July 7

This afternoon, we visited Ashiama, another poor neighborhood. When Tema became the main port, all the poor dock workers moved into the sub herb of Ashiama.

                We pulled up to the performance complex and found it closed. Everything is on “Africa Time” here. While we waited, we entertained ourselves by practicing the Akabagor bell and parts of the Gahu dance. One women was entertained by our efforts and came down from her porch to correct our steps. As usual, we were followed by a crowd of children.

                After a long wait, we were me by Adam, the lead drummer, and Nova the composer. During question period, I intentionally asked if there were any female drummers. The answer was that there was no specific rule against it, but there rarely are any. Yesterday, Auntie Jay said it’s because women don’t have the muscles for it, and some drums are forbidden to women. Whatever the reason, it’s definitely  a gender roll fixture. I feel so lucky to live in a society where the gender lines are blurred, and I have never felt barred from any activity because of my gender. In fact, I’ve always taken great pride at being good at male dominated activities.

                Finally, the funeral began. I will not attempt to describe all of the sights and sounds, but it was amazing. The first portion was a performance by the dance and drumming troop. The athletic prowess and graceful coordination was unbelievable. We were very excited to recognize some of the steps from West African Music Ensemble, although their movements were much faster than ours.