The Power of a Name
To the Shakespearean question “What’s in a name?”, West Africa’s answer is “Everything”. In a world where even the act of speaking is infused with power, birth names ― whether …
The Talking Drum
In the creative process known as ilu sise, the Yoruba drum maker uses only wood from trees along manmade roads; trees that are conversant in the human language of passers-by.
Ile-Ife: The Sacred Yoruba City
On par with Jerusalem, Mecca, or Rome, Ile-Ife, situated in south-western Nigeria, is one of the world’s principal sacred cities. For the Yoruba, the city is located at the epicenter …
The Baobab, Muse and Myth-maker
“A majestic tree with a massive trunk, the baobab reigns in nature’s midst like a lion among animals. Its huge, tortured, root-like branches give credence to the belief that, thanks …
West African Religion(s)
Though a majority of West Africans have now adopted Abrahamic religions such as Islam or Christianity, there are still pockets of people who adhere to the spirituality of their ancestors. …
The Sogo Bò Masquerade
"We were in the center of the village and children, playing the djembé, poured out from everywhere. Young people announced the performance by blowing through cattle horns; adults were adorned …
Mancala Games: Daytime Play, Nighttime Ritual
There isn’t a corner of the African continent where mancala games (“count and capture”) are unknown and where it is not widely preferred to other types of board games. Although …
The Masons of Djenné
The master mason makes his way through the maze of twisting alleyways, staircases, rising spires, and banco houses that not only typify Djenné, but designate it as a World Heritage …
Amadou Hampâté Bâ: Open Letter to the Youth
Elders are considered the repository of wisdom in West African societies. It’s fitting then, that, in 1985, the widely-traveled and wise Malian humanist, writer and ethnologist, Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1900-1991) addressed the …
Ode to the Kola Nut
The kola nut, once presented and split, plays a role in virtually every aspect of West African life, from birth to death...