Difference between revisions of "West African Music Ensemble Group Two"
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| − | '''Ewe Story – The Maiden Who Always Refused''' | + | ''''''Ewe Story – The Maiden Who Always Refused'''''' |
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| − | Introduction | + | ''''''Introduction'''''' |
| − | Narrator (Tendai): | + | '''''Narrator''''' (Tendai): |
A man, his wife, and daughter lived in one house. Her father and mother were rich. They had a daughter named Ananda. The girl grew up to be a very beautiful lady. Then men came to ask for her, to marry her and take her away; but every single time the maiden said, | A man, his wife, and daughter lived in one house. Her father and mother were rich. They had a daughter named Ananda. The girl grew up to be a very beautiful lady. Then men came to ask for her, to marry her and take her away; but every single time the maiden said, | ||
| − | Maiden (Ananda): | + | '''''Maiden''''' (Ananda): |
“Not yet.” | “Not yet.” | ||
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| − | Part 1: Gota (Sub-divided into four section measured by their stops) | + | '''Part 1: Gota (Sub-divided into four section measured by their stops)''' |
| − | + | '''Drummers''' | |
| − | Drummers | ||
Lead: April | Lead: April | ||
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| − | Dancers | + | '''Dancers''' |
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Maiden: Ananda | Maiden: Ananda | ||
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| − | Narrator: | + | '''''Narrator''''': |
Then whenever men came to ask for her, she continued to refuse. She said, | Then whenever men came to ask for her, she continued to refuse. She said, | ||
| − | Maiden: | + | '''''Maiden''''': |
“My shape is good, my skin is good, therefore I shall stay,” | “My shape is good, my skin is good, therefore I shall stay,” | ||
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| − | Narrator: | + | '''''Narrator''''': |
and so, she stayed. | and so, she stayed. | ||
Revision as of 18:29, 15 January 2009
'Ewe Story – The Maiden Who Always Refused'
'Introduction'
Narrator (Tendai): A man, his wife, and daughter lived in one house. Her father and mother were rich. They had a daughter named Ananda. The girl grew up to be a very beautiful lady. Then men came to ask for her, to marry her and take her away; but every single time the maiden said,
Maiden (Ananda):
“Not yet.”
Part 1: Gota (Sub-divided into four section measured by their stops)
Drummers
Lead: April
Double Kidi:
Kagan:
Bell: Gina
Shaker:
Dancers
Maiden: Ananda
Bachelor #1: Marielle
Bachelor #2: Stanley
Bachelor #3: Sarah
Leopard Man: Gina
The Maiden and the Bachelors enter the stage. The Maiden stands on one side while the three Bachelors form a moon shape opposite to her.
Narrator:
Then whenever men came to ask for her, she continued to refuse. She said,
Maiden: “My shape is good, my skin is good, therefore I shall stay,”
Section A Bachelor #1 (Marielle) approaches the Maiden (Ananda) while performing the basic Gota step.
- Lead Drum Roll will signal the freestyle Gota technique.
Bachelor #1 will then display his manly assets in an attempt to when the Maiden's affection. Please Note that this freestyle Gota technique will not actually be freestyle but a choreographed and previously practiced dance regime between the Bachelor and the Maiden.
- Lead Drum will STOP signally the freeze of the dance.
The STOP will clearly indicate the Maiden dissatisfaction with the Bachelor and thus the Bachelor will exit the stage in a forlorn and defeated manner when the lead drum starts playing the basic Gota step again. As Bachelor #1 exits, Bachelor #2 will approach the Maiden.
Meanwhile, the Leopard (Gina) will begin to prowl behind the Bachelors and the Maiden.
Section B Bachelor #2 (Stanley) approaches the Maiden (Ananda) while performing the basic Gota step.
- Lead Drum Roll will signal the freestyle Gota technique.
Bachelor #1 will then display his manly assets in an attempt to when the Maiden's affection. Please Note that this freestyle Gota technique will not actually be freestyle but a choreographed and previously practiced dance regime between the Bachelor and the Maiden (this will differ from the technique employed between Bachelor #1 and the Maiden).
- Lead Drum will STOP signally the freeze of the dance.
The STOP will clearly indicate the Maiden dissatisfaction with the Bachelor and thus the Bachelor will exit the stage in a forlorn and defeated manner when the lead drum starts playing the basic Gota step again. As Bachelor #2 exits, Bachelor #3 will approach the Maiden.
Backstage: Bachelor #1 (Marielle) and Bachelor #2 (Stanley) will change into the Maiden's parent's costumes.
Section C
Bachelor #3 (Sarah) approaches the Maiden (Ananda) while performing the basic Gota step.
- Lead Drum Roll will signal the freestyle Gota technique.
Bachelor #1 will then display his manly assets in an attempt to when the Maiden's affection. Please Note that this freestyle Gota technique will not actually be freestyle but a choreographed and previously practiced dance regime between the Bachelor and the Maiden (this will differ from the technique employed between Bachelor #1 & 2 and the Maiden).
- Lead Drum will STOP signally the freeze of the dance.
The STOP will clearly indicate the Maiden dissatisfaction with the Bachelor and thus the Bachelor will exit the stage in a forlorn and defeated manner when the lead drum starts playing the basic Gota step again.
Narrator:
and so, she stayed.
Now the leopard, in the leopard’s place, hears this. He transforms himself to resemble a man. He takes an axatse (shaker) in his hand, he makes himself a fine young man and pretends to be one of the drummers while watching Ananda dance.
Leopard Man (Gina) sings “Agomayapwe”
<After being rejected, men will go offstage and turn into parents of the Maiden and Leopard man. Maiden will bring parents back onto stage>
Then he goes to the father and the mother of the maiden, and he says,
Leopard Man:
“I am strong and manly, but I do not look stronger than I love. I would like to ask for her hand, to marry her and take her away.”
Narrator:
Then the father says,
Father:
“You may ask my daughter.”
Narrator:
The young man comes in the house. His shape pleases the young girl. They give him something to eat, and they give him something to drink. Then the young man asks the maiden if she is ready to go, and the maiden says yes.
<Wedding Celebration – More details to come>
- PLEASE RESEARCH PROPER EWE WEDDING CEREMONY*
[Gahu Dance – Wedding or After Wedding Celebration]
Drummers
Lead Katrina Sogo Totogi Kagan Bell Shaker
Dancers
Ananda (Maiden) Gina (Leopard Man) Marielle (Maiden’s Mother) Stanley (Maiden’s Father)
The maiden’s parents give her gifts and two slaves; one female that her mother gives, and one male that her father gives; and goats, and sheep, and fowls.
Then the father gives a word of advice to his child; the mother embraces her. They walk out a little way on the road with their child, and then the father and mother turn back again. Then the young woman and her husband go. They take the road to go out. He walks with his wife’s hand in his. Suddenly the husband says,
Leopard Man:
“I am hungry.”
Narrator:
Then the woman gives him some yam to eat. The husband refuses and says
Leopard Man:
“I am not one who eats roots. I only eat meat! (?)”
Narrator:
Then the woman offers him fowls, and he takes and eats them. They continue walking on the road and the husband says
Leopard Man:
“I am hungry, is there anything to eat?”
Narrator:
The wife offers him the sheep, and so he takes and eats the sheep. They continue walking along the road, and the husband says directly,
Leopard Man:
“I am hungry.”
Narrator:
Then the wife offers him goats. So he eats the goats. Then he says
Leopard Man:
“I am still hungry,”
Narrator:
and the wife answers
Maiden:
“But you have eaten all our food!”
Narrator:
Then he says,
Leopard Man:
“There are still two slaves.”
Narrator:
The wife is frightened now and weeps. So with her back turned to him, he transforms himself back into a leopard to attack and eat the slaves.
Immediately he says
Leopard Man:
“I am still hungry!”
Narrator:
Then the wife weeps aloud, for everything is finished.
A hunter in the bush hears her weeping and hides close. The young woman, hopeless and afraid, falls to the ground in tears.
[Atsiagbekor Dance – While Narrator is reading]
Drummers
Lead David (?) Kidi Kloboto Totogi Kagan Bell Shaker
Dancers
The leopard suddenly leaps toward her but the hunter throws his spear and kills the leopard.
The hunter came and spoke to the young woman. He cuts off the leopard’s tail and takes her to his house.
Narrator:
This is the way of young women. The young men come to ask; the young women meet them and continue to refuse- again, again, and again-so the wild animals turn themselves into men and carry them off.
Ellis, A.B. (1966). The Ewe-Speaking People of the Slave Coast of West Africa. Oosterhout N.B., The Netherlands: Anthropological Publications.
