Beyond the classroom: Indigenous America and Africa

1. One of the topics that I really enjoyed learning about during the Native American section was the syncretic music. I specifically enjoyed listening to Carlos Nakai’s “Dreamscapes” from Canyon People, so I figured I’d look into him and his music a little more. After a brief google search, I quickly learned that he has his own website, and that provided a little more info about him than we covered in class. 

I was surprised to learn that the traditional cedar flute he plays wasn’t the first instrument he learned. He was actually trained in classical trumpet and music theory, and only began the flute when he was given it as a gift. He has released more than 50 albums in his career, and aside from playing solo, he has collaborated with many other artists. Below, I’ve included a video of Waipi'o Paka'alana, a piece from Our Beloved Land, a collaboration with Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Keola Beamer. I really liked this collaboration specifically because it ties together two artists whose focuses lie in keeping their own cultures alive through music.

2. In the music of the Andes unit, we briefly touched on traditional Ecuadorian weddings. I found them to be pretty interesting, and very different from what I think of when it comes to weddings, so I decided to look into traditional Andean weddings overall. 

According to Culture Trip, Andean weddings are pretty elaborate. Considering how important textiles are in the Andes, it's no surprise that they have brightly colored intricately designed clothing for weddings. Traditionally, the groom wears a decorated poncho, and Chullo and Montera hats. The Bride also wears a Montera hat, a Jobona, which is a traditional wool jacket, and a Pollera skirt. All of the clothing has a common theme of nature, to honor Pachamama (Mother earth). Below is a brief clip of an Andean wedding, and you can see some of the clothing I mentioned.

3. Finally, from the West African unit, I immediately loved the Kora music. Not only is the music beautiful, but I enjoyed learning about various Griots, especially Sona Jobarteh. In one of the videos we watched, she mentioned that she had plans to start the Gambia Academy of Music and Culture, so I thought it would be interesting to see how that was going. From what I found on their website, it looks like the new campus mentioned in the video is still in the process of being built, so there's not a ton to say there, but in the process of clicking around the website, I found a few cool things about the Gambia Academy I thought I’d share. 

At the Gambia Academy, they are transforming the teaching approach from the traditional “listen and repeat,” to a more nurturing, active participation approach. This is teaching students to interact with their environment, and use critical thinking and problem solving skills, which seem to be areas that many schools fail to emphasize. They are also working to change social norms within the school, and build up the greater community by encouraging unity and giving their students the skillsets they need to succeed in the workforce.