AFRICAN FEST 99:  MASKING IN THE IMAGE OF THE SPIRIT (part II...Final)

The Mende of Sierra Leone are the descendants of the Mande people.  They
inhabit the southern and eastern regions of the country.  The Mande invaded
the Guinea coast at the fall of the great Songhai Empire.  These were a
warlike people, led by a woman General, Masarioko.

In their path, they conquered, intermarried and assimilated the vanquished
nations.  They built a formidable empire and established their will on the
people through a complex social system that required initiation into secret
societies for both male and female.  For the female, the Sande Society was a
school for training and maintaining the social sequence.  It was the same
for the men. The Poro Society provided a training ground for strong,
confident and militarily competent youth.

Two spirits are associated with the Poro Society: The first is the Gbani, a
nocturnal spirit visible only to members.  The second is the Gorboi, the
community spirit.  It requires an effective musical ensemble of women with
the dynamic drumming of Poro men to ignite the flame in the spirit of the
Gorboi.  This is necessary because the Gorboi, unlike the Gbani, comes out
more than once in the dry season.  Every important occasion, such as the
crowning of a chief, the celebration of a bountiful harvest, or, a funeral
of an important personality is reason enough to celebrate with the Gorboi
spirit.

Endowed with a social ceremonial status, the Gorboi is also a political
symbol whose role can be as satirical as it could be somber.  The Gorboi is
like an established newspaper with the community as its journalists.
Through the ears and eyes of the people, society’s ills are brought to light
and responsible individuals and community leaders are chastised and
reprimanded through songs and mimes.   The Gorboi is the license to social
criticism.  Beyond that, any act of political and social commentary will be
a cause for reprimand and, sometimes, with criminal implications.

The spirit of the Gorboi is sometimes furious, at other times mellow,
depending on the circumstance and nature of the song.  A strong caustic
satire, resonate with high-energy performance by the drummers, captures the
seriousness of the moment and of the alleged accusation.  This high rhythm
possesses the spirit, as well as its followers.  Such moments make the
headlines and are the endless stories of the occasion, months after the
celebration is over.

The Procession of the Gorboi spirit from the Frank Lyold-Wright Monona
Terrace to the State Capitol and back represents the highlight of African
Fest 99.  It also highlights the African Community’s appreciation of
Madison’s cultural diversity.


By Abu-Hassan Koroma

Secretary: African Fest 99 Festival Planning and Implementation Committee;
Chairman: Programs and Activities sub-committee.

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