YOUNG ACHIEVERS SCHOOL
November 13, 2009
The Géwël Tradition Project is concerned with the passing on of the tradition to future generations. With this in mind the Faye family has been working with Kimani Lumsden’s eighth grade music students at the Young Achievers School in Matapan. They have been working on drum rhythms and bakks (musical compositions) for the past month and will begin to learn the dances that go with these rhythms during the next month. These photos capture some of the energy of the students as they take on learning this new drum tradition.
Moustapha teaching a rhythm to the students.
Aziz works with a student on drum technique.
Students at Young Achievers playing a sabar rhythm.
Teacher Kimani Lumsden works on rhythms with his students.
Students work on the sabar drums.
The following are portraits of the Young Achievers drum class students by Zapo Babilée.
Sing Sing At the Gold School II
November 12, 2009
On Friday, November 7, 2009 the Sing Sing family taught a dance class at the Gold School in Brockton, MA. A video and student comments were posted in part one of this entry; this part presents some photos from the evening.
Aziz leads students in warm-up excercises.
Aziz leads students in warm-up excercises.
Students at the Gold School doing warm-up exercises.
Aziz demonstrates the dance choreography.
Students at the Gold School dancing with Aziz.
Faye family with the Gold School students.
Aziz with Nailah Randall-Bellinger and Gold School students.
Moustapha with Gold School students.
Malick with Gold School students.
Sipho, Malick, Aziz and Moustapha at the Gold School.
Rennie Gold, director of the Gold School.
Again, the Faye family and the Géwël Tradition Project wish to thank Rennie Gold for inviting us to work with the Gold School’s wonderful students.
SING SING AT THE GOLD SCHOOL
November 11, 2009
On November 7th the Sing Sing family taught a dance class to the students at the Gold School in Brockton, MA. It was an amazing experience for the students, but also for Aziz, Moustapha, and Malick. To get a feel for the high energy of the class watch the video.
Some of the comments from students who took the class, parents of the students, and alumni of the Gold School who viewed the video are below.
COMMENTS ON THE SING SING CLASS BY STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE CLASS
i loved that class!!!!!! when are we doin it again?
November 7 at 8:29am
BEST CLASS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 7 at 8:46am
best class everr!!!
November 7 at 12:47pm
i am so glad that I was able to take this class. Amazing cutlure, amazing, choreography, amazing people…thank you for having them teach a class at TGS!
November 7 at 5:30pm
this class was so much fun!!! hope to do it again one day!
November 7 at 5:41pm
absolutely, positively, the best class i have ever taken. the energy surging through that room was euphoric.
November 7 at 5:56pm
this class was absolutley amazing! i loved it.
Sun at 10:03am
AMAZING CLASS!!!!!!!!!i hope we get another great oppritunity like this soon!thanks for the experience!!!
Sun at 11:15am
That class was SO much fun! I hope we can do something like that again! Best class ever!
Sun at 8:42pm
omgg lovee thatt class..hopee too do somethingg elsee like that!
Sun at 8:47pm
soooo coool
Sun at 9:44pm
COMMENTS ON THE SING SING CLASS FROM PARENTS OF STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE CLASS
Olivia loved the class!!
November 7 at 12:50pm
Noah LOVED this!!! Thanks for sharing this video!
November 7 at 10:56pm
COMMENTS ON THE SING SING CLASS BY FROM GOLD SCHOOL ALUMNI
that’s great!! and everyone was able to keep up!! how impressive
November 7 at 8:51am
“Thank you! That was incredible! What a great way to start my day…I have a smile from ear to ear!! I love it!!’
November 7 at 8:52am
wow that was amazing!!! i wish i could have been there!! u guys all rock!!
November 7 at 9:11am
Amazing. Thanks for posting!
November 7 at 9:55am
awww wish I was there for this!! we have Dunham at school and its like that…loved it.
November 7 at 10:24am
Absolutely amazing. I can feel the energy in the room just from watching through the computer. really wish i could have been there.
November 7 at 10:37am
I so enjoyed watching this. thank you for posting. Not sure if you knew this or not, but, Alison danced in Frank’s company. I loved going to his performances and shows. So much energy you wanted to jump up and dance. The drums go into your soul!!!!
November 7 at 10:50am
WOW! Get it you guys!!!!!!
November 7 at 10:53pm
COMMENT ON THE SING SING CLASS AT THE GOLD SCHOOL FROM A SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
Anta Sane
"Love it prof B..congrats!!! These students have the best to teach them...indeed what a great opportunity!!
Take care, best, talk to u soon..xoxo"
Thanks to the Gold School for inviting the Sing Sing Family. Watch for the posting of photos from the class.
IN & AROUND BOSTON I
November 4, 2009
In between the activities and presentations related to the Distinguished Visiting Scholar residency, we have been able to get around Boston. Below are some photos taken by Zapo Babilee that captures some of the moments when Moustapha, Aziz and Malick were not teaching or presenting.
Moustapha, Malick and Sipho at the beach in Winthrop.
Moustapha at the beach in Winthrop.
Moustapha and Malick in Winthrop.
Moustapha and Malick in Winthrop.
Waiting for the bus in Winthrop.
Riding the Blue line train. October, 2009.
Riding the Blue line train. October, 2009.
In the subway. October, 2009.
In the subway. October, 2009.
In the subway. October, 2009.
Aziz and Malick riding the subway.
Boston after dark.
Moustapha talking with Papae Ba.
Moustapha and Lamine Toure.
Moustapha and Thokho Diagne.
At the history department, Suffolk University.
Moustapha on the train.
Moustapha and Sipho on the train.
Tapha in downtown Boston.
Zapo in Boston.
Dancing the Drum (10/22)
October 27, 2009
This presentation by the Faye family was the second of their residency. While the first presented the sabar drum family, this one incorporated dance and demonstrated the connection between sound and movement. With a standing room only group of students, faculty and staff they began with a demonstration of some of the sabar rhythms and bakks, Aziz Faye demonstrated dances for Kaolack, Baar Mbaye and Ceebu Jënn. Two students from Senegal who attended came forward to dance Lëmbël and later returned to dance Ceebu Jënn before the program ended.
Tapha and Aziz
Malick, Taoha and Aziz demonstrate the artistry of the sabar drum.
MOustapha Faye demonstrates technique on the cól.
Aziz plays the cól.
Malick Ngom plays two sabars.
Aziz Faye demonstrates a dance.
Students dance with the Faye family.
FACES
October 27, 2009
A wide range of people have attended the various presentations of the Faye family during their visit so far. Some who attended presentations had a familiarity with the sabar tradition, but most people were experience the beauty of this tradition for the first time. As they listened to the music and watched the artistry of the musicianship and the dance they were captivated by the welcoming spirit of the géwël tradition. The following photographs illustrate some of this.
David Sargent, President of Suffolk University watching the Faye family present the géwël tradition.
Concord Academy Vespers (10/18)
October 27, 2009
The Faye family was invited to do an evening presentation at Concord Academy in Concord, MA. One of the highlights of the evening was the early snowfall that hit the area. It was the first snowfall for Moustapha and Malick, and since the flakes were big and did not stick it was a good introduction to the winter weather. The cold of the evening was offset by the warmth of the reception that they received at Concord Academy. After a few introductory comments on the Faye family and the Géwël Tradition by Prof. Robert Sipho Bellinger Moustapha played Tagu Mbar to open the demonstration. For the next half an hour the rhythms of the sabar drums filled the auditorium, with the audience of enthusiastic students applauding and shouting their approval. At various moments students rose from their seats to dance in the aisles, and they were particularly enthused when Aziz Faye took the stage to dance.
After the presentation Moustapha, Aziz, Malick and Prof. Bellinger took questions from the audience, which provided the opportunity to highlight and further explain aspects of the Géwël Tradition that the students wanted to know about. Before closing the program Aziz invited students to join him on stage to learn some sabar dance movements. As the students danced the joy they were experiencing was evident in their faces as well as in the faces of those who remained in the audience. As the students filed out of the auditorium I’m sure the warmth of the event helped to shield them from the cold of the wintry night air. Jërëjëf Concord Academy!
Moustapha Faye plays Tagu Mbar at Concord Academy
Aziz and Malick at Concord Academy
The Faye family at Concord Academy
Aziz dances at Concord Academy
Kaay Fi (10/16)
October 26, 2009
Advertisement for Kaay Fi
In support of the Faye family’s residency at Suffolk University, Zapo Babilée, film maker from Paris, France is in residence as well. Her residency is sponsored by the Collection of African American Literature’s Writer’s Forum, a program that brings writer’s, film makers and others whose work adds to the study of African American (and African) literature. A classical dancer for twenty years, Zapo has transfered her passion for dance to film and has been documenting dance and cultural traditions in West Africa for the past decade.
On The 16th of October Zapo presented the United States premier of her film Kaay Fi a documentary of the sabar tradition of the Faye or Sing Sing family. The film flows around the preparations for a tànnibéér or sabar party, but its presentation of this event includes footage of many aspects of the géwël tradition including géwël children learning to play the various rhythms on the sabar drums, a tailor preparing the outfits for the group to wear at the sabar party, and the magnificent playing and dancing by members of the Faye family. Those in attendance enjoyed the journey through the Medina community that the film provided. They were further enthused by the brief sabar drum demonstration by Moustapha Faye, Aziz Faye and Malick Ngom that followed the film.
For three years, Zapo Babilée, dancer and choreographer, went to Dakar, Senegal to film the dances of Sabar. Zapo said the following about her work on the film:
Since my first stay in Senegal I have been received in the families. I like this form of communal life where all generations live together. It is generally in the courtyard of each house that one lives; there is an unceasing and rather happy buzz. . . At the Faye’s home I felt like I was in my own family. I took the time to observe, to feel, to try to understand before filming. I don’t place my view as that of an ethnologist. I want to give a feel rather than to try to show; to try to touch the spectator rather than to teach to him.
SCENES FROM THE FILM KAAY FI
Moustapha Faye in the film Kaay Fi
Playing at the beach (scene from Kaay Fi)
Moustapha Faye plays with his father Vieux Sing Faye (scene from Kaay Fi)
Sing Sing drummers playing in family compound.
Ndeye Thioni dances at sabar party while Moustapha Faye plays.
Dancer at a sabar party.
Photos from US Preview of Kaay Fi
Zapo Babilée
(l-r) Aziz, Malick and Moustapha play at screening of Kaay Fi.
Moustapha Faye
Aziz Faye
Malick Ngom
The Sabar Drum (10/15/09)
October 24, 2009
This was a powerful presentation of the Sabar drum. Moustapha Faye, Aziz Faye and Malick Ngom presented the sabar drum family and the many voices of each of the sabar drums – nder, cól, mbëng-mbëng and tunguné. They also demonstrated the wide range of applications of the sabar drum by playing rhythms and bakks in both traditional and modern styles.
Moustapha Faye and Malick Ngom demonstrate the sabar drum and its rhythms to Suffolk University.
Tapha and Malick
Moustapha Faye playing sabar.
Malick Ngom demonstrates sabar.
SABAR: – THE MUSIC AND DANCE OF SENEGAL
October 22, 2009
Teaching is one of the activities that the members of the Faye family are involved in at Suffolk University during their residency as Distinguished Visiting Scholars. Presently they are teaching a dance class BLKST 263: Sabar – The Music and Dance of Senegal. Prior to the Faye family’s arrival, the students were introduced to history of Senegal, the Faye family, the Géwël tradition, sabar rhythms and dances, and their role in traditional and popular contexts. Below are some photos of the first week of dancing in the Jeanette Neil dance studio.
The first days in the studio were a good experience as students began to learn the movements of sabar dances, heard the sabar drums live for the first time, and began to feel the connection between their movements and the rhythmic musicality of the drums.
