DANCE ORIGIN: West Africa ARTISTIC DIRECTORS: Naomi Diouf, Dr. Zakarya Diouf First Appearance in SF EDF: 1994 Website:www.diamanocoura.org
Diamano Coura West African Dance Company was founded in 1975 with the vision
that performing arts can save lives, revitalize communities, and strengthen our
cultural economy. One of the longest-lasting African dance companies in the
US, the company has touched the lives of over 50,000 youth, adults, and seniors
through cultural exchanges, arts-in-education programming, and apprenticeships.
Diamano Coura performs and tours extensively in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Diamano Coura offers classes in music and dance, arts advocacy and information
sessions, serving as a community hub for African Diaspora artists. Diamano
Coura in the Senegalese Wolof language means “those who bring the message.”
2015 PERFORMANCE
DANCE
ORIGIN: Liberia, Guinea, and Senegal GENRE: Lorma, Sousou, and Mandingo Celebration Dances TITLE:Djembe Love DIRECTOR: Dr. Zakarya Sao Diouf ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR: Naomi Diouf CHOREOGRAPHER:
Ibrahima Ouseynou Diouf DANCERS: Tavita Bass, LaTashia Bell, Marcus Cathay, Tamika Davis,
Danielle DeLane, Esailama Diouf, Ibrahima Diouf, Kine
Diouf, Jessica Harden, Kimberly Harvey-Scott, Patrice Henderson, LaDonna Higgins,
Antoinette Holland, Dedeh LaFoucade, Bismillah Loving, Christopher Scott MUSICIANS: Madiou Diouf (djembe,
krin), Dr. Zakarya Sao Diouf (djembe), Mohammed Kouyate (djembe, balafon),
Darian LaFoucade (dundun set)
In Djembe Love, five bright dances from West Africa pay homage to the
djembe drum—the inseparable partner of African
dance. The djembe’s rhythm commands the dance, as it signals rejoicing,
healing, and connection in community.
Drum
Talk is an improvised dialogue between
the charismatic drummer and utopia-bound dancer.
The
Breaking of the Sande Bush, from the
Lorma ethnic group, celebrates a girl’s rite-of-passage from the secret Sande
society. In Liberia’s remote, mountainous Lofa County, girls return from a
sequestered bush school for their initiation into adulthood. Under the sacred
guidance of zoe, spiritual leaders of the female society, they display new
skills. Lorma initiates wear threaded skirts woven on a hand-held loom. Beads
around their waists represent protection and show their status. Dangling
threads hide the girls’ faces, as no one except family should see them. The
white chalk signifies purity.
Macru
is a fast-paced flirtation dance
from the Susu group of Guinea.
Sokho, a celebration dance from the Komanko group in Faranah,
Guinea, was originally a male initiation dance.
Mandingo
is a celebratory dance from the
Mandingo people, Africa’s prominent ethno-linguistic group, (Gambia, Mali,
Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Guinea Bissau,
Mauritania.) The Mandingo are descendants of the Mali Empire, founded 1235,
once one of the world’s largest. Wealthy in gold and salt, the empire had an
army second only to the Mongols’ and over four hundred cities, including the
great Middle Eastern-African cultural center, Timbuktu. Mandingo musical and
spiritual tradition is known for its griots, poets who pass down history
through song, and for its exquisite music on drums and banjo-like kora.
The djembe hand drum is carved from
one piece of wood and has an animal-skin head. It also descends from the Mali
Empire—traditionally housed in a shrine, used only for ceremony. In the 1950s, Les Ballets Africains,
Fodéba Keïta, and the National Ballet of Senegal brought the djembe on tour, and now it inspires
musicians and dancers around the world. It is the drum that talks, the drum that opens
hearts. For Sande Bush, a kingi log
drum speaks a language of the forest.
2014 PERFORMANCE
DANCE ORIGIN: South Africa, West Africa GENRE: Traditional TITLE: Tribute to Nelson Mandela ARTISTIC DIRECTORS: Naomi Diouf (Diamano Coura West African Dance Company), Thamsanqa Hlatywayo (Jikelele Dance Theater) MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Zakarya Diouf CHOREOGRAPHER: Ouseynou Kouyate DANCERS: La Tashia Bell, Tamika Davis, Kine Diouf, Dedeh La Foucade, Bis-Millah Loving, Kimi Scott, Ousseynou Kouyate, Marcus Cathy, Christopher Scott MUSICIANS: Dr. Zakarya Diouf, Madiou Diouf, Mohammed Kouyate, Darian La Foucade, Nimely Napla SINGERS: Naomi Diouf, Coco Kelly, Veronica La Foucade, Sieyenne Windross
“It is music and dancing that make me at peace with the world, and at peace with myself.” —Nelson Mandela
When Nelson Mandela passed away in December of 2013, people around the world felt a deep collective grief. And we also felt a collective gratitude for Mandela’s astonishing leadership in an essentially peaceful revolution against apartheid, and for his tireless work against racial division as first president of a democratic South Africa.
The San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, in partnership with Dancers’ Group and San Francisco Grants for the Arts, honored Nelson Mandela on his birthday—July 18th—presenting a traditional homegoing ceremony and tribute to this beloved leader. Under the rotunda at San Francisco City Hall, all were welcome to join this program of praise, singing, dancing, and drumming.
THE EVENT INCLUDED:
- A procession of outstanding African drummers led by Festival co-artistic director CK Ladzekpo, including many of the same musicians who drummed so powerfully for Mandela’s appearance in 1990 at the Oakland Coliseum.
- Thamsanqa Hlatywayo, artistic director of Jikelele Dance Theater, led the singing of the South African national anthem.
In English, the words are:
God bless Africa Let its horn be raised, listen also to our prayers, Lord bless us, we are the family of it Lord bless our nation, Stop wars and sufferings, Save it, save our nation, The nation of South Africa Ringing out from our blue heavens, From our deep sea’s breaking round, Over everlasting mountains, Where the echoing crags resound, Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.
- Jikelele Dance Theater led a traditional South African Praise.
- A sacred offering, including a libation, and brief tributes from dignitaries.
- Finally, Diamano Coura West African Dance Company presented three African dances celebrating Chief Mandela’s life and transitioning—choreographed by Ouseynou Kouyate of Senegal, with musical directorship by Dr. Zakarya Diouf.
The first piece is Kebebourama, traditionally danced in honor of the king or chief, with the griot singing his praises and he dancers and musicians celebrating his life. The second piece is a Liberian dance, with powerful ancient spirits gracing the stage in full-body masks. In the final piece, the drumbeats rise, inviting everyone to join the high-spirited dancing—in celebration of the extraordinary blessing of Nelson Mandela’s life.
2013 PERFORMANCE
DANCE ORIGIN: Liberia GENRE: Traditional TITLE: The Leopard Ballet ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Naomi Diouf, Dr. Zakarya Diouf CHOREOGRAPHERS:
Ibrahima Diouf, Naomi Diouf,
Nimely Napla MOVEMENT CONTRIBUTIONS: Ousseynou Kouyate MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Madiou Diouf MUSICIANS: Dr. Zakarya
Diouf (lamba, djembe), Madiou Diouf (nder, djembe), Naomi Diouf (vocals,
sasa) Mory Fofana (djembe), Coco Kelly (gbongbon), Mohammed Kouyate
(djembe), Darian LaFoucade (dance captain/gbongbon, dundun), Lia
LaFoucade (gbongbon), Kiazi Malonga (dundun) DANCERS: Tavita Bass, LaTashia
Bell, Marcus Cathy, Tamika Davis, Danielle Delane, Stefon Dent, Ibrahima
Diouf, Kine Diouf, Jamila Fuller, Jessica Harden, Tamika Harris, Zion
Harris, Ebony Henderson, Patrice Henderson, LaDonna Higgins, Antoinette
Holland, Kelly Kouyate, Dedeh LaFoucade, Bismillah Loving, Nimely
Napla, Christopher Scott, Kimberly Scott, Stephanie Wilson
The Leopard
Ballet is an excerpt from a Liberian
dance drama
of the same name, from the
folklore tradition of the Vai Tribe. The
story takes place in a village threatened by a leopard. When the king’s daughter is killed by the leopard, he
calls his
best hunters to hunt down the
terrifying animal, offering as a reward
his other daughter in marriage. Thus begins the danced battle
with the leopard, and the piece ends in a community celebration of victory.
The
story is a folktale written in 1970 by Liberia’s prominent novelist Bai Tee
Moore. It’s based on a similar event from ten years before in a village of the
Vai people (Moore’s own community) of Cape Mount County in Liberia. Moore worked
at the Ministry of Culture and the Liberian National Cultural Troup turned his
folktale into a living piece of folkloric ballet, now a national treasure. He
spoke often about the significance of
honoring indigenous Liberian culture. Upon his death in 1988, Liberian author
and politician Wilton Sankawulo wrote, “The best tribute we can pay to the
memory of Bai Tee is making our culture part of our daily life, for culturally
we are dressed inborrowed
robes . . . to replace these alien garments with ones of our own
making…”
The
Vai people use whole body ceremonial masks that transform dancers, signifying
another being has entered the dance. In this piece, the leopard mask shows
movements of the animal and signals that the dancer is taken over by
its spirit. White chalk is a sign of purity and blessing, worn by hunters for
protection.
The
music is traditional, and it is specific to harvest, animalistic representation,
and celebration, calling everyone together.
The Leopard Ballet was
learned from Nimely Napla, and re-staged by Napla and Naomi Diouf with
additional choreography by Ousseynou Kouyate and Ibrahima Diouf and
some aspects from Dr. Zakarya Diouf’s Serrer tradition. Costumes are by Nimely
Napla, and music is by Madiou Diouf, Dr. Zak Diouf, Mory Fofana, Mohammed
Kouyate, and Darian LaFoucade. The piece had its U.S. debut this year at
Oakland’s Malonga Center for the Arts.
2009 PERFORMANCE
2012 PERFORMANCE
Dance Origin: Liberia Genre: Lorma & Gio, Inititiation & Masked
Dances 2012 title: The Breaking of the Sande Bush 2012 CHOREOGRAPHY & COSTUMES: Nimely Napla 2012 MUSICAL DIRECTORS: Madiou Diouf and Nimely Napla
2012 DANCERS: LaTasha Bell, Marcus Cathey, Tamika Davis, Ibrahima Diouf, Kine Diouf, Naomi Diouf, Jamila Fuller, Diony Gamoso, Tamika Harris, Zion Harris, Patrice Henderson, LaDonna Higgins,
Antoinette Holland, Dedeh Jaimah, Bis-Millah Loving, Christopher Scott,
Johnathan Secrease 2012 DRUMMERS: Dr. Zakarya Diouf (sangba), Madiou Diouf
(sangba/kingi), Mohammad Kouyate (sangba), Darian LaFoucade (gbe-gbe-ge),
Nimely Napla (kingi), Richmond Wiggins (sangba/Kingi), Stephanie Wilson (saa saa).
2009 Title: Zaazi 2009 Costumes/Staging: Nimely Napla 2009 Dancers: LaTashia Bell, Tamika Davis, Stefon Dent,
Esailama Diouf, Ibrahima Diouf, Kine Diouf, Naomi Diouf, Fikpee Flomo, Diony
Gamoso, Paul Griffith, Ebony Henderson, Patrice Henderson, LaDonna Higgins,
Antoinette Holland, Dedeh Jaimah, Kelly Kouyate, Sekou N’Diaye, Nimely Naplah,
Djien Tie, N’Deye Penda Toure, Stephanie Wilson 2009 Musicians: Madiou Diouf, Dr. Zakariya Diouf, Bli Bi
Gore, Josh Jacob, Mohammed Kouyate, Darian LaFoucade, M’Bay Louvouezo, Gbassay
Zinneh
The Breaking of the Sande Bush is a rite-of-passage dance of the Lorma ethnic group. It comes from one
of Liberia's more remote regions—Lofa
County, in the northeast mountains. The Lorma have two secret societies which initiate and care for their members—poro for males, and sande for female. Young Lorma girls are
taken from their families to a Sande Society or Zardaygai—a center of learning—in the bush. There, they are guided
by zoe, spiritual leaders of the
female society. Maintaining total secrecy from men, they learn how to cook,
dance, and sing; study biology; and learn how to conduct themselves as women.
This zaazi dance, as it is called in Liberia,
celebrates the girls return to their parents and their initiation into
adulthood. Under the eye of the zoe,
the girls display their skills.
The ceremony
celebrates differences— between women and men, forest
and village, and invisible spirits and visible maskers.Dancers in full-body masks
embody the spirit of the African bush and of the community. The ZaaZi (the first mask to enter the stage) is the girls' guide and protector; it
announces their readiness to leave and dances to celebrate their achievements.
The young women wear thread skirts woven
on a hand-held loom. Beads around their waists represent protection and show
their status. Dangling threads hide the girls' faces, as no one except family should
see them. The white chalk signifies purity.
Diamano Coura's percussionists evoke
Lorma's traditional sounds: a cow horn announces the masked dancers; an uncut
gourd laced with seeds—the sa-sa or kpokui—imitates various forest birds.
The kingi log-drum communicates
directly with the dancers and the "masks": it provides signals for
movement and its beats emphasize specific gestures. It is understood that the kingi drum speaks a language, and the
initiates must learn the Kingi
language before graduating from bush school. Musicians also play the badige or sagban drum and the gbe-gbe-ge
bass drum.
The origin of The Breaking of the
Sande Bush is unknown, as the secret Sande Society has no written history.
Artistic Director Naomi Diouf studied the dance with Nimely Napla of the
National Cultural Troupe in Liberia
and in Oakland, CA. The company, in apprenticeship,
researched and trained intensively in movement and song. Itwas performed in
2006 at the Malonga Casquelourd Center
for the Arts in Oakland.
2007 PERFORMANCE
TITLE:JUSAT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/ CHOREOGRAPHER: Naomi Diouf DIRECTOR: Dr. Zakarya Diouf SPECIAL GUEST: Jacqueline Burgess-Hall as the Goddess DANCERS: Andrezia Andrade, LaTashia Bell, Antoinette Chase, Tamika Davis, Stefan Dent, Esailama Diouf, Ibrahima Diouf, Kine Diouf, Naomi Diouf, Ebony Henderson, LaDonna Higgins, Shaquila Ingram, DehDeh Jaimah, Shanita Jones, Darian Lafoucade, Johnathan Secrease, N'Deye Penda Toure, Tamisha Williams, Stephanie Wilson, Jah-Yee Woo, Alicia Zakon Musicians: Olafemi Akintunde, Madiou Diouf, Dr. Zakarya Diouf, Mbor Faye, Samba Guisse (tama/talking drum), Josh Jacobs, Mohammed Kouyate, Darian Lafoucade
This original work by one of the Bay Area’s foremost West African dance companies, explores a personal journey and its universal expression in ritual. It blends traditional West African dance with contemporary American influences and features both traditional and pop music from Senegal and Mali. This dynamic suite has four scenes, beginning with, JUSAT, which represents the cyclical stages of life’s trajectory. The piece uses traditional West African dance and music as its focal point, which is enhanced by contemporary moves and music.
The next scene, The Birth, is based on an old myth. Mawa, in a thunderous conversation with his demi-gods, sends his strongest, most beautiful, goddesses down to earth to give birth to the children and nations of Africa. The demi-gods bequeath her the power needed to accomplish this; a piercing scream is heard as she brings forth the children. The third section, called The Initiation, speaks to the joy and pride experienced by a mother and father when their children have grown up and returned from the secret society as respectable young men or women. Their esteem is both for their children’s coming of age and also for the veneration of the family’s ancestral divinities and connection to nature.
In the closing scene, The Harvest depicts the time in a parent’s life to give back to the young people for being so courageous. The community harvests its best crops in preparation of a grand celebration lasting several days with enough crops harvested and animals killed and prepared for the feast to satisfy everyone’s appetite.
This new work was made possible in part by funding from the San Francisco Foundation.
2006 PERFORMANCE
TITLE OF PIECE: Kakilambe ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR/ CHOREOGRAPHER: Naomi Diouf DANCERS: Brian Alexander, LaTasha Bell, Tamika Davis,
Esailama Diouf,
Ibrahima Diouf, Kine Diouf, Jamila Fuller, Jessica Harden,
Ladonna Higgins, Liz
Lafoucade, Alisha Norwood, Yeni Rivera, Christopher Scott,
Johnathan Secrease,
Deniena Sherman, Tamisha Williams, Jay-Yee Woo DRUMMERS: Djembe: Olafemi
Akitunde, Dr.
Zakarya Diouf, Madiou Diouf, Moshe Milon, Dundun:Josh Jacob, Darian
Lafoucade
In Diamano Coura’s
historical re-creation, the
Kakilambe and his counterpart, fertility goddess Nimba –
Mother of the Earth,
are called upon for assistance to restore balance to a village.
The dance
depicts a young woman becoming possessed by an overpowering entity.
Her
lifeless body is revived through dancing, cleansing and offerings to
the
Kakilambe spirit. When his spirit is appeased, the Nimba mask, depicted as
a
huge towering bird with large breasts, is summoned to make the women and
land
fertile. A grand celebration concludes the ceremony.