Friday, June 19, 2009

perfomarnce never fails

So today was a BIG day. Both for me, and, what's more important, for Kopeyia.
We had a performance.
a wonderful show, in which the pupils and the staff of Kopeyia Bloomfiled School performed their songs, poems, dances, raps and sketches (skits).
It was a two-hour celebration of African culture. Exploration on styles and aesthetics. Old and new.
We had a great weather (meaning, it didn't rain, but it was a very hot day! can't tell. 110 maybe? amazing how one adjusts to the heat. I kept thinking about bikram yoga and the teachers' words - this is nothing. you do it for one hour. there are people who have this heat 24/7, everyday, and they work hard jobs in the heat. daily. leave the sweat alone. it will keep coming, so you may just as well leave it there...).

As soon as I get home I'll make a myspace page with some of the pieces we performed today.
Highlights: Deti Xoxo, Be good, do good, be one and Arfica, my home (which I lifted as the title of the whole perfomance), and Ghana (which I sang along with the KG class and Mensah Ali)

The headmasdter gave a touching speech of gratitude. Important people of Kopeyia came. They clapped and laughed, and grew goose bumps.

The children dressed up (or I should say- some did, the others chose to wear thier school uniforms. As perhaps, the best clothes they had. Some wore costumes - Kopeyia Bloomfiled Cultural Troup had the traditional costumes on.)

Somehwhere near the end, Madame Christy announced that Madame Rojoice and myself would go out on stage. A total shocker. By that time I had already performed my song - Lastavice (aka ISH! - which is now something like Kopeyai jingle!), accompanied by my main man here, Kofi Agtbeli, who played the drums, and I didn't have another number ready.

It was a surprise! The school had given me a formal thank you and gifted me a wonderful dress designed and made for me.

I felt like crying, but didn't - No holywood moments please. No one cries here.

the whole program ended in such JOYFUL dance on the Kopeyia Dance floor, everyone celebrated and and was happy as they can be. I will never forget this day.


I did end up renting the amplification, (Mr Emmanule Agbeli helped with the cost, which I appreciated, more as a gesture of support, then the mere financial value.

The guys with the amp came at 7 am to set it up and brought the speakers, the mixer and 2 mics.
(speakers all pied up in one spot, again. I tried to explain that wasn't the greatest way of doing it, and some got the point. but some just said - that's how we do it here. so typical! next time we do iot my way. that's the thing - all is good, all is manageable- I just needed to be clearer at occasions. but I am getting it now.)

It is weired how things are. Hope time is.
I did need all this time, this entire month, just to get the real feel. To adjust. Today - I feel I could stay for a year, no problem, whereas a week ago, I felt like jumping on the first plane to NY.

You can't always force things. Much less - control them. At least I can't.

But now, 4 days before I would leave, I feel my heart posisitvely stolen by the Ghanaians.
Even though I did get frustrated at times. So much so, I wanted to scream.
Instead - I drummed.

More in a minute - have about 300 email to filetr out.

Just wanted to have the last post here be a happy one .

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