This week's classes focused a lot on Baule masquerades with emphasis on the Mbla, Goli and Bamana. What was of particular emphasis to me was how the dances and masks were divided by gender and age. Within the Goli masquerade there are the Kple Kple and the Goli glen which were to have been representative of dumb, youthful men of the community. There were also Kpan Pre and Kpan which were for the women and illustrated changes in maturity.
I was slightly overwhelmed with the variations of all these dances and masquerades. It seemed like there was a dance for every age group but I noticed that there was quite a bit of focus on molding the youth. The sacred men's masks we talked about or Amuin Yasura were intended to be intimidating and initiate some sort of social control. In class we talked about the numerous ways in which we attempt the same type of thing in America. Many families enlist their children in extracurricular activities like sports and clubs in order to help shape them into well rounded adults. I found it interesting to compare the two together.
Aside from elaborate masquerades other items have been used for transitional events in a youth's life. The Bogolon from Mali utilize a woven cloth to help a young woman heal post excision. The cloth is intended to help heal and to also act as a form of protection when an older woman passes away. The concept and sanctity of womanhood is upheld quite highly.
The video that we watched on Thursday really helped to bring into perspective the relevance of both the mask and the dance. Seeing how the drummers interacted with dancers and in turn how the dancers interacted with the audience really showcased how much these masquerades are a "total experience" type of event. In class we talked about how the significance of these masquerade dances is not fully appreciated unless someone is able to see them within their full context. I felt like my understanding for these dance rituals increased from watching the video. I thought about Nani on Thursday and how he connected with audience while doing his drum performance and I honestly don't think it would have been nearly as interesting if he hadn't done so.
We also read "I am not myself" by Herbert M. Cole this week. The article brought about some interesting concepts about change and how these masquerades are continually changing and evolving. It was hard for me to understand this at first because I felt like for the most part that a lot of the dances were very traditional. When we watched the video in class I was able to see more clearly what he meant. The snake mask referenced in the video marked change by how it supposedly influence the pairing of men and women in a particular village. When the neighboring village saw how powerful and effective this mask supposedly was they decided to make one for themselves but had the snake be build much taller/longer than the original. This was a very interesting week in class and I felt that it was fairly relatable to some of the cultural norms we see here in America.
At first, I was also overwhelmed with all the variations. It is hard to get them all straight. They are all so different, yet at the same time seem similar. I feel like the video really helped everyone, myself including, gain a better understanding to what the dances and masquerades are like. I did not expect the dancers to interact with the audience as much as they did. I agree with you, that it does make it more interesting. It keeps the audience wondering what will happen next. I am glad we got the opportunity to watch the dances, and not just look at pictures.I wish I could have been there to see Nani perform. The video gave me insight to infer what he might have done with his dancing and how he interacted with the audience.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the dvd useful. Be careful in distinguishing the particular masquerades and objects from the people who use them. Bamana, is a people, whereas Goli, Gbagba are masquerades of the Baule people. The Bamana use bogolan cloths in initiation--Bogolan are not people.
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