Day Three in Mali

I am taking Taewas advice, taking things calm and slowly, taking a relaxed pace. Taewa is the mother of the Djembe Hotel household, and she says this is the way things are in Mali. It sounds good to me!

This morning hotel guest Kisha, from NYC, had a dance lesson. My friend and guide to Bamako, Benge, played with drummers Isa and Banu, to provide music for the lesson. Benge invited me to join the drumming. First I kept the beat with a heavy stick on a bass drum. Then I tried my hand at djembe and kept up pretty well! Much fun to play with real musicians. The dance lesson was incredible, Kisha is a very quick learner, and the steps were difficult. She looks like the real thing to me!

After a little nap and lunch I spent time with Taewa and Jeremys children. We are celebrating Hanukkah early, since the boys will be on a camping trip starting on the 20th. So we are playing with little toys I brought as gifts.The big hit though is dreidl! Last night I taught the boys and we played on the family room floor. Soon Mai, the hired live-in girl, joined us. When Taewa heard our laughing and shouting she came in. When she saw we were playing for bon-bons - Skittles - she insisted on joining the game. It was a wild and hotly contested competition - really big fun. The house LOVES dreidl! I explained the story to the boys and they explained it to the others. Even baby Alex walks around shouting gimmel! gimmel!gimmel! It's a serious hit. We played again tonight and Im sure well play again tomorrow night. Much family fun!

This afternoon my friend Benge took me to the Museum de Nationale Mali where a free outdoor concert was held. Benge knows all the drummers and dancers in Bamako, and these performers were all friends of his. The concert was incredible, great drumming, and four male and four female dancers - they were unbelievable. There were maybe 200-250 people in attendance - and half were children of all ages. While the dancers took a break before the last dance, the drummers kept playing and bringing people out of the audience to dance. One of Benges drummer friends put me in his sights and pulled me up to dance in front of the drummers. I have been telling everyone I DO NOT dance! But in Mali EVERYONE dances - they do not believe if you tell them you can't. So I just decided it will be what it will be and solo-ed with the drummers for a minute or two. No one here will accept any more excuses from me from now on - oy!

So I am enjoying seeing a bit more of Bamako from the back of Benges scooter everyday - he is a great companion for me -very funny and very nice. We see the sights, enjoy some Castel beer - very good and very cheap, and always make it back in time for supper. I continue to figure out how to post some pictures from my camera. If I were using my own computer it would be easy. Ah well, hope springs eternal!

I found myself with tears in my eyes at the concert this afternoon. God was surely present - such joy from all the performers and the audience, joyous music, joyful dancers, everyone clapping along, children dancing on the grass. This music and celebration are everywhere in Mali, I think. The whole country moves to these truly ancient tribal rhythms from the time they begin life on their dancing mothers backs. Would that we all could grow up in time with the rhythm of life. Truly transcendent moments. Selah!