Happy Women's Day

August is Women's Month and August 9 is Women's Day in South Africa.  Women's Day is a pubic holiday, so activities range from musical and performing arts events to lectures and speeches, and even to cookouts called braais, like the one I am attending today.  It is delightful to be greeted by friends and colleagues who say "Happy Women's Day!" and I was inspired to share some stories about some of the most important women in my life.  As a part-time African, I should begin with my elders, and I'll keep sharing more inspiring women from both my American and South African realms as the month continues. 

MOM - as she used to say, "it's WOW, upside down." My mother Linda Leake Wilson, the mother of five children, eight grandchildren and one brand new great-grandchild.  She was one of those amazing women who raised children in the 1960s-1980s, and I remember hot meals cooked from scratch every day as a child.  Her chosen career path was nursing, out of which she developed a great sense of observing other people and to this day, can seem to look at me and tell if I have a headache.  One of my favorite memories is when I was a child and needed a topic for a 4-H presentation.  So she taught me the contents of a proper first-aid kit and set to work teaching me how to use it all.  I still carry a first-aid kit wherever I am teaching, and say, Thanks, Mom and Wow!"

Miss Linda and me above in 2017 with our new hairdos.  

What Kind of Slippers do the Angels Wear?

I taught some folk dances and singing games to children at a Three2Six school celebration last week, that included hot dogs, face painting, novelty races and a good time had by all.  A Three2Six school is a school for refugee children who do not attend regular public school due to their difficult circumstances, and primarily because they do not have birth certificates.  So they are taught from 3:00-6:00 in the afternoon at school sites throughout Johannesburg, funded by donors.  Our site was Sacred Heart College.  Sacred Heart and its administrators defied racial segregation during apartheid, and provided asylum for anti-apartheid activists.  Now a new type of asylum is needed as there are many controversies about refugees in South Africa.  When school is out, Three2Six is in, so school holidays provide longer days for projects and experiences.  I am hoping that Appalachian State students will be able to visit during a school holiday the next time we study abroad in South Africa, so that we can spend some time teaching music to the children.

Charity on the left

My students were mostly from the DRC and Rwanda, though there was one child from Nigeria.  That child was truly happy on this day, because my colleague Charity was with us, who also hails from Nigeria.  She and the child were just like peas and carrots, once they found each other.  Not only is Charity the mother of 5, but her sweet kindness and caring smile must have been a welcome sight for a child far from home.  I cannot post photos of the event, because the children cannot be shown in photos for a variety of reasons.   You can see me waiting to teach in my colorful skirt below.


The winter holidays are over and school is back in session.  So I was delighted to finally attend a rehearsal of the University of Johannesburg Soweto Choir and reunite with my old friends Ms. Neo Motswagae, the choir's manager and Mr. Kholisa Bulo, the director.  Although the choir members change from time to time as they graduate and move on, they sound as fantastic as ever and I can't wait to go back next week for some song exchanging. 

Kholisa and me, back in 2010

Over the weekend, I stayed with Neo and attended the Ralufutso Methodist Church.  Singing in a South African church choir is one of my favorite life experiences, as I greatly enjoy improvisatory singing and the challenge of singing by the seat of my pants.  I did not know many of the hymns, but throughout the service, there were a few songs I could manage, such as a chorus of O come let us adore Him and parts of N'kosi Sikelel iAfrika.  The speaking was translated back and forth from Zulu, Xhosa and Sotho languages, with an occasional word or two in English on my account.  As much fun as this all sounds, I will just say that the choir reports to church at 6:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

I enjoyed the practice of passing a sign of peace at this church.  The congregation sang as they went around and greeted each other.  Many greeted with hugs, including one two-year old girl who was not even as tall as my knees, though she ran right toward me with her arms open wide!  As I was introduced at the end of the service, the speaker noted that Soweto is notorious for many bad things, and asked me to tell the story of my experience in Soweto, which I can definitely report was quite positive.

For some reason, a chorus to an old song was dancing around in my head as I struggled to follow the sermon in the Soweto church.  I don't know what you think it means, but I could not get it out of my head...........

What kind of slippers do the angels wear?

They wear fine slippers and they skate on air.

They wear fine slippers and they wear fine socks,

Then they drop a nickel in the missionary's box.  

Keep it Constitutional

I attended the launch of an animated educational series for high school students at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.  The court is located on Constitution Hill, a historic location where many well-known South African leaders were jailed and tried.  The campaign being celebrated is an educational resource for school children, because preliminary research revealed that only 51% of South Africans were aware of the Constitution and the related Bill of Rights.  Of those who were aware of their rights, most learned from the school children in their families. 

Thoko Mpumlwana, Bill Cisco, Gina Mhlophe, Suzi Mill, Juliet Perumal - we are posing for a photo after the launch of #Keepitconstitutional.

Bill and me standing in front of the dancing giant girl!

The South African Human Rights Commission teamed up with animators, researchers, schools and the Human Rights Foundation to develop and launch the series throughout the nation.  The information is a bit more detailed than our American "Schoolhouse Rock", but I was reminded of the cartoons who taught us about bills on capital hill and conjunctions, etc.  As my American colleague Bill and I sang "Conjunction, junction, what's your function...." we were met with some pretty funny looks from those around us.  

You can learn more about the animated series and the related teaching resources at this link.  You can also see exactly what your rights are, in case you are South African, or living in South Africa.   https://www.keepitconstitutional.co.za/

Jambo from Kenya

I have spent the last couple of weeks based out of Nairobi, Kenya.  Schools and school singing were the primary areas of focus for my visit to three primary schools, two secondary schools and St. Paul's university. I talked with teachers and principals about the music education options and resources for primary and secondary school students. 

Some schools have Pre-K children in playgroups, where they are cared for during school hours and are taught some fundamentals to help them prepare for the days to come when they become primary students.  Others, like this class at Hebron Educational Centre on the outskirts of Nairobi, have educational curricula similar to U.S. preschools.  These amazing children ages 3 and 4 years old talked with me in English about the pictures they were coloring , and I really enjoyed their polite introductions of themselves.  

You can see and hear the choir at one of the schools in Nairobi singing the song "Jambo" which means "Hello" in kiSwahili.  While there are over 40 official languages in Kenya, kiSwahili and English are used widely.  You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser if clicking on the youtube link here does not take you to the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JsolNsQOPg

My husband Dennis and I also traveled with my colleague Dr. Peter Okeno and his dear friend Benjamine through the countryside to his family's homestead in a village near the border of Tanzania.  Wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables accompanied the ujamaa experience with his kind and hospitable family and community (near Massai Mara, Migori County if you want to find it on a map).  Ujamaa is an East African concept of an extended family, as we all are part of, regardless of biological kinship.  

After returning from the village, I talked with students of music and theology at St. Paul's University on the subject of "singing across cultures." We talked about music education in the U.S. from Pre-K through adulthood in schools, churches and universities.  An important component of this lecture and discussion is that the university is in the beginning stages of expanding music course offerings, so administrators in attendance heard faculty, students and local ministers comparing notes and asking questions about the structures of formal music education in their respective institutions.  At the end, we all sang "Jubilate Deo" in three part round harmonies.  

Jubilate Deo, Alleluia!

Strong Spirits with Gentle Voices

Our public performance was a smash hit, with all the participants in the Mandela Washington Performing Arts Workshop demonstrating new teaching and performing skills showcasing traditional music and dance.

 The advert here explains our details, and the story of Nehoya, her younger sister Nkele, and the magic of the mirror that brings back Nehoya from the crocodile's house at the bottom of the river.  While the girls are fetching water, Nehoya is snatched by the crocodile, but returns at the end to the delight of her family and all the people in the village.

Our workshop and performance was held on June 30, at the College of the Arts in Windhoek Namibia.
The choir from the Spiritual Healing Church warmed up the audience with a selection from their repertoire.  There are many people in Namibia who are from China, conducting various business ventures.  So the choir here is singing a Chinese song.  I love the gentle voices of the singers, who are known for their strong and healing spirits.  

Then the entire community of teachers, college students and Police Force staff took the stage to tell the tale.  

Our village was quite unusual, as we had diverse cultural groups, including Oshiwambo, Kavango, and Otjiherero.  Our village happened to include a choir and a group of school children from Peoples' Primary School.  

 We sang our hearts out at the joyous return of dear Nehoya.  The song is called "Singahambayo Thina" (We are marching home), which is a South African freedom song.  I learned it from Carol Scott-Kassner and Pat Campbell's book Music in Childhood.  I have sung it with children, but this community harmonized it!  

So, I marched on, then Kapena and I celebrated the hard work we all accomplished by attending a choir festival led by Jeremiah.  You know me, I can't stay off the stage, so here was my goodbye with the Spiritual Healing Church choir, singing La Mmino, a song about music that Bhekani Buthelezi and Elene Cloete taught me in South Africa.  

Next time we touch base, I'll tell you all about Nairobi, Kenya, where Dennis and I arrived safe and well on Monday.  

Nehoya and the Crocodile

Using a Namibian tale as written in the children's book Nehoya & The Crocodile by Helvi Itenge, we are creating a musical drama this week with our primary school children.  We use a modified Orff-Schulwerk process to develop the story and present the performing arts.  

Musical Instruments hanging on the wall outside the concert hall, where the teachers are stretching out and the choir is practicing; all in preparation for this week's main event, which is teaching children grades 5-7.  The performance will include setting the scene for a Namibian Village, where the story of Nehoya and the Crocodile unfolds. 

   

Setting the scene involved many decisions about staging our story with music, drama and dance.  For instance, should it be a village from yesteryear, or should it reflect a more modern and familiar context for the children and the audience?  And, should the performers wear traditional African dress, or matching T-shirts or what?  And, should we use western instruments like the recorders we are learning to play, or stick to African instruments, like the drums and mbira?  

                                                                       

The drummer above here is Lahia, who's music creates the perfect rhythms for getting us moving and dancing.   

                                                                  
Photos by Ukumbuavi Muatjetjeja, whom we call Jeremia.

I have to get home somehow! 

Mandela Washington Project Underway in Windhoek, Namibia!

I arrived in Windhoek on Wednesday afternoon and have been meeting and getting acquainted with project staff from ChiNamibia.  You can check out ChiNamibia, an Arts Education for Development and empowerment trust that works with children and young people in child development and Arts Education.  

Next week, we will begin teaching our adult learners, who are teachers from the local area, students from Windhoek's College of the Arts, and (wait for it.....) a gospel choir!  Imagine my excitement when I learned that an entire gospel choir signed up!  Thanks to everyone at Appalachian State University, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choir, my family, and friends in the Boone community who sent me off with blessings and well wishes.  I am here to offer friendship through music on behalf of us all.  

The College of the Arts is a city college, and you can see that we are located in the city center, near the various embassies and a bustling buzz of capitol city activity.  Hallways and courtyards are filled with works in progress created by the visual arts students, and our classrooms are stocked with percussion instruments, marimbas and a dance studio. 

 


We are developing pedagogy for an integrated arts curriculum, so I will have to learn how to play and sing Namibian music brought to the workshop by the participants.  The college students will bring the marimba music, the teachers will bring children's songs and folk tales, and the gospel choir will bring choral songs.  We are putting it all together with African stories, and the ChiNamibia performing arts specialists will contribute the important ingredients of drama and dance. 

The grand finale is a public performance on June 29, at the end of the second week.  The adult participants will teach middle school aged children during the second week of the workshop, as the staff and I facilitate and evaluate their teaching.  Upon completion, they will earn a certificate towards a teaching qualification for arts and culture in Namibian public schools.