apartheid (ə-pärt'hīt', -hāt') n.
An official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites.
Yesterday, Erin and I had our first day in Joburg alone. So... we decided to play it safe and go on a tour. From what we've heard, this is not the city to just wonder around aimlessly.
Our friend Eric who picked us up from the airport Thursday night was our tour director. He is such a character... I think part of it is that he just really likes to hear himself talk. He repeats everything he says about 10 different ways and in different voices. Sometimes, he'll draw his sentences ouuuuuttt realllll slooooooooow. You get the idea. Erin and I just exchange looks and stifle our giggles. All day with him was quite the experience.
We started off our tour by driving by a botched armoured car heist. There were police everywhere, the area was taped off, and their were bodies scattered around the parking lot. I don't know if they were alive or dead. Eric seemed to think it was better they were dead because "we're better in peace than in pieces." Of course then refering to pieces he meant us and not those possibly dead around the crime scene.
We went to the Apartheid Museum. It was so overwhelming. My favorite part was the movie showing the student riots in Soweto (a township of around 3.5 MILLION people) in the 1980s. The video footage was incredible. Think US civil rights movement magnified. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside sadly.
After the museum, we picked up a few more (there were a total of 7 in our group) and drove to Soweto to see some of the actual places instrumental to bringing down apartheid. We drove by Winnie Mandela's current house, Desmond Tutu's current house, went into the house Nelson Mandela lived in when he was arrested. I saw shoes that he wore in jail and the first he bought when he was freed. We went to a church Catholic church that was raided several times during the uprisings in Soweto, and even saw bullet holes where South African police fired into the church and from the inside of the church.
It was a fantastic experience. There's so much more I could add, but I must leave some stories for once I get home.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The abridged version: Joburg
We arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, and our musician friends Zim Ngqawana and Ayanda Sikade picked us up at the airport.
We are staying here at the Zimology Institute which is a farm south of Joburg.
I'm domesticating myself and learning how to cook. I am the best cheese-grater that ever lived!
We're blessed to be surrounded by so many fine jazz musicians. Here is a list of who we've heard play so far:
Zim Ngqawana
Ayanda Sikade
Nduduzo Makhathini
Mthunzi Mvubu
Sakhile
Bulali Mboxela
Lucky Nyalasa
Last night we walked to buy vegetables at a close township. The sunset was breathtaking.
Tomorrow Erin and I are going to stay at a hostel and visit the Apartheid Museum. I can't wait.
In coming posts I will add much more to this post about my time thus far in South Africa.
We are staying here at the Zimology Institute which is a farm south of Joburg.
I'm domesticating myself and learning how to cook. I am the best cheese-grater that ever lived!
We're blessed to be surrounded by so many fine jazz musicians. Here is a list of who we've heard play so far:
Zim Ngqawana
Ayanda Sikade
Nduduzo Makhathini
Mthunzi Mvubu
Sakhile
Bulali Mboxela
Lucky Nyalasa
Last night we walked to buy vegetables at a close township. The sunset was breathtaking.
Tomorrow Erin and I are going to stay at a hostel and visit the Apartheid Museum. I can't wait.
In coming posts I will add much more to this post about my time thus far in South Africa.
Goodbyes are never easy
MONDAY, JULY 30, 2007
Monday we had an 11AM appointment at the US Embassy in Kampala to discuss with Lisa from Public Affairs how to obtain visas for Acholi Heart Beat. We were running late because of all of the security check points at the embassy, so the meeting didn’t start off on the best of terms. By the end though, because of her kindness, we left the meeting with pages upon pages of notes on exactly what we’re up against in getting visas for vulnerable children. We have our work cut out for us, that’s for sure. But it’s not impossible, and if we can get sponsors and start the process early, we can bring Acholi Heart Beat to the US.
After we splurged and ate lunch at the 5-star La Serena Hotel in Kampala. It was a buffet, and let's just say yum!yum! it was delicious! I happened to really indulge in the pineapple upside down cake.
Betty Udongo joined us for lunch. As did George Piwang and Dick Kawooya. Also eating at La Serena, but not at our table, was James Mulwana... Chair of the Commonwealth Business Forum for 2007. We were all introduced to him.
(Erin and I with George Piwang)
After lunch, we went to Betty's shop in the craft market in Kampala. Unfortunately I had less than $3 in cash on me, so I wasn't able to buy much. I managed to find a $20 bill and buy a bigger souvenir right before we left. It's an antique wooden mask from the Congo that is between 25 and 50 years old. It is in the shape of a pregnant belly. It will go so great with my collection of women art I already have from the Carribean!
For a fine farewell, NUGEN (Northern Uganda Girls Education Network) (www.nugenet.org) held a dinner to launch their programs. The patron, Mrs. Camille Aliker, wife of Dr. Martin Aliker, sponsored it.
There, we got to meet the Executive Board of NUGEN AND the famed "Tennessee Girls" we have been hearing about since February. They four sisters lost both of their parents to AIDS and before the oldest even finished secondary (high) school, they were alone in Kampala. They grew up in the Pader district in Northern Uganda.
NUGEN sponsors them, and now 2 of the sisters are in university at Makerere! We got to meet Prosey (20), Aciro (22), and Acayo (9) at the dinner. They are absolutely beautiful. The youngest, Acayo, is nine and is HIV positive. She is on ARVs though and is doing much better.
At the dinner, Erin and I both spoke and presented gifts. We found t-shirts in the UT bookstore that read "Tennessee girls... Best in the world!" so gave one to each of the girls. At the end of the night, Aciro came up to me and gave me a big hug and her favorite earrings. I decided to switch and give her mine too, so now when we wear them we can think of each other. I cannot wait to see all of them again. They are not only inspiring other girls in the North, but they are inspiring girls in the United States. They are beautiful, smart, and some of the most resilient spirits I have ever met.
Monday we had an 11AM appointment at the US Embassy in Kampala to discuss with Lisa from Public Affairs how to obtain visas for Acholi Heart Beat. We were running late because of all of the security check points at the embassy, so the meeting didn’t start off on the best of terms. By the end though, because of her kindness, we left the meeting with pages upon pages of notes on exactly what we’re up against in getting visas for vulnerable children. We have our work cut out for us, that’s for sure. But it’s not impossible, and if we can get sponsors and start the process early, we can bring Acholi Heart Beat to the US.
After we splurged and ate lunch at the 5-star La Serena Hotel in Kampala. It was a buffet, and let's just say yum!yum! it was delicious! I happened to really indulge in the pineapple upside down cake.
Betty Udongo joined us for lunch. As did George Piwang and Dick Kawooya. Also eating at La Serena, but not at our table, was James Mulwana... Chair of the Commonwealth Business Forum for 2007. We were all introduced to him.
(Erin and I with George Piwang)After lunch, we went to Betty's shop in the craft market in Kampala. Unfortunately I had less than $3 in cash on me, so I wasn't able to buy much. I managed to find a $20 bill and buy a bigger souvenir right before we left. It's an antique wooden mask from the Congo that is between 25 and 50 years old. It is in the shape of a pregnant belly. It will go so great with my collection of women art I already have from the Carribean!
For a fine farewell, NUGEN (Northern Uganda Girls Education Network) (www.nugenet.org) held a dinner to launch their programs. The patron, Mrs. Camille Aliker, wife of Dr. Martin Aliker, sponsored it.
There, we got to meet the Executive Board of NUGEN AND the famed "Tennessee Girls" we have been hearing about since February. They four sisters lost both of their parents to AIDS and before the oldest even finished secondary (high) school, they were alone in Kampala. They grew up in the Pader district in Northern Uganda.
NUGEN sponsors them, and now 2 of the sisters are in university at Makerere! We got to meet Prosey (20), Aciro (22), and Acayo (9) at the dinner. They are absolutely beautiful. The youngest, Acayo, is nine and is HIV positive. She is on ARVs though and is doing much better.
At the dinner, Erin and I both spoke and presented gifts. We found t-shirts in the UT bookstore that read "Tennessee girls... Best in the world!" so gave one to each of the girls. At the end of the night, Aciro came up to me and gave me a big hug and her favorite earrings. I decided to switch and give her mine too, so now when we wear them we can think of each other. I cannot wait to see all of them again. They are not only inspiring other girls in the North, but they are inspiring girls in the United States. They are beautiful, smart, and some of the most resilient spirits I have ever met.
Saturday and Sunday in Gulu and Kampala
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2007
Saturday morning Erin, Dr. Hackett, and I went with Catherine Piwang’s organization ChildReachAfrica to the two camps Iriaga and Lacor to visit child-mothers she is supporting. It broke my heart, and throughout meeting with the first set of women in Iriaga, I had to fight tears. As we witnessed the night before at Bermuda, starting in the 1970s with Idi Amin’s reign of terror, many of the men in the north took to drink as a coping mechanism. Over the last 30 years of social suffering, a culture has developed in which the women don’t have much confidence in the men’s ability to abstain from drunkenness and support them and the children. They women in the camps have banded together and support one another financially and emotionally.
In Iriaga, a woman named Rose captivated me. When asking them questions about their situation, hope for the future, belief in men, etc. she spoke the most, but would also break down. She was abducted by the rebels when she already had a husband and children. After returning some time later with children born of her “husband” in the bush, her official spouse refused to accept her both because of the illegitimate children and the fact that the rebels cut off her left hand, leaving her lame.
She has a total of seven children now, no formal education, no husband, and one hand. She struggles to support herself and her family. All of the women had similar stories, although Rose’s seemed to be the most tragic. Rose has a priceless gift though, she has the ability to sing. She stood up in front of us, proud and tall, and sang a song in Luo which our translator said to be about her suffering, peace, and the war. What a beautiful moment we witnessed. She embodied all of the Acholi women, their brokenness, and their resilience.
We went on another radio program called KingFM after visiting the child-mothers. They are the “voice of development,” as their sign claims. This time, Jeff Korondo joined us, and it was such an asset to have him summarizing our mission in Luo so as to reach the broadest audience both in the towns and in the camps. We played three tracks from our Knoxville Jazz for Justice compilation, and the station particularly liked the one by the Hector Quirko Band.
After appearing on KingFM, we walked to town and hung out at the seamstress shop for over an hour. Jeff's room is in the back, so we put on some music and had a mini dance party with Filder, Nancy, Jeff, and Dr. Hackett.
That night we were so excited to attend Bosmic Otim’s “Kopango” (translated means “what’s up?”) album launch at the Acholi Inn. It was set to start but really got rolling after 10. Bosmic Otim is a well-known Acholi artist who blends reggae, rap, and traditional Acholi music into songs about war, suffering, peacebuilding, rape, and hope for future. It is slightly aggressive in its message, and we have been told that the rebels requested he be present in a portion of the next leg of the peacetalks in Juba. We interviewed him after he performed, and I forgot to ask him the specifics and if he agreed.
It’s also extremely important to note that, along with Jeff Korondo, Bosmic has agreed to join the Knoxville Jazz for Justice team and is allowing us to use a few of his tracks on our next KJfJ CD and DVD set to come out after our November 2nd benefit.
I spent the beginning of the night talking to Jeff with the music in the background. We discussed the roles of women in culture, and it was very interesting for me to hear from a 26 year old Acholi about how he was raised to view women. Haha, when talking about cooking, he asked me what I would do if I took an African husband and he thought that women should be the only ones to cook. I told him that was something that should be discussed before marrying, and I wouldn’t marry an African man that thought that. He just laughed.
After talking to Jeff more about music copyrights (there are none in Uganda) and the struggles of the Northern musicians to make money (they receive around 200 dollars for 4 songs), I moved to the other side of the table to talk with the guys from Krochet Kids and our UK friend Joe and see how they were doing. I had met a guy named Tim from North Carolina at the Gulu HS competition but hadn’t said much to him other than hello. We got to talking about our plans for the future and our past lameness in band. Nikki, you would have enjoyed this conversation. J
We then all moved outside to dance with the Brigadier of the UPDF in charge of the whole of Northern Uganda (!) and the Corporal who owns the Acholi Inn. That night had the strangest dynamics. When Dr. Hackett was talking with Brigadier George Eyam, he pointed out a man sitting with his wife, watching the music. He then told her that he is an ex-rebel COMMANDER responsible for more than 400 deaths. Whoa. It amazes me how the music could bring everyone together and in my interaction with Acholi, no one was mentioning the war or their trauma. They were enjoying the music and enjoying the joyfulness of the night. To think though that I was on one stage with former child soldiers, former abductees, child-mothers, former LRA leaders, and high-ranking Ugandan military officials blows my mind. Now that is reconciliation, and it’s all because of music.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2007
Sunday after only 2 hours of sleep (we stayed out quite late dancing), Erin and I met Nick and Tim from Krochet Kids for breakfast. They felt like home and reminded me of last summer touring with Memphis Belle. Around lunchtime, the Knoxville Jazz for Justice team and Dick Kawooya boarded the Gulu Coach bus to leave for Kampala. It was hardly luxurious. The seats were too small for even Erin and I, and the bus was packed. Along the way the man behind us bought a live chicken, that he then placed under our seats. Even though its legs were bound, it still found the energy to flare up every few minutes and attack our feet. We got quite used to quickly raising our legs once we felt the breeze of its wings beginning to flap under our seat. It also usually made chicken noises before it would attack, so that was a very helpful warning signal. It didn’t hurt us, only startled us with the touch of its feathers against our bare legs. On the plane to Kampala, I was paranoid and kept hearing chickens. I kept my guard. Sadly, I think it’s a trauma I’ll carry with me the rest of my life.
Sunday evening Dick’s family was kind enough to open their home and cook for us a Ugandan feast. It was the best food we’d eaten in all of our stay there. Unfortunately, the 2 hours of sleep the night before wasn’t quite enough, and we cut our visit early and went to sleep.
Saturday morning Erin, Dr. Hackett, and I went with Catherine Piwang’s organization ChildReachAfrica to the two camps Iriaga and Lacor to visit child-mothers she is supporting. It broke my heart, and throughout meeting with the first set of women in Iriaga, I had to fight tears. As we witnessed the night before at Bermuda, starting in the 1970s with Idi Amin’s reign of terror, many of the men in the north took to drink as a coping mechanism. Over the last 30 years of social suffering, a culture has developed in which the women don’t have much confidence in the men’s ability to abstain from drunkenness and support them and the children. They women in the camps have banded together and support one another financially and emotionally.
In Iriaga, a woman named Rose captivated me. When asking them questions about their situation, hope for the future, belief in men, etc. she spoke the most, but would also break down. She was abducted by the rebels when she already had a husband and children. After returning some time later with children born of her “husband” in the bush, her official spouse refused to accept her both because of the illegitimate children and the fact that the rebels cut off her left hand, leaving her lame.
She has a total of seven children now, no formal education, no husband, and one hand. She struggles to support herself and her family. All of the women had similar stories, although Rose’s seemed to be the most tragic. Rose has a priceless gift though, she has the ability to sing. She stood up in front of us, proud and tall, and sang a song in Luo which our translator said to be about her suffering, peace, and the war. What a beautiful moment we witnessed. She embodied all of the Acholi women, their brokenness, and their resilience.
We went on another radio program called KingFM after visiting the child-mothers. They are the “voice of development,” as their sign claims. This time, Jeff Korondo joined us, and it was such an asset to have him summarizing our mission in Luo so as to reach the broadest audience both in the towns and in the camps. We played three tracks from our Knoxville Jazz for Justice compilation, and the station particularly liked the one by the Hector Quirko Band.
After appearing on KingFM, we walked to town and hung out at the seamstress shop for over an hour. Jeff's room is in the back, so we put on some music and had a mini dance party with Filder, Nancy, Jeff, and Dr. Hackett.
That night we were so excited to attend Bosmic Otim’s “Kopango” (translated means “what’s up?”) album launch at the Acholi Inn. It was set to start but really got rolling after 10. Bosmic Otim is a well-known Acholi artist who blends reggae, rap, and traditional Acholi music into songs about war, suffering, peacebuilding, rape, and hope for future. It is slightly aggressive in its message, and we have been told that the rebels requested he be present in a portion of the next leg of the peacetalks in Juba. We interviewed him after he performed, and I forgot to ask him the specifics and if he agreed.
It’s also extremely important to note that, along with Jeff Korondo, Bosmic has agreed to join the Knoxville Jazz for Justice team and is allowing us to use a few of his tracks on our next KJfJ CD and DVD set to come out after our November 2nd benefit.
I spent the beginning of the night talking to Jeff with the music in the background. We discussed the roles of women in culture, and it was very interesting for me to hear from a 26 year old Acholi about how he was raised to view women. Haha, when talking about cooking, he asked me what I would do if I took an African husband and he thought that women should be the only ones to cook. I told him that was something that should be discussed before marrying, and I wouldn’t marry an African man that thought that. He just laughed.
After talking to Jeff more about music copyrights (there are none in Uganda) and the struggles of the Northern musicians to make money (they receive around 200 dollars for 4 songs), I moved to the other side of the table to talk with the guys from Krochet Kids and our UK friend Joe and see how they were doing. I had met a guy named Tim from North Carolina at the Gulu HS competition but hadn’t said much to him other than hello. We got to talking about our plans for the future and our past lameness in band. Nikki, you would have enjoyed this conversation. J
We then all moved outside to dance with the Brigadier of the UPDF in charge of the whole of Northern Uganda (!) and the Corporal who owns the Acholi Inn. That night had the strangest dynamics. When Dr. Hackett was talking with Brigadier George Eyam, he pointed out a man sitting with his wife, watching the music. He then told her that he is an ex-rebel COMMANDER responsible for more than 400 deaths. Whoa. It amazes me how the music could bring everyone together and in my interaction with Acholi, no one was mentioning the war or their trauma. They were enjoying the music and enjoying the joyfulness of the night. To think though that I was on one stage with former child soldiers, former abductees, child-mothers, former LRA leaders, and high-ranking Ugandan military officials blows my mind. Now that is reconciliation, and it’s all because of music.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2007
Sunday after only 2 hours of sleep (we stayed out quite late dancing), Erin and I met Nick and Tim from Krochet Kids for breakfast. They felt like home and reminded me of last summer touring with Memphis Belle. Around lunchtime, the Knoxville Jazz for Justice team and Dick Kawooya boarded the Gulu Coach bus to leave for Kampala. It was hardly luxurious. The seats were too small for even Erin and I, and the bus was packed. Along the way the man behind us bought a live chicken, that he then placed under our seats. Even though its legs were bound, it still found the energy to flare up every few minutes and attack our feet. We got quite used to quickly raising our legs once we felt the breeze of its wings beginning to flap under our seat. It also usually made chicken noises before it would attack, so that was a very helpful warning signal. It didn’t hurt us, only startled us with the touch of its feathers against our bare legs. On the plane to Kampala, I was paranoid and kept hearing chickens. I kept my guard. Sadly, I think it’s a trauma I’ll carry with me the rest of my life.
Sunday evening Dick’s family was kind enough to open their home and cook for us a Ugandan feast. It was the best food we’d eaten in all of our stay there. Unfortunately, the 2 hours of sleep the night before wasn’t quite enough, and we cut our visit early and went to sleep.
Additional Flickr Account
I can only have 200 photos per flickr.com account, so I created another one. For clearer and larger pictures go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaymcclain1
so now there are two picture links. as a reminder, the previous one is http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaymcclain
so now there are two picture links. as a reminder, the previous one is http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaymcclain
Thursday and Friday in Gulu
THURSDAY, JULY 26 , 2007
Thursday night we had another divine appointment, in which we realized that the guy who had been helping us throughout our traditional dress procedures at the seamstress the last few days…. Is none other than THE Jeff Korondo! I know this doesn’t mean much to any of you reading, but our good friend Willy Ochaya wanted us to get in touch with this musician while in Gulu, and we had been e-mailing before we left the States and trying to call him while in Uganda.
So there he was, he was there all along. And he is such a great guy. He’s in his twenties, was abducted by the rebels for 1 ½ months when he was 16, and has been writing songs about peace, rape, and defilement in Northern Uganda the last few years. He has been taking care of us since Thursday. Erin and I are hooked on one of his love songs and have been using its tune at every possible time since we first heard it. The “I’m so sorry…” stays the same after Jeff’s original version, but here’s an example of a Lindsay-original:
I’m so sorry…
For making such a mess
There is dirt everywhere
I didn’t even wash my hair.
(I had just taken a shower to rinse off because I was quite filthy from the dust. I trashed our just-cleaned bathroom.) I’m sure that little arrangement means nothing to you now, but once you listen to Jeff’s masterpiece, you too will be tempted to refer to its glory in everyday life.
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007
Early Friday morning, our friend Carly set up an appointment for us at Invisible Children. We met with Adam Finck, the Assistant Country Director. I am so glad we went to see for ourselves their offices and to talk to them about all of the criticism we have been hearing about their projects. I think they are doing a wonderful job adapting and responding to all of the negative things Acholi in the Diaspora are saying about them. They’re not perfect, but they are trying to best help education in Northern Uganda.
Erin and I then went to buy samosas and muffins from a local bakery. I tried a chocolate one, and I’m sad to say, the chocolate here is scarce and just not good. But I imagined a moist, warm chocolate chip cookie as I ate it.
We then walked around town in search of a beginner’s guide to Luo, the language here. No luck, but I haven’t given up yet. The internet was still down, so I couldn’t post anything on blogger. Erin and I decided all the searching and waiting called for a nap. Once we woke up we bought roasted maize from a lady at the market and waited for our ride to Gulu HS.
Of course, we were running on Uganda time, so our 3PM ride showed up at 3:45. We then realized we had a flat tire, so that took another 20 minutes to solve. We finally arrived at Gulu High School after 4, but the school was anxious to show us their performances. Jeff Korondo and the morning anchor from MegaFM came to help us judge.
I was so moved by the original compositions these students created. Just some of the titles are “Peace is Good”, “Peace for the Children,” “This Problem is My Problem,” “Peace,” “A Child in Peace and Reconciliation,” “Peacebuilding for Girls,” and “Voice for Peace.”
“Peace, peace, peace. Where are you peace?”
These children have never known a time when the LRA and the UPDF have not been battling in their region. Like the African proverb goes, when two elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled.
A particularly interesting drama was put on by the boys. By this time in the competition, more than 500 students were gathered outside around the performance area under the large tree. Out comes a masculine looking Acholi “woman” with lipstick and breasts to match. The crowd erupted into fits of laughter as he wiggled what his mama gave him while walking in his skirt.
He took his position on the ground, assuming everyday life and working from a basket. Then the rebels emerged from the crowd. They were dressed in camouflage and grass and had life-size wooden rifles and cell phones and CB radios. They stormed the “village” and the “woman” and dragged her and the boys around her off to their camp. Then various leaders of the peacetalks emerged, all dressed in parody of the original. The students in the crowd couldn’t help themselves and cracked up at this too. The key players in the Juba peacetalks acted out a dialogue in which no one was coming to an agreement. Joseph Kony had a cell phone to one ear and a CB to the other and took turns negotiating and communicating to his troops. In the end, the message was this, peace is precarious. I was so shocked and amazed at how this group of 11 boys could take such a traumatic war and situation and make a mockery of it in which no one got offended but rather laughed. Full-bellied, joyful laughter. It was such a beautiful thing.
In the end, the Ajere dancers won first place and a prize of 80,000 shillings ($50), The drama I just described got 2nd place and 40,000 shillings ($25), and we gave a tied prize of 20,000 shillings each to two groups of girl songwriters and poets.
Kathy from MegaFM and Jeff Korondo were our main judges, and Jeff even performed. The students were so excited to see him there, and they sang along to his song.
That evening we all went to the Acholi Inn for dinner, and Jeff and I shared mp3 players. I brought an eclectic assortment of music with me on this trip, and it was hilarious to watch his face light up as he listened to Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. He really liked the poppy music I had with me. I made him listen to “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, too, but I don’t think he liked that nearly as much as Something Corporate. I also shared with him Stephen Marley since he hadn’t heard his new CD, and he listed the “Hey Baby” song I have with me.
Speaking of rastas, it is quite interesting to watch the Acholi musicians who call themselves rastafari. At the concert we went to on Saturday night, in addition to the Jamaican flag colored clothing, some had staffs and turbans. After they got dancing, the turbans started falling off, and it was revealed that they were in fact not hiding dreadlocks underneath… they had shaved heads. That was quite humorous. But it’s not my place to determine authenticity, so to give credit, many of the people I saw, like this dreadless-man with a turban, seem to have gotten a taste of the liberation message in reggae and find it resonates with their struggles in Northern Uganda.
After Jeff and I indulged over music, he took Erin, Josh, and I to the opening of a new “disco” (club) in Gulu called the Bermuda. Wow, what an experience. First, to set the stage, we were the only mzungu (white people) there. And, there were mostly men. Drinking men. So Erin and I quickly made the decision to latch to Josh and Jeff and watch each others backs.
This disco was not like your normal Old City club… it was more like a honkey tonk nightmare. Northern Uganda doesn’t have instruments, other than their traditional ones, so much of the music is karaoke style with questionably-talented men up on stage pelvic thrusting and “singing” into a mic. And people sit to watch, instead of having the whole room erupting in dancing like clubs in America. The only dancing for most of the evening was up on stage with the singer and his back-up dancers.
Jeff did perform and redeem the situation. He is fantastic and has real talent. He only perfomed two songs though.
At the end of the karaoke, trance music came on and everyone began to dance, including Erin and I. He hung close to Josh and made sure no one invaded our bubble. The next morning though, we were told that Josh was receiving offers from the men there to buy us for the night. They even tried to organize a trade, Josh would receive two Ugandans and an Acholi could have us. Needless to say, I was not a happy-camper when I found that out. I keep trying to tell myself it’s a different culture and to not fret. They didn’t physically assault us and once Josh would say we’re priceless, the potential buyer would step away. You live, you learn.
Thursday night we had another divine appointment, in which we realized that the guy who had been helping us throughout our traditional dress procedures at the seamstress the last few days…. Is none other than THE Jeff Korondo! I know this doesn’t mean much to any of you reading, but our good friend Willy Ochaya wanted us to get in touch with this musician while in Gulu, and we had been e-mailing before we left the States and trying to call him while in Uganda.
So there he was, he was there all along. And he is such a great guy. He’s in his twenties, was abducted by the rebels for 1 ½ months when he was 16, and has been writing songs about peace, rape, and defilement in Northern Uganda the last few years. He has been taking care of us since Thursday. Erin and I are hooked on one of his love songs and have been using its tune at every possible time since we first heard it. The “I’m so sorry…” stays the same after Jeff’s original version, but here’s an example of a Lindsay-original:
I’m so sorry…
For making such a mess
There is dirt everywhere
I didn’t even wash my hair.
(I had just taken a shower to rinse off because I was quite filthy from the dust. I trashed our just-cleaned bathroom.) I’m sure that little arrangement means nothing to you now, but once you listen to Jeff’s masterpiece, you too will be tempted to refer to its glory in everyday life.
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007
Early Friday morning, our friend Carly set up an appointment for us at Invisible Children. We met with Adam Finck, the Assistant Country Director. I am so glad we went to see for ourselves their offices and to talk to them about all of the criticism we have been hearing about their projects. I think they are doing a wonderful job adapting and responding to all of the negative things Acholi in the Diaspora are saying about them. They’re not perfect, but they are trying to best help education in Northern Uganda.
Erin and I then went to buy samosas and muffins from a local bakery. I tried a chocolate one, and I’m sad to say, the chocolate here is scarce and just not good. But I imagined a moist, warm chocolate chip cookie as I ate it.
We then walked around town in search of a beginner’s guide to Luo, the language here. No luck, but I haven’t given up yet. The internet was still down, so I couldn’t post anything on blogger. Erin and I decided all the searching and waiting called for a nap. Once we woke up we bought roasted maize from a lady at the market and waited for our ride to Gulu HS.
Of course, we were running on Uganda time, so our 3PM ride showed up at 3:45. We then realized we had a flat tire, so that took another 20 minutes to solve. We finally arrived at Gulu High School after 4, but the school was anxious to show us their performances. Jeff Korondo and the morning anchor from MegaFM came to help us judge.
I was so moved by the original compositions these students created. Just some of the titles are “Peace is Good”, “Peace for the Children,” “This Problem is My Problem,” “Peace,” “A Child in Peace and Reconciliation,” “Peacebuilding for Girls,” and “Voice for Peace.”
“Peace, peace, peace. Where are you peace?”
These children have never known a time when the LRA and the UPDF have not been battling in their region. Like the African proverb goes, when two elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled.
A particularly interesting drama was put on by the boys. By this time in the competition, more than 500 students were gathered outside around the performance area under the large tree. Out comes a masculine looking Acholi “woman” with lipstick and breasts to match. The crowd erupted into fits of laughter as he wiggled what his mama gave him while walking in his skirt.
He took his position on the ground, assuming everyday life and working from a basket. Then the rebels emerged from the crowd. They were dressed in camouflage and grass and had life-size wooden rifles and cell phones and CB radios. They stormed the “village” and the “woman” and dragged her and the boys around her off to their camp. Then various leaders of the peacetalks emerged, all dressed in parody of the original. The students in the crowd couldn’t help themselves and cracked up at this too. The key players in the Juba peacetalks acted out a dialogue in which no one was coming to an agreement. Joseph Kony had a cell phone to one ear and a CB to the other and took turns negotiating and communicating to his troops. In the end, the message was this, peace is precarious. I was so shocked and amazed at how this group of 11 boys could take such a traumatic war and situation and make a mockery of it in which no one got offended but rather laughed. Full-bellied, joyful laughter. It was such a beautiful thing.
In the end, the Ajere dancers won first place and a prize of 80,000 shillings ($50), The drama I just described got 2nd place and 40,000 shillings ($25), and we gave a tied prize of 20,000 shillings each to two groups of girl songwriters and poets.
Kathy from MegaFM and Jeff Korondo were our main judges, and Jeff even performed. The students were so excited to see him there, and they sang along to his song.
That evening we all went to the Acholi Inn for dinner, and Jeff and I shared mp3 players. I brought an eclectic assortment of music with me on this trip, and it was hilarious to watch his face light up as he listened to Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. He really liked the poppy music I had with me. I made him listen to “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, too, but I don’t think he liked that nearly as much as Something Corporate. I also shared with him Stephen Marley since he hadn’t heard his new CD, and he listed the “Hey Baby” song I have with me.
Speaking of rastas, it is quite interesting to watch the Acholi musicians who call themselves rastafari. At the concert we went to on Saturday night, in addition to the Jamaican flag colored clothing, some had staffs and turbans. After they got dancing, the turbans started falling off, and it was revealed that they were in fact not hiding dreadlocks underneath… they had shaved heads. That was quite humorous. But it’s not my place to determine authenticity, so to give credit, many of the people I saw, like this dreadless-man with a turban, seem to have gotten a taste of the liberation message in reggae and find it resonates with their struggles in Northern Uganda.
After Jeff and I indulged over music, he took Erin, Josh, and I to the opening of a new “disco” (club) in Gulu called the Bermuda. Wow, what an experience. First, to set the stage, we were the only mzungu (white people) there. And, there were mostly men. Drinking men. So Erin and I quickly made the decision to latch to Josh and Jeff and watch each others backs.
This disco was not like your normal Old City club… it was more like a honkey tonk nightmare. Northern Uganda doesn’t have instruments, other than their traditional ones, so much of the music is karaoke style with questionably-talented men up on stage pelvic thrusting and “singing” into a mic. And people sit to watch, instead of having the whole room erupting in dancing like clubs in America. The only dancing for most of the evening was up on stage with the singer and his back-up dancers.
Jeff did perform and redeem the situation. He is fantastic and has real talent. He only perfomed two songs though.
At the end of the karaoke, trance music came on and everyone began to dance, including Erin and I. He hung close to Josh and made sure no one invaded our bubble. The next morning though, we were told that Josh was receiving offers from the men there to buy us for the night. They even tried to organize a trade, Josh would receive two Ugandans and an Acholi could have us. Needless to say, I was not a happy-camper when I found that out. I keep trying to tell myself it’s a different culture and to not fret. They didn’t physically assault us and once Josh would say we’re priceless, the potential buyer would step away. You live, you learn.
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