Heritage Dance Day: Guinean Music pt. 2

This song and video is called “Anagnan, and the artist is Dousouba Diabate. It makes me miss Guinea although I’ve never been there. Seriously. Once upon a time I would sit and dream with my stepfather about visiting his homeland. I imagined the sights, the sounds, the smell, the feel of the warm ground under my feet, the tickle of the breeze near the sea-shore, and the wax-cloth dress next to my skin. When I hear Dousouba’s voice it calls forth a yearning that makes me want to call my stepfather…let’s just say that after more than a year of silence between us, well to inspire that within me is the mark of a GOOD SONG!

I also love that the rhythm and guitar remind me of calypso so it feels really familiar on a cellular level. The dancers dresses are beautiful, color, tailoring, the sheen that marks a good wax-cloth. they are all clearly having fun. The male dancers are the color of life itself, all of them are muscular, gorgeous, and have amazing skin. The women are so confident and beautiful, confident in their dancing, and not concerned with how they “look”. I LOVE THIS VIDEO and SONG. Can you tell? They are beautiful black people, and they are showing us how to dance and have fun outdoors!!!!! No studio set here, enjoy life OUTSIDE of four walls.

This song inspires me to dance, and dance I shall. Won’t you join me?

Heritage Dance Day: Guinean Music and Dance

“Ankanoum” by Dousouba Diabate Music from Guinea, West Africa.

My stepfather who hails from Guinea, West Africa introduced me to music from the region. I love to dance, and am a born soca and calypso dancer, so I took to this style of music and dance like a fish to water. I LOVE IT! I love it so much that it inspired me to start the Heritage Day music series on think. Feel. Grow!

This video is a real treat. The people dance in a lovely yard with trees and giant agave. We can still read visual cues that convey the attitude of the performers with knowing the language. Everything is purposeful in this video – the costumes are intentional, and planned to complement each another. The women have different body types, they reflect the real women of their country, and all of them can DANCE!

Enjoy the dance, the guitar melody and the vocal harmony. Notice that men dance differently from women, almost physically specific: men gyrate and thrust, women roll their hips, shoulders and make elegant hand movements, each to a different rhythm in the music. Whatever moves you choose, the feel is graceful. Just flow, roll, bounce and sway and pick your feet up off the ground slightly with each movement. It’s a great way to get your cardio sweat “on” while learning new rhythms and ways to move your body!