Dr. Noah Abanekolgo gave my ankle three shots of a local anesthetic, which hurt like hell. I was lying on my stomach sort of howling/grunting/chanting, though I was trying to be restrained. He brought his face very close to mine on the cot, looked me in the eyes, and asked, “Are you OK?” I said, “Yes, I’m OK.” It was the most intimate, caring thing a doctor has ever done with me.
Read MoreThis music is not only for the ears and mind. The niira wood of the instrument’s keyboard is said to create a water vibration that tethers with the water in human beings and other mammals, creating harmony and well-being. Lobi and Dagara people believe that the niira tree, from which the keyboard of the gyil is made, is the home to the kontombe, the keepers of beauty, balance, and good in society. As one Arts Council member mentioned to me, “The gyil is the mascot of our region.”
Read MoreIt was therefore with a certain joy that we encountered Della Hayes and her Women of Color Band. Della and five young women practice in a tiny shed on a dirt road so rocky that we had to park the car at a small church about a quarter mile away. Della, with a strong jazzy voice, sang and shook gourds as the five young women played, occasionally adding their voices.
Read MoreThe rapid music pours around us, emanating from Ba-ere’s two hands in multifaceted conversation; through the forest of patterns simple melodies tickle our ears. Low tones rattle fiercely, their vibration amplified by calabash gourds that hang beneath the gyil. As we relax into these unfolding sound layers, it seems as though there are many interweaving voices singing, and I become aware of the magic trick: the invocation, by a single person, of an ensemble.
Read More
