To the rhythm of a hot West African Christmas
Raphaël Gasc (he/him) // Contributor
Riley Simmons (she/her) // Illustrator
It is December in Ghana, and a group of Capilano University students are on their way to a funeral.
The turns and potholes made us lean into each other. The proximity is comfortable; we just napped on each other’s shoulders. Earbuds are shared, listening to personally selected songs. The playlist evolves continuously as we get to know each other more intimately. Today’s 6:30 a.m. “wake-up-to-life” dance session was energizing, but the group is beginning to crash, still hungover from a late night at the pool.
Despite functioning A/C, our skin is developing a layer of dusty sweat, to which our clothes are perpetually glued. We can’t escape the heat and accompanying sunscreen smell. Locals are napping on makeshift benches in the shade, and we begin to hear distant music. Those who catch our glances greet us warmly. The music amplifies and a rhythm can be distinguished. As the bus slows down, some of us lock eyes with kids outside. We are acknowledged with gleeful smiles. The bus comes to a halt and they gather in large numbers.
Jovial villagers meet us as we step off the bus and onto the reddish-brown sandy soil. Although the sun is fading, the humidity is omnipresent. We are ushered to the heart of the ceremony and instantly noticed due to our lighter skin tones. “Yevu!” they call, meaning ‘outsider.’ A large tent shelters the epicenter of the celebration, the drummers. People of all ages are thrusting and shaking in quasi-coordination. We are familiar with their moves by now and join without hesitation.
The students who sit receive a baby in their arms since their mothers have been waiting to dance. Elders gaze at the crowd, nonchalantly seated around the square. Shortly after getting into the groove, some of us get singled out by older ladies who cover us in garments. Our movements become synchronized as they stare into our souls. We remember the reason for this gathering and address the elephant in the room, carefully approaching a smaller tent where people yell, animated at an inanimate entity. We don’t know how to feel, anticipating our first glance. Stiffly posing on a throne and wearing loud-patterned clothing is the body of Jimmy Sago, the drummer whose funeral we are attending. It’s no secret we didn’t know this man or the customs of this celebration before today.
Over the holiday break, 24 CapU students from 12 programs attended the university’s first Ghana Field School (GFS). The journey began last summer with an email inviting applications. Students participated in an interview and, once accepted, attended four pre-departure sessions, got several vaccines and signed numerous documents. The trip was part of a course titled JAZZ 422: Cross-cultural Pedagogy and Orff Afrique. As became evident when attempting to articulate the nature of this trip to friends and family, students were unsure what to expect in Ghana.
When the course was underway, they dove into the traditional music of the Ewe people of West Africa. Students were guided through this immersive cross-cultural experience by Kofi Gbolonyo, a Ghanaian at CapU School of Performing Arts ethnomusicology instructor, performer, music educator and founder of Nunya Academy. Nunya, an elementary to high school with an after-class music academy, is Gbolonyo’s brainchild, in his hometown of Dzodze, Ghana. Gbolonyo has been hosting groups for decades, but this was his first CapU student-exclusive trip.
Our stay began with a massive social overwhelm in the bustling market of Accra, Ghana’s capital. Our limbs and, in consequence, our attention were pulled left and right by vendors inviting us into their small boutiques. Saying they were eager to make a sale would be an understatement. This set the tone for a recurring sentiment throughout the trip: we felt like rare desirable Pokémon, which fostered a feeling of ‘otherness,’ solidifying our group’s unity. A few nights later, we ditched the urban craze to reach the infamous White Dove Hotel in Dzodze. I say infamous, due to advertisements for two stripper parties hosted during our stay, and our live dinner running from the butcher’s hands through the hotel grounds before meeting its fate.
Nearly every evening, Gbolonyo invited groups to perform for our learning and enjoyment. Exposure to these ethnocultural musical traditions was paired with regular lessons covering the drums, xylophone, shakers, bell or gankogui in Ewe. The constant group setting and activities created closeness among students. Olivia Cox, an Indigenous Digital Filmmaking (IDF) student bore witness to this, speaking to a, “cohort feeling,” among the students. We also engaged in conventional tourism, visiting sites like Elmina Slave Castle, where schoolchildren swarmed us. Jeremy Fornier-Hanlon, a Jazz Studies student, explained, “What felt like a solemn experience for us was just another field trip to them.” We also stopped by the highest waterfall in West Africa (filled with guano from overhanging bats), the Tafi Mona Monkey Sanctuary, and the home of Gbolonyo’s 93-year-old father-in-law who has nine wives.
Gbolonyo described the trip as successful. He said, “All students participated in a sense of family.” While he is not easily phased, Gbolonyo did say, “My biggest concern was that everyone remained healthy, so I am happy there were no surprises.”
Jared Burrows, a guitarist, composer, producer and CapU Jazz Studies instructor, also accompanied students on the trip. Having been to Ghana several times with Gbolonyo’s groups, Burrows was, “pleased and grateful that nobody did anything stupid.” He also mentions post-trip, “My hope in humanity is always renewed when I go to Ghana.” What keeps Burrows coming back are the Nunya Music Academy kids, who he witnessed dedicate focus to their studies and heart to their performances year after year.
Friday, January 31, 2025, the GFS students commemorated their experience by singing and dancing with 50 other performers at CapU’s Celebrate Africa Night. Stasa Andric, Manager of Global Engagement commented, “With no seats left in the theatre, there was a sense of sharing and community, participation and learning. Our CapU students performed with vigour and passion, but also lightness, confidence and playfulness.” Likely the first of many, the trip proved enriching to students and beneficial to CapU and host communities.
