Song

So school has started. I am teaching two sections of English to 8th graders who are in their third year of study. We meet only 3 hours a week. I also teach 5 hours a week of beginning English to 6th graders. So, as you can imagine, we’re doing a lot of simple greetings right now. They have already mastered “How are you? Fine. Thanks. And You?” But like my Wolof, they have a hard time going beyond that at this point. I’ve been trying to teach them other responses like: I’m good, I’m great, I’m tired, I’m sleepy; but they all seem to be “fine” everyday! The 6th graders love to sing the alphabet song. In fact they love music. Dare I say, singing and chanting together are part of their DNA. I believe music is a universal trait of expression, but there’s something innate about the embrace of rhythm and beat here that stands out. So, the other day, while I was going over the days of the week, the song “Manic Monday” by the Bengals came to mind. I started singing it softly as I was circulating around the class. The students immediately picked up on the sound and developed a drum beat. Soon, the room was filled with African percussion in perfect synch calling me to sing on. It was so natural, so spontaneous, I was in awe.


Last Friday night, Abdoulaye and I decided to check out the night life on Halloween. We went to a dance club that was sponsoring a Halloween night, but when we arrived around 10:30 p.m. the doors were not even open. Apparently, even though the party was advertised to begin at 10 p.m., nothing starts in earnest before 11:30 or midnight, so why even open the doors?! So, being downtown and not being able to get in, we decided to go to another bar that I had heard about from a friend. The bar was more like a cafe/restaurant with multiple levels of seating for about 30-50 on each level; just the right size. We sat at a table on the lower level right next to the quartet that was playing an African/Jazz fusion. Imagine a Santana or Dave Brubeck number with the jovial, harmonic rhythms and beats often found in African music; it was great! Some songs inspired people to get up and dance; we soaked it all up. Then, just when we were about to leave, this older, robust lady ambled down the stairs in a worn, nightgown type garment with flip-flops on her feet. I wondered who was she and what was she thinking coming there dressed as such. Well, immediately I was confounded even more, as everyone, one by one, got up greeted her with a smile and a kiss, and treated her like royalty. I then said to myself, she must be the owner. She started making her way toward our corner and I heard people greet her with the name Cesaria. I stopped in my mental tracks: Could it be? Noooo. Impossible. Maybe. She is light-skinned, which means she could be Cap Verdian. But I thought she was dark-skinned. Wait, I remember, she is dark-skinned, because I saw her in concert in Ann Arbor. But there is a large Cap Verdian community here, maybe in real life up close she is light-skinned like all the Cap Verdians I have met here. Ohhhh. I don’t know!
She came my way, and I felt obliged, like the rest of the clientele, to greet her. I did so in French, and she was so welcoming and happy. I tried to ask her if she was who I thought she was: “Are you really Cesaria Evora?” She smiled, she laughed, then said a lot of things in such a heavy accent in which language I am unsure, that I ended up still not knowing! She proceeded to tell me she is a singer, she would be singing there the next night with her orchestra. “Oh, great,” I thought. Now, I’m even more confused. And, I have other plans tomorrow night...damn! Well, on my way out, I asked the bouncer what was her name, and he said he only knew her as Cesaria. As you can imagine, the mystery was killing me! In any case, I left so excited to try to find out. When on Monday or Tuesday I saw my Cap Verdian colleague at work, she disappointedly informed me that Cesaria Evora was definitely dark-skinned and that was probably someone who is famous locally who chose to take the same stage name perhaps because she sings in the same style. Who knows? But oh what a trip!


p.s. If you don’t know Cesaria Evora, look her up on YouTube or ITunes with the song Sodade...you’ll appreciate my excitement!