But audience participation turned out to be
a big part of the hour-long show at the Mukilteo Library as well, as Etienne Cakpo, Yaw Amponsah, and Kokou Gbakénou performed several African songs and dances and shared insights about their culture.
Cakpo first taught three younger members of the audience African dance moves. He then enticed most of the parents of the children and other adults out on the floor for a rousing dance performance that delighted younger audience members.
Music and dance play important roles in African society. From the time they were very young the three have sung and danced.
“You can see that in African instrumentation,” Amponsah said. “The representation is just like a family. The family, the community, the village. It’s woven into the fabric of everything that you do. The songs are sung because of how we farm or how we dig holes and plant corn. And all of these aspects of the culture are woven into the drums and into the singing and all of it.”
Drums are instruments central to the lives of many Africans, Amponsah said.
“Drum makers are very, very vital to every African musical community. They are highly respected.”
Drum makers use special trees resistant to termites. Animals also are used in the making of drums. Africans are mindful of the animals’ contribution to their culture, Amponsah said.
“The animals make sacrifices and we hold a lot of respect for the animals as well because they are living, breathing beings too.”
Amponsah, Cakpo, and Gbakénou reflect the diversity of Africa. The three come from different countries: Amponsah from Ghana, Cakpo from Benin, and Gbakénou from Togo.
“In Africa, not every country is the same,” Amponsah said. “There are 2,500 languages.”
As a continent, Africa is composed of various tribes that play different musical instruments.
“We all learn from each other,” Amponsah added.
One specific drum Cakpo played belongs to him and his tribe.
“You can’t just play it. You’ve got to get permission from the master or from the folks back home to own this drum,” Amponsah said. “I can’t just own it because I’m not from that tribe. I need permission”
A set of three drums Cakpo played was described as a “nuclear family.” There was the mother, father, and either a son or daughter.
“The daddy listens to the mom, first, of course,” Amponsah said. “The little ones also listen. The family doesn’t fight. They create music together. In essence, the nuclear family plays together. They’re synonymous with each other and they complement each other.”
