Letter to the Hedlund's - 7/14/06

It's been a little over a week since I've been back in Burkina and I've resolved to try to paint a better picture of my current home so as to dissuade anymore inquiries of my early return. My practice and resolve to see the positive things around has helped and here are some moments I'd like to share.

If there was one thing I did miss of Burkina more than the other volunteers and local friends, it was the music. The utterly regional unique rhythms of Burkina, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. The beating rhythms that pervade the daily lives that are forgetably absent in the U.S. Much of the music is in local tongues for which I don't comprehend, except for the insistence to move and follow.

I consider music here so utterly danceable, I'm quite confused as to why other volunteers, ready to dance at the drop of "Usher", are unwilling to dance to "Yoni." Regardless, the music has become a sublime balm to my soujour here. A moment of pure joy I experienced as I was visiting the telecenter of my friend, Kader. Visiting also was one of the local tradi-practitioners, of whom I'm friends with. Kader, pronounced Kay-dare, is of the "Wala" ethnic group. The tradi-practitioner (or local medicine man) is of the Dioulla (jew-la) ethnic group. It was nighttime and they both were listening to a Dioulla group on a cassette player. The medicine man was translating as they both danced to the music. Kader sat down after a bit, but the medicine man was invigorated listening to the music of his people and continued.

There we were, in the darkness of the night, no lights except the flashlight held in the hands of the medicine man. His forty-something year old body gyrating and spinning, dancing with the spotlight on the ground given by his flashlight. His enjoyment became mine as my head bobbed to the stacatto rhythm and my face creased into an unrelenting , but unseen smile. I loved Africa in that moment despite some of it's people.

After a short while the relentless song ended and the breathless healer headed home. Off in the short distance a different stereo was playing a more popular catchy African tune and another impromptu shuffle began. I enjoyed my perch and the chance to watch again as the shadows mixed with the black silhouetted forms of local villagers against the lights of small yellow lanterns.

That's it for now! Hope to talk to you soon.
Laura