360336276476239422016-12-29T01:40:00.001-08:002016-12-29T01:40:07.819-08:00Celebrating Ghana and Africa<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">Celebrating Ghana and
Africa: 6th August 2016, Geneva, Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">There were a lot of programs going on, which was fascinating me so much on this
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">They trained the children, who live in Geneva the traditional dances from
Ghana and let them perform. They really took the show very seriously and gave
all their energie. Our group <i>wings of a dove
percussion power</i> was supporting them with the music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">A wonderful fashionshow was also part of the program an they showed
beautiful african dresses, designed by a Ghanaian, who lives in Geneva.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">We also had to lead the chief and queenmother with music on stage. It
really felt like we are performing in Ghana. The Ghanaian Ambassador arrived
and we welcomed him with music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">There you could feel good energy in the place. <i>Wings of a dove</i> was cooling the whole place with a nice percussion
and flute music. We played very old songs from Ghana and you can see the elders,
who knew those songs were singing it together with the flute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">Smiling was in everybodys faces. The children felt so exiting and were
walking around happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">We catched the mood and put up a very nice performance. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">Additional the acrobatic
show was very fascinating and surprising for everybody. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">The cheering and applause was going high.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;">This brings me to my motto :
</span><strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Music is energy - energy
brings happyness.<span style="color: #73450f;"> </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Aharoni;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-33525053502597468672016-09-04T01:59:00.004-07:002016-09-04T01:59:52.168-07:00<h2 style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lyca TV programm 2016 Zürich</b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> For launching Lyca TV in Zürich we took part on the intercultural programm. There were a lot of groups from different countries, such of India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Switzerland, Burkina Faso and we presented Ghana. The act was very dynamic and all the groups on the stage gave their best. The Braziliens showed their beautyful costumes and performed a very nice dance. The Indians changed the atmosphere with their own costumes and their dance. After the Swiss breakdancers took over and blast the whole place with their dance and styles. The Capoeira group performed and cooled first the place down slowly and also then came up with their thrilling magical fighting dance and kicked the audience on their feet again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We took then over and came in with a powerful dance from Ghana called Takaj, in which we used our beautyfull smock costume. If you swing this dress through the dance it opens and the show becomes very impressive. We drawed the attention of the audience so that the whole place was quite watching the movement of the dress in the rhythm. The dancers could feel this atmosphere and gave more power to it. The more power they gave, the more the dresses opened and responded to the movement. It is a harmonical combination inbetween the drumrhythm and the dancemovement with the smock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We then surprised them with our acrobatic display, which brought the audience back to the shouting out loud atmosphere and enjoying the show. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The group from Burkina Faso also came in with their dynamic djembe playing and singing. They took the audience surprise from beginning and really take them into the music journey further into Africa. The audience followed the journey, felt the music and all of them were catched by the mood of dancing wild towards the rhythm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The whole place was from beginning till the end dynamic and cheering, which confirmed my motto again: </span><b style="font-size: small;">Music is energy - energy brings happyness. </b></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-16554569373800386382016-07-14T01:37:00.000-07:002016-07-14T01:37:03.437-07:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Being a</span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> star </span>infront <span style="color: #f1c232;">of</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> your dentist</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2016 - 60th birthday concert in Baden</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are there as a surprise for the wife of a dentist, who was working for Africa. As we arrived in Baden the daughter came and told us, please try to stay away from the audience, because my mother doesn't know you are here. We want to see her in the hall with a beaming in her face, because she loves African music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In the hall the buffet was upstairs and the concert will then take place in the downstairs. That is how the whole thing began.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as we are on the stage I can see somebody was beaming from far. We sang a happy birthday song with the audience and her family used that possibility to present the gift on the stage. As she came to the stage, you can see and feel her good mood to have us there. After receiving her gift, she thanked us for being there. We made her feel as if she would still be in Africa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I always present my birthday gift as a workshop, I did the same at this party. I wanted 10 family members to take part in the workshop as a gift for the lady. The request was open so nobody was willing to come. As you know, everytime people are panicking at the beginning, because none of them have taken part in African percussion and they are afraid to be embarrassed infront ot their family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the son in law of the lady went round and picked people by himself. As they sat on the drums, there was one chair left and one drum. Now the lady made an announcement that there is man going to Ghana with his son on the next morning. So she would love that man to take part. I trained with them and then performed a short piece for the lady. The audience was thrilled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the show as they were introducing the musicians to the audience and they reached my turn and introduced me as a Ghanaian living in the littel village of Sins. One table was applausing and chearing so strong, everybody was watching the table and saying, yes he is from your village.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The husband of the lady came to the stage and said that all the audience are dentists and here with their wives. The dentist from your village is also here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the show I went to their table and greet them. I saw them and knew this is our family dentist who is known by my wifes family since long time, even before I came to the village.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is were my motto comes in: Music brings energy, energy brings happyness.</span><br />
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<br />Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-34226846351144279022016-07-07T02:19:00.000-07:002016-07-07T02:19:14.904-07:00<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The taste of </span><span style="color: #f1c232;">being a</span> star<span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span> - <span style="color: #38761d;">Zanzibar</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Zanzibar and the 60th birthday concert</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In January 2016 we performed in Oberfrick at a 60th birthday celebration. The house we played in belongs to the shooting club of the region and this was also the title of the house. These circumstances took us alomst an hour to believe that this is where we are playing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a Ghanaian having no connection to gunhouses, I was shocked driving there. The road was tiny and rough and it was the only road leading to this place. We had to follow the signboards. What helped us to believe that this is where we will perform was special wood torched which you can see from far. That gave me courage to drive closer. As I arrived there I didn't part next to the house, I left my car on the street. Then I walked closer to the house and I saw two women standing infront of the door. They saw I was suspicious and they are laughing. I got closer and one asked me:"Are you Mr. Donkor?" and I said: "Yes!" They told me to park well, because the event is in the house and the woman was the one who is celebrating her birthday and contacted me weeks before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got inside and prepared for our performance and started punctually.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started with telling jokes of how we came to this house with suspicious feelings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then we wanted to present a gift to the lady celebrating. The gift was a game like a workshop. We got some women and men taking part, brought them to the stage and practiced. We then presented together a show, which was realy great and funny. This took fears from the other audience and in the end everybody wanted to try the drums. This kept the party so dynamic till the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then we found out in the brake, there is a musician from Zanzibar in the audience and we asked him to jam with us. We took the audience by surprise, because they didn't know that he is a musician. The party took the direction to a fabulous mood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This confirmed my motto again - music brings energy and energy brings happyness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-39705511658996392562016-07-06T00:20:00.005-07:002016-07-06T00:42:20.423-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Music journey from Africa to Europe</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Concert in Pratteln, Feuerwehrmagazin: January 2016</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just arriving from Ghana around 10 a.m. and teaching from 1 - 6p.m. at the musicschool Frick, I went to perform on the concert in Pratteln in the evening. The event was for the firemen organisation of the City of Pratteln.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I was still full of music from Ghana, where we had the christmas and new year celebrations.</span> W<span style="font-size: xx-small;">e played there from traditional to all kinds of modern music and we played for many hours nonstop. So this was still in me and inspired me to get the strength and energy to make this nonstop music journey.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the concert I joined in the group of Heiri and his friends as a percussionist. The style we played took me back to Africa. I enjoyed it and really gave them the groove of a collection of rhythms.It was a very dynamic concert, swiss and african musicians mixed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It confirmed my motto: <b>music gives energy, energy brings happyness </b></span></div>
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Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-88902194238121216042016-03-13T08:49:00.002-07:002016-03-13T08:49:30.064-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Missing your hero: Prof. Francis Nii-Yartey <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Entering January 2016 with the
lost of a very big icon of Ghana, was a sad moment for a lot of artists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Prof. Francis Nii-Yartey was a
big inspiration of my intire life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where I always remember him was, when he choreographed a program
for our president J.J. Rawlings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He invited some groups of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana,
of which he selected the artists to perform at the Accra sportsstadion for the
president. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We started the rehearsal at trade fair in Accra and continued
in Accra Sportsstadion, where we then supposed to perform.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As everybody knows, when joung people meet, there is a
certain kind of competition specially among the boys to show yoursself and feel big infront of the girls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This behavour became a bad
luck to me. We decided to run infront of the crowd on the sportstrack of the
stadion. I was about to win the race, missed my step and fell, slided over the
pavement and part of my skin on my shoulder was rubbed off. I was send to the
stadion clinic for treatment. On my way going I felt so sorry for myself to do such
a foolish mistake, because I like to watch Prof Nii-Yartey when he was teaching
the dance ensemble in Legon and I thought in that moment I blowed the chance to
work among in his project. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After my treatment they brought me back to him. I was so scarred, because I thought now he is
going to be annoyed with me and tell me off. But he just watched me, shaked his
head and said: „ hmm! Go and join your group.“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At this moment I was confused. I don’t know if I should feel
happy or what is coming next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On the next day coming to the rehearsal, I didn’t know what I
shall expect. I am a drummer, so I was among the drummgroup. We were playing a
piece on the Fontomfrom drum, which Big
Boy was teaching us. I felt so difficult, because the wound has been dried. The
Fontomfrom drum has been carried and we were playing it, so the hands are
always rised up in the air. I felt a lot of pain, but I didn’t want to give up,
because I wanted to play in that program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After the rehearsal days, they started to share the costume
to those, who are going to be among the program. We had different coulors of
costumes. I was very tensed, I thought because of my wound I will not get a
costume and therefore I will not be among the performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The sad part will be, the program will be on the TV, which
everybody is looking forward to see us. Specially the people in Nima, who
always saw us joining the bus to the reahearsal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We stand in line to get the costumes and when it was my turn,
Prof. Nii Yartey asked me to step aside. I could’t show my tears, I swallow it
and said to myself: „ You see how stupid you are to get such a chance an blow
it up.“ I don’t know what to do to myself as I was standing aside. I gave a lot
of advice to myself while I was standing there and a lot of artist passed by
and get their costumes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But Professor is a Professor. I would have been so happy, if
he would have shouted on me on the first day and really put me off and send me
home, than let me rehearsal till the end and let me stand here now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At the end those who were selected got their costumes and we
have to stand by groups. I was still without costume so I cannot join my group.
</span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He watched me and said: „Hey Red,
which group do you belong to?“ I responded : « Kusum Gboo dance
ensemble » <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He then shaked his head the same again and made : „hmm!“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He started to speak to the groups
about the performance. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Then he said good bye to all the participants and
wishing them all the best for the performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The groups started to go and wait for their buses. I was
still there discussing with my group how disappointed I am, but it is my own
fault. I will learn from this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I just finished speaking this and turned my self to walk to the
bus and I saw Prof. Nii-Yartey throw a costume to me. I hold the costume as if
I should run with it. I hold it an stand there like a statue, because I thought
it is a mistake. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He then said: „you are a
drummer, join the yellow costumes!“ </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In this moment I want to hold my
screeming until I will reach inside the
bus, but I could not make it. I screemed and I think all the artists could hear
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Till now everything I do, I always remember him. I used a lot
of what I learned form him in my teaching in schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">May Prof. Nii-Yartey’s soul rest in peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We will never forget your beautyful and charming
choreographing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-39619072974488338402016-02-02T01:37:00.000-08:002016-02-02T01:37:11.690-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Music on christmas took all my pain away<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A report from Eguafo, near Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana in West
Africa<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Since I was born and grew up in
Accra. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I often visit my village Eguafo in the Central region of
Ghana. I never got a chance to spent the christmas in Eguafo till this
christmas 2015 together with friends from Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On the 24th night it looked like nobody nows what to do in
the village, so we the artists invited our Sankofa group, who based in Eguafo,
to come and play. In the end it became very dynamic and interesting. A lot of
people joined in and we decided then to make a little parade with traditional
music and dance through the village. Every street we reached, we got more
people. Before we reached our starting point again, it was about three o`clock
in the morning. The German friends got tired and went to sleep a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The nice part about it was, I thought everybody will also go
home and sleep, but the youngsters among wanted the music to continue. So I
really used that opportunity to sing some old songs of the village, which I
have heard since I was ten years old.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It happened that most of them never heard those songs. I have
to teach them the songs and we performed it. After a few hours they knew a lot of olden time
songs. They decided to parade throught the village again, because they felt
proud to demonstrate those old songs. Sometimes the elder people passed by and
joined in. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And many people started to
remember traditional musicians from the village, who passed away. They started to
appreciate them. They said: « You boys remind us of the bosue
group. » </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And as an artist I felt so happy, to perform in my village
and wake up almost forgotten music and its musicians. That gave me strength to
continue playing the leading drum with devotion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Those who are good in percussion instruments of the Sankofa
group, asked a permission to go home around 4.30 in the morning. Which I was
then happy about, because my hands were really hurting. Playing from 10 pm til
4.30 am… that is long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The music entered some of the youngsters so much, although
the Sankofa drumers have left, that they always told me:“ Bra Kofi, let`s
continue!“ There we started again. They sang some songs, which were also new to
me and I have to learn it from them. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One of
the village boys is calling himself after „Shatta Wale“. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This name
is known in Ghana for a Rap musician, who is based in Accra. This guy who named
himself after Shatta used the old songs he just learned from me a few hours ago
and transformed it into Rap. We were then only few people and I am the only percussionist
left. I have to form the rhythm and create some to fit into the Rap music. It
was so beautiful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Around 6 am we were done. My hands were pumping as if
somebody would messure my blood pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As everybody left, I couldn`t get up from the chair anymore,
I was so tired and dozed on the chair. Those who got up in the morning, started
to laugh about me, that made me wake up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I then had to orginize the afternoon of 25th, the big day.
Quickly showerd and hit the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The food was ready and we all were eating as usual on
christmas day. Then we visited family members. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Funny was, every family house I enterd asked me:“ Who were
those people, who played music till day break? Are they your people from Accra?
Where did they learn those songs?“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So I called the names of the people who took part from Eguafo
and they were all surprised. And I revealed myself to be to one leading the
group through the village with those songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That of course spread in the village like a rumor. I arrived
in the house and found myself in the middle of youngsters, who also learned the
songs we sang yesterday. They tought it to others and they wanted us to
performe. I just didn’t want to think about my hands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They brought the drums and the music started. We played till
5 pm. Then I couldn`t continue anymore. So I told them just to parade by
themselves to enjoy the 25th. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That is the first time I
enjoyed my village since I have been visiting the village as a child. I heard a
lot of traditional music in Accra, Nima, but in the village Eguafo it was were
I, at the age of 10, joined a group of elders, known as « bosue ».
Through this experience I always return to Eguafo, where my parents came from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That is
were my motto was confirmed : « Music brings energy, energy brings
happyness ! »<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-35425349541445913742015-10-05T10:48:00.003-07:002015-10-05T10:48:53.396-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">African week in ISB Aesch Basel, Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Percussions, dance, drama,
storytelling, african village and market
scene. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For many years we are working with ISB grade 5. We really
work with them on the african field. We teach them traditional songs and its
dances. This year we were four teachers working with 85 children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As we do it every year in the beginning we take away the
shyness and bring them the motiviation to participate. You will see them
realizing their improve and every day it goes further and further. The reason
why we like to work with ISB grade 5 is, the children always knew the group of
last year grade 5 and make a competition out of it to perform better and show
it to the grade 4 and the whole school. That’s how we do the workshop every
year. This give us, the teachers also the possibility to work with them without
hesitating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This year I was teaching them a story about a boy from
Eguafo, who has difficulties in his family. But he always tries to solve the
problem by himself and support the family additional. Their farm was not
functioning well and the parents have problems to feed their children. He always
went to the city to shine shoes and bring the money to the parents. Additional
he had to go to school. He did that for many years with the help of the
teachers. He studied good in the school and that helped him not to do much
homework, so he had enough time to go and work. He always gave appreciation and
thanks to his teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I saw that this story touched the teachers in the ISB very
much. Additional they performed a drama about elders in Eguafo. How they take
care of the community, how to solve problems and how to organize them to do the
community work. They have the youth, who voted themselves to help the children
for homework and other activities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All these dramas is to show that everything you do in this
life, you need a support and help and then you can work as a team and achieve
it. And this is where our motto came in: no stress, no panic, freedom but
concentration. Music brings energy, energy brings happyness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This year the teachers of ISB wanted to take part of the
show. We worked with them for 90 minutes and you can see that they are looking
forward to stand infront of their pupils to show them how much interest and
talent they also have in music and dance. We tried to push them a bit harder
and they did their best and we had a nice dance together. The pupils didn’t
know about the teachers show. So it was a big surprise. It was thrilling and
with our support they gave all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Every year we the teachers performed, but only the grade 5
teachers and sometimes the director of the school as well. This year almost all
the teachers took part in the workshop and the performance. It was so beautyful
and we are looking forward to meet them next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is unit work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-81835854937912601122015-09-04T02:09:00.002-07:002015-09-04T02:09:55.783-07:00Benefit concert with Aaron Bebe: August 2015 <h1 style="background-color: #efe6d8; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Benefit concert with Aaron Bebe: August 2015<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span></h1>
<div style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify;">
A great performance was the concert with Ghanaian musicans and swiss musicians combined. We used bell, Kpanlogo drums, gome, seprewa, imbira, guitar, saxophon and bass. The atmosphere was very good, both from the musicians and the audience. The concert was a benefit for supporting Aarons son for his operation in Zürich. The mood of the little boy was making everybody additional happy. Coinsidently it was also his birthday. Chris got 5 years old. The concert was really dynamic and the music travelled with the audience. The whole concert hall sounded like we are in Ghana, but we were in Untersiggenthal in Switzerland. Additional there were balafon players using the Ghanian traditional xylofon who also increased the mood with their energetic playing. In the end all of us came together and we had a very nice jam session.</div>
<div style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify;">
Just a few weeks later in the same month I was playing with another percussion group, known as kobolo drummers. It was an open air festival. As we arrived I saw a lot of people watching me with a big smile and friendlyness. I thought it was because I was wearing a Ghanain T-shirt. A group of young people came to me and they said we were watching you playing recently. I asked them where this was and they said it was in Untersiggenthal on the benefit concert. Not knowing most of the audience which watched the concert with Aaron, was at the festival. So I found out that this village we were playing belonged to Obersiggenthal. This time the style we were going to play was more traditional with different sorts of percussion instruments as Sogo, Kidi, Kaganu, Kpanlogo, Marakash, bell and Kroboto. It was a great audience which gave us a lot of energy and cheering. The concert kept going on good and good and good. Our energy kept on increasing.</div>
<div style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify;">
Music brings energy, energy brings happyness and happyness can lead you inbetween two villages like Obersiggenthal and Untersiggenthal.</div>
<div style="background-color: #efe6d8; color: #73450f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-65182484862142106362015-07-15T01:25:00.000-07:002015-07-15T01:25:49.962-07:00<h2>
<b>Experiences in music with children and youngsters</b></h2>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<h3>
Music can travel with you and you will not realize with whom you are with.</h3>
<br />
Some traditional music from Africa is very difficult to understand. Specially combined with bell and marakash. Polyrhythms are giving the difficulties. Some of the pupils don't undestand and hear the connection inbetween the bell, marakash and the drum rhythms.<br />
After working with them for one week, suddenly I can hear them trying to communicate with me on the drum. I immediatly adopt what they try to do and support them for them to understand it better.<br />
All this communication is through rhythms, not with words.<br />
Slowly they start to understand the way of communication without words and respond to it.<br />
After the workshop we have a very wonderful show one Saturday and Sunday in May, which the audience was thrilled about.<br />
A Ghanain musician was also in the audience, who then joined us on the stage. We did some 6/8 rhythms and combined it with bamboo flute. We also played 4/4 rhythms and sang some songs from all over the world towards it.<br />
I do work in schools for many years now and I take part in music school camps for many times. This year I was very impressed about the camp.<br />
<br />
For many years I am teaching at the music school Frick in Switzerland. Every year we do a different programm for the music school concerts all around the region. What I like from my pupils is, that they always have a confidence. They are from kindergarden till primary school.<br />
They look so small if we have a concert with other students from the musicschool, but they always surprise everybody with their energy and their ability to concentrate. That gives me a possibility to change our programm any time. Or even create somthing new on the stage. They love to take part and you can see and feel that they also enjoy it. That gives me that possibilty to create new rhythms on the stage and the audience will not even recognize it. The pupils are flexible and have a good understanding. To work with them is so easy going for me, so everytime we are on stage performing for the musicschool I introduce them as my music colleagues to the audience. I saw, that they like this very much and appreciate it. And you can see a big smile from their faces.<br />
Some teachers who understand our African music and know how difficult it can be, they are surprised how these children can go far. Because I can do every rhythm with them on stage.<br />
Our best concert this year was the opening of the Red Cross meeting in Aargau.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to meet them after holidays again and also the new pupils which are joining.<br />
My motto will always be the same: no stress no panik - music gives energy - energy gives happyness.<br />
Everytime I play music it gives me happyness. And I know it is the same to a lot of people.Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-37395802478486798432015-01-25T06:03:00.000-08:002015-01-25T06:03:08.712-08:00African week<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">African week in Widen Primary school. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">The primary school Widen offered to all their
Students workshops about Africa. The programm was about the Ashanti and
Northern Kingdom of Ghana.</span><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">We begann the workshop with songs of Africa. There
already they get prepared and dived into the African Art.</span><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">In this workshops we had three hours in the morning
and three hours in the afternoon. Every day the student got more into the mood
of the African week and the program get successful every day. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">On Friday we presented
a show to the entire village of Widen. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">These are one of the most wonderful workshops I
used to give.</span><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(239, 230, 216); text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Worldmusic in Icon club Zürich</span></b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The event company<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>rumdum<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>invited us to perform together
with them in the Icon club in the heart of Zürich. The performance was a
workshop with drumming, dancing and singing. The members of the rundum company
are from all over the world and they are organizing traditional music from
various countries in Africa, Europe, America, Asia and Australia. It was very
interesting to work with them and they also brought a very good motivation to
learn African music and dance. In the end they asked us if we can combine our
African music with the DJ-work. A lot of songs were played, some familiar ones
and some were unknown to us. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">But
we used the skills of African Ghanaian traditional rhythms and melodies and
made a nice jam session. Once more I saw, Ghana music, percussion and bell fits
to every style.</span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">We use the name wings of a dove percussion power to
travel with you all over the continent.</span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">Lets party together.</span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">We are at yout service. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">African music and dance from Ghana and
Westafrica: Music Gymnasium (art highschool) Münchenstein, Switzerland</span></b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">During three days, we worked
with three different levels of the Highschool of art in Münchenstein. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;">The subject was African music, singing,
dancing, drumming, rhythmicity and also concentration, coordination and
communication in music and movements. </span><span lang="FR-CH" style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR-CH;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">We used elements from all
over Africa, texts in Haussa language from Northern region of Nigeria, which is
actually a used as an international trade language in Africa. Additional we
used the language Ewe from Westafrica, which is also spoken in Togo, Ghana,
Benin. Some songs were in Akan language from the Ashanti region of Ghana,
Kumasi, and Fanti from the Central region of Ghana, Cape Coast, Elmina,
Winneba. Many dances, rhythms and songs were new to the students. they put all
their efforts in theses days and in the end we got a very good performance as a
result. The audience was also taking part and we sang with them. The cheering
and the applaus was immense. I always feel very happy in this school.</span><span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: #EFE6D8; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #73450f; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Invite our workshop in your
school and let your students profit from the richness of African music, dance
and rhythms with different percussion instruments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-76512056115003651722013-07-30T01:28:00.002-07:002013-07-30T01:28:33.475-07:00
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A report of the integration project <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>„Mit Musik Brücken bauen“ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">and the festival of meeting in Muri
(AG) 15. June 2013 in Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></o:p></span></u></b><br /></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The idea of the project developed in 2012 after the festival of meeting in
Muri, where wings of a dove percussion power performed music, dance and
storytelling from Westafrica.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The organisation Zäme Läbe Freiamt of the Kanton Aargau was happy about the
performance and asked us to create a project for them, which will continue the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>integration work with immigrants and refugees
who live in the region. Through the idea of building bridges between<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people of different nations we found the name
„mit Musik Bücken bauen“. In the same time this was our Motto. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In August 2012 Power Sound Production began to develope the content of the
project „mit Musik bücken bauen“. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The leading ideas were to work together with immigrants, refugees and swiss
with respect, togetherness and improve our selfconfidence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We planned to have a workshop every two weeks
from September 2012 til June 2013. The aim was to present the results on the
festival of meeting on 15. June 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From then on we started to compose songs and write a theatre about the
daily conflicts of living abroad, which is of course partly taken from our own
experiences in Switzerland and other countries. In the mean while the organisation
Zäme Läbe Freiamt was looking for participants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This project was a very big challenge for Power Sound Production, because for
many years we are using these ideas as a Motto in our workshops. It became a
leading idea of our company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nadja Donkor, studied theaterscience and John Kofi Donkor as an artist,
musician and actor, working together with different experiences. We merged the
ideas to a theatre with the aim to send a message to the public about those
difficult situations in daily life abroad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One of the main subject is the communication. How do you communicate<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when you just arrive in a foreign country
with a foreign language? Making a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings have to
be accepted and it will help you to continue your life. People will help you
and speak to you correcting your mistakes. Through this many of them find you
funny and you will find new friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As we read later on in the report of the Newspaper of the region (Aarau,
Wohlen and Muri) about our perfromance on the festival 2013 „ Mit Musik Bücken
bauen“, those ideas were successfully taken and understood by the public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When we started the workshops, we had about 20-25 participants from all
over the world .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon we realised that
the founding of a choir with the immigrants and swiss was the best way to
communicate and get to know eachother. We let the participants vote for the
main workshop language. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was chosen to
be English and German. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We brought the idea that everybody can bring its texts or songs towards the
motto of Unity and Togetherness. The songs appeared in many languages: Amharic,
Tigrinnia, Lingala and French. Power Sound Production brought its songs in
German, Akan and Haussa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With the text of the songs we all felt happy to try another language and
had a lot of fun with the pronounciation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our motto was always: music brings energy, energy brings happyness and
happyness brings togetherness. And this is how we all feel, looking back on
those many months of meetings in Muri for the workshops of the project „ Mit
Music Bücken bauen“.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The main challenge was to present the results of the workshops on stage. All
the participants were not professional artists. Some of them joined even the
first time a music group in their life and stand the first time on stage to
perform.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They really put a lot of efforts and enjoyed the performance. Additionally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wings of a dove - percussion power</i> was
backing them and the dancers of the group were on fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To make the festival of meeting on the 15th June full and rich we engaged
several professional music bands and dance groups: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Willi Hauenstein and the steelband <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fassination</i>,
took us to the carribean islands. They opened the festival, drew the crowed in
front of the stage and brought immediatly a good mood in to the tent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Roger Konrad and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Alpenfunkeln </i>brought
the swiss traditional music mixed with world music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They surprised the audience with joddeling and
alphorn playing. They used the whole tent as their stage and communicated with
music. Sometimes you can only see the alphorn appearing in the tent to respond
the joddeling and they all arrived in the end together on the stage. This was
beautyful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Afterwards the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hip Hop kids of Sivia</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was taking the audience to a different music
and show catagory. In the end they showed an African dance from Awa Dietemann. They
impressed the audience so much and the audience responded and gave the heat to
the performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Extrem Bosnian Blues Band</i>
immediatly capture the audience and travelled with them a nice music journey.
They really entertained the audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Valeria Eva</span></i><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> came with ist special surprise
dancers from Brasil. Valeria sang a lot of songs which are known to the public
and they responded. The special dancers and their coulorful costumes heated the
audience addtionally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Christian Fotsch with ist<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Sassa</i>
group and a magnificant belly dancer took all of us to the Orient. They started
with calm music which cooled the audience down and made them listen. In the end
of their show a wonderful belly dance was performed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It continued with the oriental touch with the belly dancers <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dunyia’s dream</i>. Each song was performed
with its special costumes and dance. The audience was fascinated, watching and
enjoying the performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After the festival we got a lot of compliments from the audience,
newspaper, friends and people we didn’t know before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We also got a nice feedback from the parents of the children who took part
on our schoolworkshops we gave during the project „mit Musik Bücken bauen“.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Power Sound Production is looking successfully back on the project and the
performances. We gathered a lot of new experiences and looking forward to work
with people and organisations who are interested in music and art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">PowerSoundProduction, July 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-41452488618844639122013-03-28T07:03:00.001-07:002013-03-28T07:03:02.824-07:00
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">With music we build bridges<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">PowerSoundProduction was travelling to Ghana and back to Switzerland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With it‘s research we formed a theater together
with „zäme läbe freiamt“. We call it “with music we build brigdes“.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We meet every second Tuesday since October 2012 with
various migrant of the region. We formed up Unity songs, which gave ideas to
all participants to create their own songs about unity. At the moment we got 6
to 7 songs in different languages and we are working on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">PowerSoundProduction find it’s dynamic strength and energy, togetherness
and harmony, creating rhythms towards all the songs. With music you don’t need
language behind it. we are working in Harmony and it is wonderuful to see other
cultures merging in one music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Additional PowerSoundproduction provided a theatre about immigrant who
arrived in Switzerland and had a lot of missunderstandings because of the language.
We took the positiv side and made a nice story full of humor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you travel you may find yourself in thoses weared situations sometimes,
when people don’t get what you want to say…or how can you let them understand
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Your thoughts are still in your mothertongue and you just translate it to the
other language...which mostly leads towards those missunderstandings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Sometimes you can laugh and sometimes you don’t realize it for many months
untill you come across it again. By then you understand the other culture
better with it’s language. You go back and laugh again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That is the idea PowerSoundProduction got to bring this festival up. It
doesn‘t matter which language you speak, we can always missunderstand and
understand eachother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For us to make it in the positiv way, we put all into a commedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Come and watch it on our Festival on 15th June in Muri (AG) switzerland and it maybe reminds
you of some of your mistakes which you are laughing about it til now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">At the moment we are looking for artists, who have interest in dance, music
and theatre. To join us on 4th, 25th, 26th May and 8th,9th June in the aula
Muri, Marktstrasse 5630 Muri and on the main rehearsal on 14th June.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The performance will be on 15th June on the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Come and meet profession dance teachers and musicians, who will lead you to
strengthen your talent and make you to perform in a show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The teachers are Mike Larbi, Awa Dietemann and John Kofi Donkor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It is free of charge – we are even paying your petrol and if you are
arriving with a train we pay half of travellling costs. Food and drink will be
provided. Come and realise your golden voice and your skills of movement and
dance and your touch on the percussions. you can Register yourself till end of April 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We are looking forward to meet you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Yours<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">PowerSoundProduction</span><br />
<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">+41 41 788 05 77</span>Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-66793184536007507472013-02-08T00:52:00.004-08:002013-02-08T00:52:28.900-08:00
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><strong>Report of my visit in Ghana: Sound effects</strong></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last year 2012 I went back home to Ghana in December. It was a very successfull
and adventures arriving. Already on the next day I started my day with
costruction work. The whole day I am driving a wheel truck. From far I can hear
how people passed by and wisper: „Oh he just arrived from Europe and he is
doing hard work like this.“ Some called me : „Rasta – this shows that you are
not lazy in Europe!“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As I was working I walked around and found out, that the area was full of
plastic bags and not clean. In the evening I said to myself: tomorrow morning I
will organize my friends and we clean the area. I send people to get me a lot
of brooms. In the morning at 6 c’clock the three of us started to clean the
area. Immediatly friends who passed by and didn’t know that I am in town
started to join in and helped while we are conversing. Within half an hour we
were about twenty people. The assembly man saw us from far and as he got closer
he said: „Hey Rasta – when did you arrive?“ He then also joined us. I used that
possibility to extend the work further. By 11 o’clock around my area was so
clean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Suddely in the afternoon I saw my neighbours around me also began to clean
up their area. An elderly woman passed by and said to me:“ You brought energy
from Europe and shared it around. This is very good work. For me people could
clean up, but often they are feeling shy to do it. Thinking the others are
watching them and seeing them doing a dirty work. But I don’t call this a dirty
work. This is a communion labor, which we have to do it and clean our area. But
who will start it for someone to join in. The assembly man was often organizing
people to clean the area. But suddenly they don’t want to do it. All is simple
feeling shy that they are doing cleaning work. I am happy you are showing them,
cleaning work doesn’t stand for one person. Every body is allowed to clean its
area. Even ministers are joining in communion labor.“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This conversation I had with the old lady gave me a push. Every Saturday I
am doing it and people are joining in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This spread in the area. I was happy to walk around and see cleaners in the
area. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I also often traced my roots and go to old places where I haven’t been for
a long time. I saw a lot of development in Ghana. I went to an area, which
quickly klicked my mind and I remembered a friend which I knew in Austria. 1995
he came to Ghana as a reporter for a festival sura za africa in Vienna. I lived
then with my wife in Ghana. We got a letter from VIDC that somebody is coming
from the ORF to make a report. His name is Dr. Bilek. So the time reach and we
want to go to the airport to fetch him. As we arrived at the airport, we meet a
lot of friends who are driving taxi. They all asked us if we need help. We gave
then the name of Dr. Bilek to them on a piece of paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They all hold then a paper with this name on. The funny thing was, as he
arrived he saw his name on about ten pieces of paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We didn’t know him personally. Suddenly Nadja was saying: „This is our man,
he is starring around and look like an Austrian. Shall we ask him“ So Nadja
went and asked him: „are you Robert Bilek?“ and I heared them then speking
austrian German. Then I asked him: „But didn’t you see your name on the
papers‘“ he replied: „Oh yes, but there are too many and I don’t know where to
go.“ There I relized, that this was a mistake to involve so many people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Nima boy I didn’t know much
about hotels. So me and Emmanuel stand there and decided to bring him to a
hotel, so that we will accompany him in the next day for him to choose a good
hotel. We just follow the names of the hotels and choose one. Emmanuel then
brought him there and me and Nadja went home. Emmanuel came back and reported
to us, that he got a good room for him. So in the morning the three of us went
there and we saw him sitting in front of the hotel. I did only then a bit a
research and found out that we brought him to the lions dungeon. I watched the
face of Robert and said in my mind, sorry! I told him that he should pack his
things and we go and find a better place. So we did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I brought him to the next hotel and it was so quite in that area. We booked
a room for him there. I went around again and made<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a bit a research of the area and I found out
that this place is a tigers dungeon, but they are all tamed. So I didn’t get
panic and let him be there. Immeditaly we have to go and set appointments with
musicians, such of Nana Ampedu, the leader of African Brothers band and also
with panafrican orchestra, Nana Danso and others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As we reached Nima to show him where I was born and grew up, I think Robert
got interested in that place. Immediatly he started to do some recordings.
Emmanuel and me were laughing behind, because we didn’t understand why he did
those recordings. He recorded the voices of birds, cocks, chicken and sound of
cooking pots – for me I didn’t understand why he was recording those things. I
would have recorded music. But he knew what he wanted as a journalist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I remember once we took him near to the 37 hospital and he was recording
the bats on a tree. And me and Emmanuel couldn’t stopp laughing. Today I got to
know, that those things are the sound effects. Now on this trip I was also
chasing those sounds of Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As I went to the village Eguafo I got up early morning and did some
recordings of the village sounds in the morning. Often the elders are asking
me: „Eh – you don’t want to find something more insteresting?“ In my mind I
just remember and said to myself, you don’t know I was just also in the same
position, but now I can see the value of all this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dr. Bilek did a very nice report about Accra. I quite remember as I arrived
in Austria. A lot of Ghanaian friends gave me complements, which I didn’t
understand why <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A friend took me to his home and played the report of Accra for me to hear.
I went to the house and I heared a report on a tape and everything was so
familiar to me, but it was in German. So I just didn’t say anything. Suddenly I
heard a sound of Nima, the cocks and the cookingpots in the background and the
Haussa language as a background sound. On and on I heared my voice, that is
where I interfeared and asked my friend: „What is this?“ this is a report from
Accra. The one who was doing this on the radio ORF is called Dr. Bilek. There I
was remembering of course the funny recordings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I was so interested and asked for a copy. Then I slowly became a bit famous
through this report. I said to myself, that all the people didn’t know what
Robert Bilek went through in Ghana. Thank God he is a journalist and he can
stand a lot of things. In the whole world if you travel to a different country
you meet good and bad. We let the good things overcome the bad ones. That was
exactly what Dr. Bilek did. His wife<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Karin came also to Ghana and the research became more and more
interesting. I think the work of the husband had entered her. She was brave and
powerful and there was nowhere she cannot enter. For me, I like people like
Robert and his wife Karin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I found out that he had a big position in the ORF, but you cannot see it
from him. That’s why we could go anywhere we want in Accra. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Robert Bilek - I want to tell you – come back again! Do another report! Now
all the areas we know are very much interesting than before. I know you came to
Ghana several times, but we need another report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John Kofi Donkor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-21109365948345408242012-12-06T00:16:00.002-08:002012-12-06T00:16:39.615-08:00
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you taste being a star?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">I don’t want to miss any
kind of festival in Ghana. I watched in the calender and noted up every sort of
festival in Ghana. I attended Elmina Bakatue festival, Winneba abokyir
festival, Cape Coast Fetu Afahye. Odwira festival, Homowo festival, Fir
festival in Tamale, Damba –Takay festival etc.</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">One day preparing to go
to Hobotsotso festival in Anloga, East Ghana, I saw a boy running towards to me
saying:“there are two white people looking for you.“ “ Where ?“ I asked him and
he continued.“They are going to your mothers house in Nima“ I was closed to my
house so I run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I arrived in the house
with my friends Emmanuel and Dodge. We saw two white men standing in our house.
We welcommed them and asked them where they come from. It happened that one was
from Israel one from Argentina. I asked them, how they got to know my name.
They respond: „We have a friend called Hamid from Israel and he got to know you
from the AAMA academy in Accra.“ </span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">I was surpised: „Ahhh
Hamid¨“ they also explainded:“ We also don’t know him much, but we meet in
travelling and spoke about travelling experience and we end up talking about
Nima, and we said anytime we are coming to Africa we will go to Nima.“ I asked
them.“ When did you arrive?“ They replied.“ Oh we arrived yesterday night and
spend a night in a hotel near Accra and then we went to Kokrobite the AAMA academy
to book ou rooms. There we asekd about you and they said you are in Nima and
they directed us to come here.“ And I responded:“ Oh this is the right place
for you.“</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them about the festival I wanted to
visit the next day and asked them if they are interested.“ They were interested
and we made an appointment to go to the Hobotsotso festival. The next day we
came together. My friends Dodge, Emmanuel and Yaw also came with me to
accompany our European friends to the festival.</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">My friend Emmanuel came
from Aniako and gave us the idea why don’t we do an nice excursion with a canoe
on the Volta delta to Amalga. Thats what we did. Arriving in Aniako we
immediatly were invited by Emmanuels uncel for a special dish from Aniako:
Akpele (like Banku) with special fried fish from the river. We were doubting if
our European friends could join us for eating, because it was fresh chillipepper,
tomatoes and onions with the fried fish. This was very tasty. Our friends also
liked it so much, although it was so hot, but they didn’t care about. After
eating we went to the delta. We rent a canoe. We ate so much, that we were just
happy to sit down and enjoy the site - seeing. We arrived in Anloga at the
right time. The festival was just about to start. We meet our artist friend,
who came with a student from US, specially for the festival. We greated
eachother and joined them. The festival started and we walked towards the parc.
As we arrived the chiefs and participants took their positions. One of the
elders and the festival organizers came directly to us and ask to come and sit
down on a special place they had for us. Through this US team, we also could
take part like officials. </span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Activities went on for
hours, they played very hot Agbadza. I invited all the American and European
friends to go and dance. On the parc you yould hear a lot of cheers and
laughing. Because they just arrived in Ghana and they never took any course in
dancing. So they didn’t know what is Agbadza. They were all shocked and said.
„We cannot dance this.“ And I told them just to watch us and do the same. They
followed us and we started dancing. The cheering, clapping and laughing became
more and more and more. After we finish, we sat down the music stopped and
president of Ghana, J.J. Rawlings got up and gave a speach. He said in his
mother tongue Ewe: „You see how best our friends can dance our music. I am so
impressed!“ The cheering and the laughing became so big as he spoke Ewe,
everybody understood, except our friends. I then translated it to them: „Do you
see how the president was appreciating your dancing and you were hesitating in
the beginning.“</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Afterwards we were going
back to the palace and we had to walk in groups. The chiefs were carried and
all the agbadza groups and adzagbeko groups.</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">The adzagbeko groups
invited us to join them to dance and walk with them to the palace. So we walked
with them all the way throught the city to the palace. This festival is always
attendend by thousands of people. After all activities finished on daytime, the
American group was invited for eating by the officials. We were invited too.
But our friends wanted to go and have some cold beer. Everywhere we passed, the
poeple were calling us: „Oh yevo (white man), theses are the people the president
was speaking about.“ We got lots of fans. We meet a very good friend from Nima,
which we didn’t even know, that he is coming from Anloga. James saw us from far
and shouted my nickname: „Koria!“ so I knew it was somebody who knew me from
Nima. We shouted, run and hugged eacheother. We introduced our European friends
to him. His freind was walking with him and said: „James you missed something!
These guys put up a show in the parc and the president was so impressed.“ As
James was walking with us, he saw the fans we got. He offered to us his family
house, if we want to stay over night. Our European friends decided to go back
to Accra, because they had an important meeting in the next morning. So we
decided to stay. We then went to his house and he requested an evening meal for
us. So we went back to the city again to enjoy the festival. We danced so much
and took part in all activities. We came back and had our meal. As we were
eating, a lot of people alsways wanted to come in and great us. We almost had
no time to eat and enjoy the food. We were occupied so much aout this short
show inwhich the president recommended us so much. After we continued to party
into the late night. Although our European friends were not with us, we got
still a lot of fans. As we are returning back to Accra I was thinking a lot
about how famous people are cooping with their life. They got famours for many
years and we just got it for some days and I was exhausted. Even in the car to
go to Accra we still get people greeting us. And on the Aflao station in Accra
we heard people shouting: „Ahh here they are!! Well done!!!“ And people were
faning us. This moment was following me a lot and I wonder how stars can deal
with it for many years.</span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Today I am watching this
and understand, how fame can rise you up and you have to breath. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
John Kofi Donkor Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-82661618815039277912012-10-19T01:25:00.002-07:002012-10-19T01:31:06.357-07:00Showers of rhythms<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;"></span></b><br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">With this story anybody
at all knows me in Nima, knows how I live. So I was so scarred and feeling shy
of where I should enter with my friend. Hamid enjoyed Nima so much, that he
even didn’t realise that there are drops of rain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">It started raining. I
woke up, sitting down on the mat, but Hamid was fast a sleep. It reach a place,
that the roof of our littel shelter could not stand the rain anymore, so it
started to drop on us. That is where Hamid woke up and also sat on his mat. He
did not say anything, but just watched me. I just wanted to turn everything to
fun way and told him:“Did you see how it can also rain in Ghana?“ sometimes the
rain comes with wind and you can hear on the roofingsheet, that thre are a lot
of rhythms which you cannot describe. I wanted to make everything funny so that
we can stay there for longer. I started to speak about the rhythms oft he rain
drops: „This rhythm fits to Fumefume!“ then you can hear the wind blowing and
it was changing to another rhythm: „This is Kpanlogo“ and I kept on mentioning
a lot of rhythms until the rain would just stop and we can continue sleeping.
But the floor could not take the water anymore, it turn to mud. The water began
to flow the shelter. There was no possiblity anymore than packing the mat and go
inside. I did so and run to the room. Hamid followed me. Both of us stand in
the room and Hamid could see that there is no place for him. - I don’t know
what to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">My mother got up, my
father also. They don’t know what to do and my father wanted to mention his
name and said.“ Emid. Come and sleep on the bed.“ I know where I can lay my mat
in the room to sleep. Hamid said then „ thank you Daddy!“ jumped on the bed and
slept immediatly. I was not asleep and saw my mum and my dad standing in the
room around 2 o’clock in the morning, till I fell asleep. I didn’t know how
they made it til the next morning. I woke up and heard the first prayers of the
moslems, which was my alarm clock to catch the first bus. I immediatly started
to wake Hamid up for us to leave. Hamid got up, saying good buy to my mum and
my dad. I didn’t know what to say to them and I just said: “I am going back to the
school“. Hamid took a packed of Zigarets out of his pocket and gave it to my
father. It was still raining, but not so much anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">On our way to the bus
stop, we got a vehicel, going to Caneshie. We sat in the bus, I don’t know if I
should feel embarrased or I should just think it was an adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Around 6.30 in the
morning we were back to the academy. The programm as usual continued around 8
o’clock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">This was a story I never
shared with anybody in my life till today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">After I left AAMA I went
back to Nima. Back to my root and my group. Business as usual began. From
rehearsals to rehearsals with Kusumgboo dance ensemble. As I came back I was so
interesting with art. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">One day Mr. Tyson from
the art Center of Ghana came to our training gound and watched our rehearsal. After
he left, the leader called all of us and told us, we have a performance next
week Friday in the Novotel and Sunday in the Academy A.A.M.A.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">I was very happy about,
because now I am going to perform with my team there. We decided to performe on
this day the dance drama: „Together we build“. In this drama I was palying the
main role. It is about two families who are fighting about one land. I love
this drama very much, because there is a lot of emotions in and it has a happy
end. So on that day in the Academy I gave all my power. In the brake time the
leader of the group told me, that I have to perform with Mustapha Tettey‘s group
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Obonu</i>. I was happy an dshocked at the
same time and asked: „What I didn’t have a rehearsal with them?“ But the leader
said: „But they chose you to go and play with them!“ as I was in the academy, I
often watch the rehearsals of<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Obonu</i> to
prepare their tours. I know how powerfull and dynamic they are. They have a lot
of brakes in the rhythms, which makes the music special. That is their style of
playing. I had to go and play the bell. That means I have to keep the timing
and drive the music. I was shaking, because the little mistake I will do and
fall out of the rhythm, I think I will not find my way back and I will then destroy
their whole show. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Suddenly they called me.
As I was there I shaked hands with all of them. I was standing there dreaming,
really scarred to go to the stage with them. By then I wear the costume and saw
that now I have no other possibility than be strong and play with them. As usual
before they go to the stage, they have chanting songs with other percussion
instruments. This was helping me a lot to vanish the scare in me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">We went and start the
performance. Finished it without mistake. I could feel how they accept me in
their music. I enjoyed it so much. As an artist if you entertain the audience
and also enjoy the music – this is great, beautyful, enormous, you cannot name
it. We got a huge applause and cheering. The same way we came in, we went out of
the stage and went closer to the audience, walked inbetween the people and
chanted with songs and percussion instruments. In that moment I was so proud and
happy of myself. As we went backstage, removing the costume, they said thanks
to me and I responded back: „Thanks to you!“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">I went back to my group
for the second part of the performance. In the dressing room, they started to laugh
at me and made a lot of teasing – but positive. They then told me, that they
saw me smiling so much: „You really take part inside their show. Do you think
you are Mustapha?“ we are all laughing and I was so happy that day. -That’s how
I got to know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Obonu.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-35122756937015466992012-10-11T07:45:00.001-07:002012-10-11T07:48:43.516-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">How to share your Opinion with the world<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">How to teach,what I have
learned and experienced in my life as a traditional artist, was the difficulty.
I found through the Acloa dance company my solution with A.A.M.A (Academy of
African Music and Art). This academy is located near Accra about 25 km on the
Winneba road, near the Kokrobite beach. This place opened my eye to know, who I
am and what I can achieve. With this I found my opportunity to lead my life.
All what I learned in life, I have to now proof it in the academy. With the
help of Akloa dance ensemble, I got a better understanding of art in the
Academy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">The academy gave me an
opportunity to understand how you can share your oppinions with other students
from all over the world. Additional I meet famous artists from Ghana and
abroad. Thanks goes here to Amono, Freddy and Lae. Last but not least to the
owner of the academy: Mustapha Tettey Addy – our hero. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">The academy gave me
improvement to get to know a lot of students from all over the world and their
aim. I meet a few students, whith whome sometimes I shared my daily life with.
Some of them appreciated where I was born and they were eager for visiting the
place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">One day I meet a student
called Hamid, he was there in the academy with his sisters. Hamid became my
close friend and he always asked me when he could come and see Nima, my area. He
heard about Nima from me, as a place full of art and music, so he always wanted
to see it. As we are all busy in the academy, we cannot just leave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">One day we got our free time
and I invited him to come with me to Nima.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">We left in the evening
around 6 o’clock. By then it was not easy to get to Accra in time, because of
traffic. So we arrived around 8 o’clock. We were lucky that on this day there
were a lot of activies going on. We arrived with trotro in Nima. Immediatly we
heard music from Northern Ghana. They held a calabash which was filled with
seeds and shaked it around with two hands. This was amazing for Hamid to see,
while he was just dropping out from the Trotro. I approached one oft he
followers of the musicians and they said, that they were goin to a funeral in
mamobi. They showed me the place where the funeral is going to be. They are going
to pass my area in Nima and we follow them up until we reached our place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">In Nima the people were
at this time not used to see foreigners from outside of Africa.So our arriving in
Nima was a big boost in my side. Everybody wanted to speak to my friend Hamid. Through
speaking with a lot of people we got an idea where traditional music is going
on today. I knew all the corners they meant. So within two hours he saw a lot
of different sort of traditional music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">That reminded me of my
friend Scott, who was my first european student in Nima. With him I got a lot
of credibility and appearance in everywhere I am. I end up introducing Scott in
Nima as my brother. As I mentioned in my blog that Nima is full of Immigrants
from Africa and anything can happen. To make him safe was to introduce him as
my familymember. That showed as usual that if anything happen to him, will
happen to my family. I quite remember sometimes if he comes to Nima, mothers ,
fathers and children, brothers and sisters informed me: „ Your brother is
around, I saw him looking for you.“ Sometimes I got confused and didn’t know
exactly who they meant. I have only one real brother who is known as Accraman
and in my oppinion not looking for me. So I also asked them: „Who do you mean?“
and they will say: „ The white man!“ and I quickly remember that it is Scott. I then run to the area and I find him nearby either in a drinking spot
or in my area know as trafalgar square. In Ghana we chose a lot of areas oft he
world, US or Great Britain, which non of us has travelled to the place, but we
took it to be a symbol of our area. If you arrive in Ghana, Accra, Nima and you
mention that you want to go to „California“ everybody knows where you want to
go. If you mentione „Bronx“ everybody knows where you want to go. Even if you
want to go to Bankok or Russia, everybody knows where you want to go. Nima is
full of places all over the world. That is how we lead our territory to be known
fast. If they mentioned „your brother the white man“ then I knew it is Scott. I
looked for him and found him among a lot of my friends. So Hamid had to face
the same things like Scott.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">In that night I brought
Hamid form the academy to Nima and everybody in Nima we meet, was calling him
Scott. Then he will tell them: „I am not Scott, I am Hamid.“ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Because he is also white,
they didn’t watch the difference of the person they just called him also Scott.
Me and Hamid had a good time in Nima. But the bad thing was, that we room
around so much that it was too late and we could not get a vehicel back in the
same night to the Academy. So I decided that we should sleep in my parents house
and take the first bus to the academy in the next early morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">By then I stay with my
parents in Nima. Just in a one room flat in a compound house. Hamid enjoyed
Nima so much, he did not think of where he is going to stay. I brought him
home, waked up my parents to say hello to him and there he found out, that the
whole family just lived in one room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">After my parents and
compound people wellcomed him, everybody went back to his room. Hamid said: „ I
would like to drink some tea.“ I took him to the main street. Where a lady
works from 6 to 6 in the morning and sells tea, hot choclate, bread and eggs.
You can request as much as you want. Hamid invited me and we enjoyed in the
middle of the night tea, bread and egg. This was just close to my compound and
we headed then to the house. I went and took one big mat from the room and told
Hamid to sleep outside and enjoy the fresh air of the night. Alhtough it was
raining season, I was happy the sky was clear at that moment, because I don’t
know where I should place Hamid in that one room flat, where already my three
sisters, cousins, nephews, my mother and father were sleeping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">A friend of us, known as
Baba, whose mother has a local restaurant in a compound, had a shelter. I
decided to sleep under the shelter. Because I know they will come there 5
o’clock in the morning. By then we should have left already, because we have to
catch the first bus. We just layed down the mat, slept about one hour. Then all
of a a sudden I heard the rain dropping on the roofing sheets, which sounded
like a rhythm in my sleeping. I got up in my dream and saw that it is going to
rain. I was praying to god that it should not rain, because I don’t know where
we are going to fit in the room with my parents. But a heavy tropical rain
started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">How we survived I will tell you next week.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE;">Koria Peter John Kofi Donkor </span></i></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-39964417038585014002012-09-21T01:20:00.002-07:002012-09-21T01:20:51.827-07:00
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nima in my life<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was born and grew up as a Fante
in Nima, a district of Accra, Ghana. This is a place where a lot of immigrants
arrive and start their new live. The people come from Mali, Senegal, Burkina
Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger and basically from all over West
Africa. The most common language was therefor Haussa. Of course a lot fo people
speak the original language of the capital Accra, Ga. Many people speak Akan,
Ewe, Dagbani and Frara, which are some of the many Ghanaian languages. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nima is an area, which many
people watched negative, because a lot of immigrants come and just settle and
make their life there. So it is like everywhere in this world, when many people
settel fast together from many cultures, a lot of different life styles and
ideas of how to earn their living. But exactly this situation has also its
positiv side. The district is very livly and if you get to know the people, you
can see its beauty. This situation of many ethnics living together gives a lot
of creativity in your daily life activities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Additional you can achieve a lot
of music styles. That’s why I like to call Nima <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a pool of art</i> and I am proud to introduce myself as a Nima boy on
stage. Its multicultural music was always part of my life. With this gift of
art you are able to perform anywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I lived in a compound house in
Nima, where people from various cultures lived. The children played together
and we all learned the language from eachother. I benefit from this situation,
because I learned a lot of different languages and still speak them fluently. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I got older I had opportunities
to go and listen to music in other areas. Because I spoke many of the languages
so I could understand the songs they are singing. This made me to dive into
music. The power of the traditional music gave me so much joy that I sometimes
fell asleep continue listening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With all this knowledge I got, I
was able to play in the churchroom or on traditional religion festivals. I got
an opportunity to teach music in the 31rst women movement day care schools,
Privat schools and arabic schools. The arabic schools did every year a theatre.
We tought some oft he student drumming and dancing. Some times We backed them
on the theatre production with music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In my blog I mentioned the group
Ghana Dance Ensemble Legon. Years ago I got selected together with some of our
group members from Kusumgboo to take part in a performance on the festival of
June 4th in Ghana. The choreographer </span><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">was </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Professor
Nii Yartey</span><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">. Watching him working with hundreds of
artist at the trade fair, I learned a lot from him. From there we moved to the
stadion, where the performance was going to be infront of a huge audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing he did and I am still
using it in my life was: He often asked us to remember the first part of the
choreographing rhythms. He will then choose one drummer to introduce the rhythm
of the first steps, to call our memory. Afterwards I immediatly went to our
rehearsal room and practice all what I have learned with one of the drum. I was
always thingking that one day he will call me to come and demonstrate the entrance
rhythm. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This helped me so much that everything
sticked in my mind and I enjoyed the rehearsal so much, because I knew the
rhythms from A to Z.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the rehearsal we had to
learn Fontomfrom rhythms by a famous drummer called Big Boy from the Wulomei
group, which was very known in Ghana and abroad. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These Fontomfrom rhythms was new
to me and I was really swimming. After a while he devided us into three groups
and each of the group had to play different rhythms. Unfortunately and also
luckily I was among the group who had to play the diffcult and long rhythm. At
this time, I didn’t understand how those rhythms should fit together. He then
let the other group begin and helped us to join in with our rhythm. After we
practiced for many hours I started to understand how, when and where those
rhythms will merge. With this understanding I was very happy and I could open
myself and drum with energy. I think he could hear me louder than anybody.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the next day as we started the
practice, he told me to bring my fontomfrom to his side. I was immediatly
sweating. There were about hundreds of drummers from the Greater Accra Region
and the smallest mistake you will do, it could follow you for a long time. I
was really scarred. He then let everybody give a timing on the side of the
fontomfrom and told me to start the rhythm, which we trained in my group the
day before. I began to play very soft and got courage, because I could hear
myself on timing. Big Boy asked the other group to join in. He then was playing
a solo towards our rhythms. This was so beautiful. I could drop the fear and
come with power and energy. All the fontomfroms, about 60 drums, joined in.
This was really hitting us in our stomach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the next day we had the
performance in the Sports stadion of Accra. A lot of people joined the
festivities. We welcomed the president of Ghana with the Fontomfrom music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Often I carried drums on my head
for other drummers to play, but in this program some students carried our drums
on their heads and we played it while we walked towards the president.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The show in the end of the festival
was so powerful and well choreographed. For me this was the first time to join
a big national program like this.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the performance, we arrived
in Nima with our costumes and we were welcomed like heroes. I first thought it
is just because of the costumes we could take home, not knowing the TV GBC was
showing all the program and was zooming some of us for a while. The people from
Nima recognised us. When we arrived in Nima they started to tell us about
seeing us so big on the screen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This experience was helping me and
I benefit from it up till today, if I have to program a workshop, concert or a theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Peter John Kofi Donkor<br />
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-61864504731938451482012-09-07T00:53:00.003-07:002012-09-07T00:53:45.740-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teamwork<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After many performances in
various places we became a very strong team. With the help of our formal leader
Atsu Hehealolo, we were able to get a good understanding from the traditional
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we came to Nima, with the
lack of the drummers, I was often playing the leading drum. Atsu really put us
into work. Among the executives Richard was one of the youngest among us, but we
chose him as our new leader.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I liked from the members of Kusumgboo
was, everybody gave out all what he or she can. We always gave to everybody the
possibility to bring his or her idea. The dancers had to bring some dance movements
and Richard was taking it and rearranged it into a new dance. The communication
inbetween we the drummers and the dancers brought good understanding of our
creativity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As everybody knows, this is not
every day easy. Sometimes we ended up missunderstanding eachother. Some of the
members could not take it and put it into tears. But what I liked was, no
matter how hard it was, we made it happen. That rehearsal compound in Nima
became our second home. We made sure everything we wanted we then achieved it.
If the dancing got complete and we are performing it on stage, you can see that
the music is really cooking. Everybody was in the mood of creating art. Most of
the time the other groups referred to us, that we play too fast. We agreed with
them, because we put competition among us. Our energy dancers wanted to show
us, that they can dance so fast and we the notorious drummers wanted to tell
them, that we are also there. Combining all this music harmony together brought
always good results. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be honest we all became like
brothers and sisters in the Kusumgboo group, like it was in the formal peopel’s
cultural group.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can see in our creative dance
the character of Nima. When I say the character of Nima, I mean the variety of
the different ethnics living together with their different traditions and
music. In the 80s till 93 music was played in Nima 24 hours a day. If it was
not an outdooring celebration, it was a wedding of funeral. A lot of events
happened with its own traditional music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anytime I was playing in my
group, I found myself palying some rhythms, which I heard from one of these
traditional events. This was inspiring me so much, that I had selfconfidence,
when I lead the drumming rhythms. Coming from Nima, the cooking pot of
cultures, gave me a huge pool of various rhythms and musicstyles. Thats how we
all benefit from. The dancers of course as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking about music, I really miss Nima and
my brothers and sister from the group.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently I went to Ghana and
watched Kusumgboo with their new comers inside. The energy, the movements and
the power of the performances was the same like before. I was very much
impressed about that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the help of sister Comfort
we had to perform in the PAFAM 1990. Afterwards this festival was called
Panafrican festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we performed
infront of many big artists, like Jeremiah Jackson, Isaac Lee Hayes and Steven
Wonder. It was a very great and big performance for us. We performed the dance
drama „slave trade“. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was the first time we
performed on a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>professional stage with a
lot of light effects. It was in the evening and we were not able to see the
audience. By this time I didn’t know this effect. After the performance we came
to the stage again and we took a bow. Only then we saw, that we performed
infront of a huge crowed, with many international known artist sitting in the
front row. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the days after, our leader
brought the newspaper, which we were in and there we could see also the world
known musicans , which were listed up beside the picture. We were proud and
happy. I was very happy, because I really gave my best on that evening and I
didn’t realised the audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I‘m giving a lot of credibility
to my acting collegues Mercy (akpene), Victoria (Mama), Kate, Mafiu, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noah, Late Mosee (aba the warning), Godwin,
Dodgee, Vincent (Sampele), Steven and Late Richard. Also from the drumming
colleagues Koshi, Vovo, Late Bernard, Late Emmanuel, Etienne, Goro, ODjata, Edo
and others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my Blogg I mentioned
Panafrican Orchestra. They also took part in PAFAM 90. On that festival we had
an ID-Crad to visit all places of the festival in the Trade Fair Accra. There I
found a stage where the panafrican Orchestra performed every afternoon and
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I saw them I didn’t want to
go anyhwere else anymore. I found out their rehearsal times and their
performing time. This was the first time I saw traditional instruments from all
the different ethnics of Ghana in a orchestra and I was very fascinated about
it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always stood there and watched
them through the window. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the festival I sometimes
got the possibility to watch their show and I learned a lot from them. Later I
got to know one of their members who lives in Germany now and I started to play
with him on concerts. Still up till today I am performing with the leading
flute player of the panafrican orchestra Nana Kwesi Ansong. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Kofi Donkor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-38792365879933591112012-08-21T08:51:00.001-07:002012-08-21T08:51:07.851-07:00
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Suffering under character: </span></b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">this is the
continuance of „comprehension of traditonal music“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The program of sister Comfort
demanded a research. I have to understand the characters she gave to me. I had
to play the main character in all the plays. Therefore I went to various places
to study people‘s daily life activities and behaviour. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all I remembered my work
I did at the Nima market as a child who cleaned the shelters for the market
women. I did this work for many years and I got<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a lot of customers so I needed to „employ“ workers. Of course as I was
also a child by then I employed my friends and we shared the money and gifts we
got from the market women. So this memory helped me in the beginning for
understanding the character for the child labor play. By this time I was
working as a two-wheel-truck-pusher at the Malata Market in Accra. I played the
character, which was filled with all my experienced <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>emotions to be myself a child worker.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the play „Drug abuse“ I had to
make another research in Nima and go and learn from the adicted persons, some of
them were my friends. So I had access to them and the topic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I found the characte fort he play
„teenage pregnancy“ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bit harder, because
I was a boy and I had no expereinces about the young women. I became then
friends with young women who experienced the teenage pregnancy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the conversations I had with
them, I could act as their boyfriends. With all these experiences my acting
became fluent if I am on stage. I made people laugh, I made people get annoyed.
Some parents used to cry, because their ciildren were in this situation. Often if
we act in schools, some of the teacher encouraged me and told me to continue
with art and become a professional, because it was touching them. I was always
laughing because they didn’t know, how much I suffered to play this character.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting to the end of the program
we performed at Nima. There I gave all my power in acting. It was organised by
the 31rst women movement of Ghana and it was advertised good. So we got the
market women and the youth watching the play. That was without knowing the
beginning of a different kind of suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the program I felt that I
am not welcomed anymore for some friends and parents in my area. I didn’t understand
why they behave in this way towards me. Later I found out that it is because of
the character I played. I played <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
person in „teenage pregnancy“, who abused the girls. Some of the parents could
not accept this as a role telling a story and me being another person. They mixed
the character and me into one person. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By then my mother owned a local
restaurant and I had to go and buy meat for the restaurant at the Nima market.
Immediatly I entered the market the women were yelling on me and called me a
lot of bad names. I was surprised and got frustrated. The bad thing was, that I
had I have to return to the same place, because I had no other possibilty to
choose <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a different way out of the
market. So as I was standing on the meat selling place, my mind was running. I
began to understand what was going on and why some of my friends didn’t speak
to me anymore and ignored me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I was returning from the meat
selling place and I reached those women again, they repeated the yelling. I got
annoyed and felt ashamed at the same time. I was shouting on them with tears: „This
is just a theatre! Leave me in peace!“ But the yelling even increased.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I walked home and felt so empty.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day I went to the Malata
market to work, but some of my friends who watched the theatre were telling me
then, that I cannot go and play a theatre about them, come and work again with
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There also - that character hit
me. I didn’t know anymore what to do and where to go. These bad characters followed
me everywhere. Suddenly the children of area began to call me by the name of the
characters I played. I hde to respond positiv. But the bad experience I got
from friends and parents made me to react harsh. Which didn’t help me, because if
they begin to tease you in Nima and you react with annoyance it will remain a
teasing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As teenager I didn‘t know what to
do. I then had an idea to put the whole thing into a comedy. In stead of reacting
with annoyance I made them laugh. I tried to convert the negative feelings into
positiv. Slowly I got all the people back, because of the funny jokes and movements
I did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We performed a lot of theatres.
Sometimes I had to play a crazy man, a drunkard or a leader of the slaves. Things
began to change, when I played the leader slave. People began to feel sympathy and
pitty for me. Because I am the leader of the slaves, they punished me more than
all the other slaves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our group we didn’t use many
effects. So the beatings were real and that shocked the audience so much, they
got furious.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My character in the play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slave trade</i> wiped out all the negative
responds in my art work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From there on I understood how art
work can effect people and their view on reality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I can use those experiences in
my art work. If <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bad experiences in the art field, I remember
those events and I can now accept it in a positiv way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More about next week….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peter John Kofi Donkor alias
Koria<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-32462676639674110002012-08-09T01:16:00.002-07:002012-08-09T01:16:12.045-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Comprehension in traditional music<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being a member of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">people’s cultural troupe, </i>playing the
traditional bell for two years gave me a good understanding on the drums. With
this I got courage to go to the training early. I trained on the rhythms I
didn’t know well. Some of the dancers listened to my rehearsal and danced
towards it. This made me to understand function oft he leading drum. This was
communication in between drum and dance movement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">People’s cultural troupe</span></i><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> was in the
earlier 80s till 87 one of the top cultural groups in Greater Accra Region of
Ghana. We had very great artists among us. That made our performance so strong
and powerfull. We travelled a lot in Ghana. From the Eastern Region<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>up to Tamale, from the western parts to the
Central Region back to Accra. During all these performances we became like
brothers and sisters in the group. In some performances some of the group
members could not join and if it was me, who was not selected I felt so pain. That
gave me power and endurance to train more, so that I could always be selected.
So I did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In 1987 came a very sad day in my
life. We went to rehearsal and after prayers we started our training. The
chairman of the group got up and informed us that the group cannot continue anymore.
I was not a member of the committee and so I didn’t know why. The chairman then
said that he will form a new group and any member who wants to be in his group
should stand in his side. Many of the artists did. Tears were flowing in my
eyes and I watched the leader. The leader then said:“ It doesn’t matter how
many people are left, we will still continue the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">people’s cultural troupe.“</i> The instruments were devided into two.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Many</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">of the costumes were taken by the chairman, because they
belonged to him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We the members who didn‘t understand what was
going on start to yell and say, that this is mean, we are like brothers and
sisters, why we cannot understand each other. It was a debate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for about two hours. The chairman just said, I
quite understand all of you but this is the solution. He was saying this with a
lot of emotions. The other members in his side packed the drums and costumes
and left. As they left<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some of the members
remain with the leader. He then bursted into tears and said: „the sad news is
now, that we cannot train here anymore and I don’t also know where we will
store the drums and the costumes.“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then my sadness turned into
ennoyance, because by then I dived really into music and it was my everything I
had. I said, that they see that some of us come up very well and now they want
to destroy the group. The leader then said, that there is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>behind it and we cannot say it now. We are three member who came from
the Accra destrict of Nima by then. I said then, that we will take the drums to
Nima and we will find a new storing place and look for a training ground. The
two other members from Nima then agreed that the drums can stay in their house.
So then all the rest of the members packed the instruments to Nima.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Slowly we got an idea to look for
a new training place. There was a school in front of my house and I knew the
headmaster and I consulted him. He gave us the condition not to damage anything
in the school and we can have a training ground there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I felt as if I won a lottery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We informed all the rest of the
members. One Saturday we all came for rehearsal again. We payed with reduced
members, less drums and no costumes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But in each of our rehearsals we
got more and more audience. The young girls and young boys began to get
interested in the art we did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day after rehearsal we
informed the audience, that anyone who wants to join, can come and write his
name, register and we will try their ability. Immediatly we got about 15 young
girls and boys. In two week we had about 25 young and talented members from the
age of 6 till 15. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The difficult part was that our
leader, who was training us<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had a job in
a kitchen in town. So he didn‘t have much time to come to us. The rest of the
member who could help, they also had different kind of jobs and could also not
come so often.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was also working, but I always
found the time to go to the rehearsal. So the whole work of training the new
comers fell into the hands of the three of us living in Nima. Richard was
teaching the dancing, me and Koshi were playing the drums and trained the new
comers on the drums.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We didn’t have enough drums. I
knew a traditional priest in our area. I went and consulted him. He agreed to
lend to us some of his drums. His son Emmanuel Aheto was my best friend and he
also joined the group through this request. We also rented some of the drums
from Kpanlogo groups. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The group was growing big and the
drums became many. The result was, that we became loud for the people who lived
in the area. They made us to loose the rehersal hall, but just shortly afterwards
we found another one. Also there after three week they realized the powerful
sound and we have to leave again. The luck was in our side and we got another
school, which was called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ananni</i>.
There was no problem and we could really heat up and come out with real
training without worring about the sound.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because we are lack of costumes,
on our first performance in the area we asked our members to bring cloth of
their mother. Each member had to bring at least two yards cloth. We invited the
old members to come an join or watch. We performed a great show, which
impressed them so much. They began to come to our rehearsal again and with
their experience in art, it helped the young ones to pick up the styles from
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The new ones were really eager to
learn and we trained Monday till Friday, every evening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In one year the old members found
themself, that they didn’t fit in anymore. Because they were dancing with the
young girls and boys which were full of power. So they also began to help to
teach skills. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was a competition in Accra
Kokomlemle and all cultural groups took part. So we also had to train hard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With these new members we got, we
reached the semi finals and had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to trop
out then. I felt pain and sad but in the same time I was happy about the youth
and I was shouting:“ At least we made it. You are the musical youth!“ Among all
the artists we were the new comers and the youngests group. This is were the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> people’s cultural troupe</i> became the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kusum gboo dance ensemble</i> . <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my stories I mentioned the
school of performing arts. One day one of the students of that school known as
sister Comfort approached us and she wanted to make a program with us for her
studies. The program was planned to educate the public about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">teenage pregnancy</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">child labor</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">drug abuse. </i>We
worked with her for many months. With this program we had to perform in many
schools in Ghana and finish it in the school of performing art at the University
of Legon-Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Through this I got access to
watch their rehearsals and performances. After this program I got a lot of
experiences, comprehension and creativity in art.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More about next week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peter Donkor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Peter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4636285332486564505.post-46460944206516348452012-07-24T04:56:00.001-07:002012-07-24T04:56:06.621-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Childhood drumming<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my childhood I loved music a
lot. So everywhere music was playing, either traditional or music which is not
familiar to me, I was listened and enjoyed it. I understood some of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the text and some songs, but I didn’t know
what it was about. I just let it enter me and it told me the whole story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then followed traditional music groups from
the Northern Togo, who lived in Nima, Accra. They often played at marriages and
birthday parties. During ceremony all the elders and the women will sit in a
circle. One is bringing the songs and the others are responding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you can see tears flowing from some
people of the group. It was touching them. They then will jump into the middle oft
he circle and began to dance. Others gave them coins. The musicians will then kneel
down and pick up the coins. If one of the musicians stopped playing and pick up
the coins, it brought the spirit oft he music down. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day there were many people
dancing and a lot of coins fell on the floor. It was too much for the drummer
to pick it, so I went in and helped him to pick the coins. Suddenly he left all
the picking of coins to me and played. I brought those coins to the leader of the
group, he arranged it and the women came and changed it into bigger notes. I
think this is how they earned their money. In the end they thanked me so much
and gave me some of the coins.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everytime I heard them, I run and
stand near by them. The leader will touch my hair with a friendly welcome. I
didn’t speak their language ,we communicated in Haussa. I will be with them for
hours, working with them. They introduced me to other groups also, such as the
Nigerian talking drum players, the Kidi-group. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I loved to do this, because in
the end I am proud in front of my friends. The group had important people with
them, like their chiefs, queenmothers and royals, and it was not easy to get
closer to them. Specially as I am not even a moslem, nor speaking their
language. I am Fante and Christian. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But they just watch me as a helper
and let me do the work. In the end they began to let me change the money. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This gave me the courage to form my own group with my friends
and…with milk cans and Milo (chocolatedrink) cans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because I was there everytime the musicgroup performed so
their music became familiar to me. So we the children group tried to play the
same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes we tried to sing their songs, but we don’t know
what we are singing. The elderly people of the Northern Togo group will pass by
and smile to us. This showed to us, that we did well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since then I was always looking to join a real music group,
but at the same time I was afraid, that I maybe cannot do it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So one day I went and see at the roman church school in Nima
and they were drumming and dancing. I was very interested, but I didn’t know
how to approach them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I went home and still played my can drums with my friends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day a friend of mine, whose father was a traditional
priest, had a ritual ceremony. There was a lot of traditional music from the
Ewes going on in their house and compound. Because of his son, many of the priests
knew me. So I could get closer to their ceremonies, though I am also not Ewe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Among the Ewe drums my friend was playing the Kaganu ( a smal
ewe drum). I was sitting beside him and one of the priest came suddenly with a
second Kaganu. He gave it to me and brought also a stick to play.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I listened this rhythms and music a lot, I didn’t feel
difficult to watch my friend and play. I think the two of us just felt happy or
we don’t know what it was, that you can feel the music was cooking and heating
the priests and the audience. It was powerful day and many of the traditional
priests came out with their powerful performances. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today I remember these days and I can see, how much research I
have done for myself in those days, without realising it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I talked a lot about groups in Ghana already and those who
gave me courage to have a very big interest in the traditional music was the
Sankofa group in Art Centre Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day I followed my elderly friends to the Accra beach near
the Art Centre. By this time didn’t know anything about Art and its Centre. As
we walked through the Centre I heard drumming, but I didn’t hear this rhythm
before. The music called me and drawed all my attention away from going to the beach.
I went near and found out that you are allowed to watch the group. I asked the
friends I came with to stay with the group. They agreed, but I have to stay in
the Centre until they came back from the beach and get me again to go home. Because
there are always a lot of people on the beach and I could easly get lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I enjoyed this day so much. The whole rehearsal of the Sankofa
group was so amazing. What I was so surprised about was, that some of them are
in the age of my father or mother. But they were on fire. The dances they did
and the rhythms they played was not familiar to me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later I found out they are playing Tora, Takai, Adjagbeko, Kpanlogo
and many other dances which I know now and play it on every occasion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the following days I walked often from Nima to Accra to the
Art Centre, which is about 90 minutes walk to find out if they are there again
and play. I missed them and slowing I found out all the day of their rehearsals.
On those days, I went to the Art Centre and there was no music, I saw them teaching
the dances and rhythms to foreigners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This gave me courage to take part in our primary school music
events. I was doing well in the drumming and dancing courses. One day we have
to play a theatre to thank our parents. Our master Mr.Dogbe wanted me to be the
chief and pour libation before we start the show. The play was in the Ewe language.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time I spoke Ewe, but not
fluently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But the others in the classes, who didn’t speak Ewe at all
were sad, but it was fun. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I that primary school all are mixed ethnics and religions. We
had <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lot of fun with this theatre. Master
Dogbe would not give us<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>chance to fool
around. So he really put us into work. We performed for our parents very nice
with joy and happiness. In the end we called our artists name, which we got
through the art course in the school. Some names were too big for us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today I feel pitty, there was no pictures or videos of this
event, because the feedback was so great. This theatre gave me the power to look
now seriously for a group to join.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I went to the roman church school and wanted watch their
group. But I didn’t find it powerfull anymore. So I looked for another one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was difficult to find a group to join in 1980. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw a group playing on the funeral. They played some music
and danced<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>like the sankofa group. As
they closed I followed them up till New Town, Accra. I saw then where they put
their drums. I asked one of them about their pracitice days. He told me and I
came on that day to watch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This group was known as „people’s cultural group“. I was
afraid to ask them that I want to join, because I don’t know how they will test
me. So for many months I always came and just stand behind them. Sometimes I
was just standing behind the drummers, but they never asked me to go back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day I was earlier and only a few drummers were around
busy. I picked up the bell and supported the rhythm they were playing. They played
Agbadza and I knew it. One of them asked me where I come from. I told them,
that I am from Nima. The leader introduced himself to me as Atsou Hehealolo. He
told me, if I am interested in the group, they start rehearsal around 5 pm. If
I could come earlier he can teach me. So I did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got knowledge of all the rhythms of the ten regions of
Ghana with the bell. I played two years only the bell in the group. I sometimes
felt shy, becaues everywhere we went I was behind the bell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One day we have to perform in Nima and I asked the leader, if
I could today play the kaganu, one of the supporting drum. He then laughed and
told me, that I am not ready yet. You will one day sit behind the drums, if I
can see that you arrived. He continued accusing me that I watch the bell as a
shameful instrument, while I supposed to learn, that this is the leading instrument
in the group. This instrument is keeping the rhythm and drive the music. Every
music we play with the bell in, the bell is leading. There I felt a bit proud
but still disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today as a music teacher I tell my students exactly the same
and understand their disappointed feelings very well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Peter John Kofi DonkorPeter and Nadja Donkorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850542284124284867noreply@blogger.com0