Should white people be drumming and dancing?

[KEANIEirishdjembe]

yes people should be drumming and dancing like all humans should be

these articles are interesting. i didn't realise this conflict existed in the states
we don't have issues like this in ireland
we do have racism do and this sucks

the first instalment of the article was biased and should be more objective

some of the misunderstandings which arise wouldn't exist if the article was presented in one issue
and mabye the writer could take a course in equality, human rights or race relations

i'm sure they could have interviewed some nice people who liked to see the dance community grow regardless of colour.

it can only be good.

the more people dance and drum the more people will learn and the more the culture will develop outside of africa. this is good as far as i can see. with more education, we can learn about slavery, history and abuse of human rights over the years and try to heal divisions between communities.


i believe african culture is a gift to humanity

peace

[rachelnguyen]

Keanie,

I agree with you on all counts.

Yes, the article should have been written as a single piece. Yes, it should have made an effort to be less biased. And yes, African culture is a gift to all of us.

My own experience has been that studying African drumming has opened, not closed, doors to deeper understanding and communication. It has made me far more aware of cultural and race issues. So, while I am sure there are probably some white americans who are insensitive and even arrogant, I think that on the whole, anything that opens doors for deeper conversation about race is a good thing.

Love,
Rachel

[e2c]

FWIW, I think the Culture Central folks have done a very good job with this - there are *so* many raw nerve ends involved.

And, to be fair, they are publishing this as a multi-part series for their print newsletter, which is why the article is split up into 3 sections. The costs involved in printing it in one single issue + mailing have to be prohibitive, or else I'm sure they would have done it in that way.

They really are sticking their necks out by publishing this series of articles. The topic is the elephant (really, elephants) in the room that everyone wants to ignore... So I'm really tending to give them the benefit of the doubt. Granted, their articles so far might not be absolutely "perfect," but they're a terrific start.

[bubudi]

as i said early on in this thread the first part was biased, but the impact of the second part was felt more as a result. that newsletter is written for a mostly black audience. it made sense to start with the sentiments of black people on this subject., although i definitely agree with keanie that something from black people who welcome the development of african dance and a sharing community would have provided a more balanced scope. i look forward to part 3 due out in may.

[e2c]

I can't help wondering if a lot of things (in the articles and in this discussion as well) have to do with perception. We all take ourselves wherever we go, so to speak - and I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of things that might seem to be about race and racial tensions really are about other stuff that has little to do with race per se.

Guys, please forgive me for making what is going to sound like an overgeneralization or stereotyped remark, but I honestly can see the sort of face-off of drummers (described in part 2 of the article) as... maybe a situation where most or all of the drummers are men. That's not to say that women aren't competitive - we really can be! (understatement ) - but somehow I think this might be a bit less apt to occur with women drummers, no matter what their ethnic/racial backgrounds might be.

For my part, so much of this is about learning to see through another's eyes, whoever that "other" happens to be. And sure - I think music and dance and the love of both are innate human characteristics. That said, I'm thinking that statements like "I deeply appreciate what you have [music, dance, etc.] and would like to learn about it from you - do you think that's possible?" might go a long, long way toward bridging gaps, both real and apparent. Letting the other person know that they have worth is key (I think) to the whole process. That signals (among other things) that you're not wanting to "take," but to participate and learn. (A good attitude to have in facing life, period!)

Just my .02-worth...

[Bingi_chile]

jteskie, your response is unreasonable and is as unsettling as the experiences that I've mentioned in my earlier post. You're saying that African-Americans have no legitimate claim to culture(s) directly from the Continent? I don't want to go on a rant about this one because I've already stated my piece, and fortunately e2c, bubudi and johnc have clarified some points even further--thank you. If you choose not to keep an open mind about these issues, it wouldn't be because you weren't administered proper dosages of information.

But I feel I must chime in here because I think an "insider's" viewpoint can be crucial to mutual understanding.

Yes, I've definitely known there to be a resentment towards "outsiders" studying and emulating Black culture, whatever it may be--whether music, dance, language, literature or trad. African religion. Yes, it sounds discriminatory, but as an "outsider", you really should take it upon yourself to be humble and try to understand where folks are coming from: The Black man, woman (or teenager!) with an intense interest in Black history has had to struggle for years to seek it out and teach it within the community because most textbooks used in public schools have made minimal acknowledgment of Black contributions. In the Black collective consciousness, Elvis Presley never deserved to be known as "king" of a genre for which he did nothing particularly innovative.

If it weren't for progressive-thinking people of non-African descent, such as the djembefola.com members mentioned above, who choose to be receptive to historical truths and sensitive to matters discussed by the Black community, I'm convinced that African dance and drumming would be more exclusive. If it weren't for progressive-thinkers (both personal acquaintances/friends as well as the board members I mentioned) even I would share the controversial views in question because I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting beside some arrogant drummer too arrogant to respect the roots within me that I hold so dearly.

[e2c]

Just wanted to let everyone know that Part 3 of the article has just been published:

http://www.culturecentral.org/site/part ... dance.html

(And Bingi_chile, thanks for the thoughtful posts and kind comments! Your perspective is really appreciated - and needed.)

Edited to add: One of the reasons that I've been trying to comp for dance classes as much as possible is simply that I love dance (though I'm not a dancer); also that I really enjoy seeing a lot of the younger students start coming into their own. Some are American-born children of African parents, reconnecting with "home," some are African American teens, others are Latino and South Asian. (All of the dance instructors are African American women.)

What really strikes me about the young people in the dance classes is this: they are doing something positive, and they're gaining confidence, strength and poise from it. That can have a hugely positive effect on them in the way they live the rest of their lives - and in taking on challenges of all kinds (including the ugliness that still exists here re. racial discrimination).

I love seeing the teachers do their thing, not least because they're strong, confident, graceful people who have a lot to give - including a great deal of joy. All are excellent role models for their students, and their infectious love of dance comes across to everyone in the studio.

Finally, the music (in drum classes, and very much in dance classes, too) is a group effort - if you want to play effectively, and make the music flow, you have to learn to put your ego off to one side and work together with the rest of the musicians. This becomes even more apparent with dance, where music and movement are intertwined and you are there to support and energize the dancers. All of this can build real community, and I like that! (As an aside, I'm probably a bit older than some folks who post here, and though I'm new to djembe, I've been studying percussion for many years - have done a lot of rhythm section playing and really enjoy the supporting role...)

I hope these thoughts, rambling as they are, will make sense in light of some previous comments by others... in showing that there's a whole world of possibilities out there that go far beyond what you and I and the next guy are doing when we meet in classes and other venues, formal and otherwise.

[bubudi]

part 3 was interesting but a little biased again on the author's past. while i agree that some african teachers would be reluctant to discuss these issues i think it was natural for a good number of the teachers, while they may be competent in day-to-day language, to feel a lack of confidence in tackling such a sensitive issue in english, in case they used the wrong words. if they wanted to avoid the topic, there are better ways than to use french words. by using french words they were trying to convey their words with a degree of accuracy, and probably betting on the interviewer understanding some french as white people who visit their country usually seem to do.

a lot of good comments were published. i'm sure there will be a lot more coming in over the next month, hopefully a few of which will get published.

what made this whole series great was to bring this all out to the open. i'm glad that the article elicited angry comments from white people and forced them to confront their feelings and have the more complete reality explained to them. i'm glad african americans spoke out about what bothers them and had the opportunity to hear the response of the non-black students and how they think and operate. if you want to keep the dialogue flowing, forward the links to the articles to all your friends who drum or dance.

[rachelnguyen]

James,

When you first posted this thread, I admit I was extremely hesitant to write anything at all... mostly because I wasn't sure how to talk about how I felt. I was hurt to think that someone felt I didn't have the right to play djembe because I am white.

Now, though, I thank you for pointing this series of articles out to us. This has, as bubudi says, been a good opportunity for conversation.

In my case, it has been very valuable to talk about this issue at great length with my teacher, who is African.

Perhaps that, for me, is the most important element of this series of articles and the responses here... that we were encouraged to really think about these issues and engage in actual conversations. As has been said, this is a difficult and necessary conversation, especially here in the United States. We have much healing to do. I believe it begins by listening, engaging, and most of all, loving one another.

[e2c]

food for thought: i'd bet that more than a few black dancers and drummers have met with resistance, too - it's not solely an African American vs. white American 'thing' by any means... So often, it's hard for people of any background to see value in the arts, or in a passion for the arts. (if you poke around in the Culture Central archives, you'll find some articles that address this from various angles, including one on the current shortage of young black men taking up African dance...)

[James]

A message of unity

[e2c]

Terrific clip - and a very wise man.