Afrikka-päivät / Theme: Africa
Tästäpä muotoutui varsinainen Afrikka-teemaviikonloppu. Eilen katselin Live8-konserttia telkkarista, ja ärsyynnyin monenlaisista asioista. Tänään taas kävin katsomassa (afrikkalaisen) elokuvan Moolaadé, joka puolestaan oli oikein myönteinen kokemus. Molemmista kirjoitin tuonne Afrotanssi.netiin, joten ei niistä sen enempää tässä, käykää lukemassa siellä. Tulipa tänään käytyä myös djembe-tunnilla, samoin kuin torstai-iltana. Rummuttelu jäikin Joensuussa vähälle, mutta ihmeen hyvin tuntuu jotkut jutut olevan liikemuistissa. Djemben kalvo taitaa tosin vedellä viimeisiään, mutta onhan se jo viisi vuotta vanha.
This turned out to be quite an Africa theme weekend for me. Yesterday I watched the Live8 concert(s) on TV and got pretty angry. Firstly because didn't show any African music, although there was a concert in Johannesburg with African artists. Well, there was Youssou Ndour, but he only sung Seven Seconds, which has absolutely nothing to do with African music except for Youssou himself. Secondly because of the way Africa and Africans were represented on that show, as shocking (starving children) or idyllic (beautiful sceneries) pictures in the background of Western pop stars. And many real problems - like EU & US customs regulations - were not mentioned at all. Nice idea, bad realization, that's my opinion about the whole thing. I wrote some comments in Finnish on the African dance website Afrotanssi.net, and there are two links to other people's opinions in English, so check these out: "Live8 and Those Who Would Steal African Humanity" & "Africa's a continent, not a crisis". [Here's one more (that I found later) from someone in Kenya "Live Aid? Please!", read also the follow-up "Get Real: Global Politics 101 & Live 8".]
Today I went to see the film Moolaadé which was a more positive experience. The director Sembene Ousmane is Senegalese, but the film has been made in Burkina Faso with local actors. The film is quite dramatic (it's about female circumcision) but also very visual, with lots of details and wonderful colours. The funny thing was, that I had the whole theatre to myself. It was after all at 1:30 PM on a very sunny summer day. Today and on Thursday I have also been playing djembe after a very long break (due to living in Joensuu), Merceau from Burkina is again here for the summer.
This turned out to be quite an Africa theme weekend for me. Yesterday I watched the Live8 concert(s) on TV and got pretty angry. Firstly because didn't show any African music, although there was a concert in Johannesburg with African artists. Well, there was Youssou Ndour, but he only sung Seven Seconds, which has absolutely nothing to do with African music except for Youssou himself. Secondly because of the way Africa and Africans were represented on that show, as shocking (starving children) or idyllic (beautiful sceneries) pictures in the background of Western pop stars. And many real problems - like EU & US customs regulations - were not mentioned at all. Nice idea, bad realization, that's my opinion about the whole thing. I wrote some comments in Finnish on the African dance website Afrotanssi.net, and there are two links to other people's opinions in English, so check these out: "Live8 and Those Who Would Steal African Humanity" & "Africa's a continent, not a crisis". [Here's one more (that I found later) from someone in Kenya "Live Aid? Please!", read also the follow-up "Get Real: Global Politics 101 & Live 8".]
Today I went to see the film Moolaadé which was a more positive experience. The director Sembene Ousmane is Senegalese, but the film has been made in Burkina Faso with local actors. The film is quite dramatic (it's about female circumcision) but also very visual, with lots of details and wonderful colours. The funny thing was, that I had the whole theatre to myself. It was after all at 1:30 PM on a very sunny summer day. Today and on Thursday I have also been playing djembe after a very long break (due to living in Joensuu), Merceau from Burkina is again here for the summer.
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