Cool Stuff: Sub-Saharan Africa

The Gambia Academy 

I really loved hearing about Sona Jobarteh and The Gambia Academy that she created, because as a music education major I feel like we have a similar goal of using music to teach children and help them have an opportunity for education. The Gambia Academy  was created by Jobarteh in 2015 as a way to create paths for young African children who have been marginalized and pushed away from their culture. This Academy is a celebration of African roots and history, but also a progressive way to build a standard education for Africa's youth. 

We now know how and why it came to be, but where is it now?

Today, the Gambia Academy is in a state of expansion. Jobarteh is purchasing more land to create more space for her students, meaning that she will be able to have a larger number of children under the academy at once. The project is also starting to expand globally by reaching out to students overseas as well as in Gambia. Most of the funds are sourced from Jobarteh herself, but the organization is planning on start partnerships in order to fully expand their program with more income. You can actually donate to The Gambia Academy if you wish to do so! Just click on the link above and there should be a tab at the top that says, "Donate". You can also sponsor a student or volunteer from the website, if you would like! 

More Current News 

On the bottom of the front page there are a few stories listed about the Gambia Academy. These feature things such as supporting students and families through the pandemic, a large donation of furniture for the academy, and an international performance from some of its students that was in Italy! 

There is also a recent campus renewal with bigger expansions, more luxurious furniture, and curriculum advancements as well. Here's a picture of what the academy looks like: 

 Here is a brief video about the Gambia Academy. We have already watched a video about its making, but this video reflects more on its students and how the newfound education has impacted their lives. It really makes us think and remember that the youth is our future, which means that education is crucial to keep society moving forward. The Gambia Academy's goal is not only to teach children how to read, write, and play, but also to teach them morals and how to make a difference. I highly recommend watching this video if you want a better understanding of how the Gambia Academy works and what its purpose is. 

"I teach that to be successful and educated is also synonymous with being a proud African."- Sona Jobarteh

Isicathamiya Competitions 

My marching band senses went off again, so I decided to look more into the Isicathamiya competitions (I just love competitions, sorry). I found a newspaper article  written by Sharon F. Griffin in 1995 while she was visiting Durban, South Africa. In detail she describes her experience of attended one of the weekly Isicathamiya competitions that take place in the area. Griffin describes the location bluntly as dilapidated and unkept, but it is still clear that there is a spirit that overrides those conditions as the competition begins. 

The competitions take place very late in the middle of the night until morning of the next day. You may be wondering why anyone would want to come or participate in a singing competition at such preposterous hours, but there is a historical reason why. During apartheid, black South Africans weren't allowed to be out on the streets after 10 pm, so competitions were held during those times. Now, it is a tradition to have competitions late at night. From 9:30/10:00 to about 2:00 in the morning, the Isicathamiya groups practice their routines in what is called iprakhtisa. The khompiti begins after that and continues through the morning of that next day. 

During the competition, the Isicathamiya choirs wear elaborate clothing that makes them appear clean and elegant. The audience is to remain silent so that the judges can focus, making this competition a lot more serious than it may look. In fact, the competitions take judging so seriously that a judge is not allowed to go to the bathroom alone in case of secret bribery or influence from other competing groups. 

Role Of Women And Awards

One thing I was wondering when learning about Isicathamiya was the role of women. Since most of the time the choirs are made up of entirely men, women are more likely to be in the audience during competitions. They of course are not allowed to talk during the competition itself, but during the practice hours before the competition, they are often the ones encouraging and cheering on their respective groups. Sometimes they even get on stage with them during practice as a way to build up their momentum. I find this to be very endearing that the families and friends of the Isicathamiya participants are so supportive of them. 

There are usually three winning groups that receive a prize money at the end of the competition. The amount is considerably large in South African currency, so it is no wonder that the Isicathamiya choirs are so determined to win. There are also multiple competitions happening at once, and some groups may participate in more than one a competition night. The hard work and dedication is very admirable and I would love to go see one of these competitions someday. 

Present Day Competition

Since the article was from 1995, I wanted to find a video of a more recent competition. Here is a performance by the Pomeroy Golden Stars (1:58 in the video) at the 2nd annual SA Cothoza Competition in 2019. As usual, the men are all dressed in formal elegant clothing and stand in a semi-circle surrounding their group leader, who is in red to make him stand out. This could be because of the location, but the environment seems to be louder than what Griffin described in her article. There is a lot more background noise, which contradicts with the judges' need for absolute silence. However, the audience is still quietly watching the performance, so the noise is likely coming from somewhere else. 

At around 6:26, the video transitions to the awards ceremony. A representative from the Pomeroy Golden Stars is shown carrying a trophy along with who is likely a female friend or relative who carries a framed certificate. I love the supportive communal environment that this event creates, especially because I know that amazing feeling of winning something after a long time of hard work. 

How To Make A Kora 

We know that the Kora is made out of an African gourd called the calabash, but I was wondering how exactly someone turns that into a musical instrument. According to this website, the calabash is cut in half, emptied, and dried before it can be used. As we already know, animal skin is used to cover the gourd in order to produce a better sound when it is played. What we don't know is that the animal skin takes a while to prepare. It first has to be skinned completely from any fur, and then it must be soaked in water for multiple days. Once it is ready, it is then stretched over the calabash and is tied onto it tight enough to stay on. This process is very meticulous and detailed, with the calabash having to be in the right shape and the skin needing to be stretched exactly right. 

Once the skin has been put on, three bars, two vertical and one horizontal, are pushed into the gourd through holes cut along the sides to create the support for the instrument. After that, the kora is left to dry until it is ready to have tacks be put into it. Tacks are used for securing the skin on top of the calabash and for decorating the instrument. These can be in any design or shape that will further personalize the kora for whoever ends up playing it in the future. 

Now that the base of the kora is complete, the strings have to be put in. Two more holes are drilled into the calabash for the string mechanism, one on the top and one on the bottom. The strings themselves are made from a mixture of 21 or 22 nylon and fishing lines and are placed onto the neck of the instrument up to where the machine head is. After the strings are placed on the mechanism and the mechanism is placed in the calabash, the kora must be tuned. After that it's all ready to go, although it takes a while for the kora to fully adjust to tuning and weather. 

There is a video on the website above, but here is another video on the making of the kora. Watching both videos made it very clear that this is a very specific process that needs to be done a certain way in order for the creation of the instrument to succeed. The hard work that it takes to make the kora is fascinating, and it seems very lengthy but also worth the effort since the Griots are so important to Western Africa.