Dagbui Mavis

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Dagbui Mavis (July 2008)

Name: Dagbui Mavis
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Dagbamete
Place of Residence: Dagbamete


Dagbui Mavis has completed Junior Secondary School, and plans to go to high school. Her musical proficiencies include dancing and singing, and she is a member of Adzogbor and Bobobor musical groups. She knows English. How did you learn music? I asked her. She said that her sister and herself were only 2 years old when Favour was taught singing and Mavis was taught dancing. Kwasi Davor a man in the village would invite all the children and he would teach drumming, dancing and singing and she learnt it from him. She said that girls did not learn drumming and women do not drum; they sing and dance. She sings songs like Gahu, Ampi (a game) and many other songs

[Both women were unable to remember many songs and when I asked them if they think that these songs are at the risk of being forgotten they said "No no" because they would remember when they hear Kwasi playing. My concern was what will happen when Kwasi is gone?] Both women plan to teach their children singing and dancing to pass the music to the next generation. They also said that music will continue to be transferred because Kwasi has older students of his to teach new ones.Both women believe that the old music will never be forgotten.

According to them, the music has not changed. It is still the same words and the same steps. New music has been brought into the village, however they coexists. Radio gives the opportunity for them to hear Celine Dion, who is Mavis’s favorite singer. On the other hand, Favour’s favorite music is Bobobor.

[This interview shows that despite the presence of western music, traditional music is still of importance.

Interviewed by Jennifer Hermann in July 2008

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