By Hannah Mueller

The Bryn Mawr College African and Caribbean Students’ Organization (BACaSO) hosted its annual cultural show Saturday in Thomas Great Hall. The theme was “Forgotten Histories: A Call to Remember.” BACaSO showcased its members’ talent and their desire to remember the struggles and triumphs of their African and Caribbean ancestors. The show combined elements of singing, dancing, monologues, a short play, a Capoeria performance, and fashion.

I’ll start from the end and say that the fashion show, a staple at Bryn Mawr culture events, was one of the best I’ve seen. It was well organized and included a wide variety of outfits. The brightly-colored, matching ones were especially eye-catching.

“Forgotten Histories” included a carefully chosen mix of serious and exciting acts. Two monologues by Menda Olufemi Francois ’09 aimed to expose historical misconceptions. The first, “The Cost of Freedom”, performed by Francois, revealed that Haiti has had to pay over 21.7 billion dollars to France since its independence, keeping it mired in poverty. The other, performed by Augusta Irele ’10, gave away the etymology of the word “dreadlocks”: Eurocentric Jamaicans used to the hairstyle “dreadful,” but the conclusion was that “There’s nothing dreadful about locks.”

The last monologue, my favorite piece of the night, was “Patois…Bad English?,” performed by Teyvonia Thomas ’09. Thomas read a piece by Louise Bennett, the mother of Jamaican folk culture, in which the author was given detention for speaking Patois in high school. Thomas’ pronunciation of Patois, a pigeon language used in Jamaica that includes English and words from African languages, was powerful and beautiful.

“West African Dance” and “Caribbean Dance” were two energetic ensemble dance pieces featuring most of the BACaSO cast. Always a favorite of the culture show crowds, these are the acts that make you want to dance in the aisles. Two softer, lullaby-like songs were “Rockaway,” performed by Natasha Gittens ’10 and Rodline Louijeune ’11, and “Malaika” performed by Clarah Lelei ’11. “Malaika” means “angel” in Swahili, and Lelei did have an angelic voice. “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley, performed by Gabrielle Farrell ’12 and Francois, was another crowd favorite.

Speaking of Marley, his was one of about a dozen famous faces posted around the Hall and displayed on a screen during intermission. The audience was invited to learn a little bit about famous African and Caribbean activists during our fifteen free minutes between acts. I learned that Wangari Maathai was a political and environmental activist who became the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. There was a quiz during Act II.

An Act II highlight was the short play “Plain White Rice,” written by Akua Peprah ’09, who said she has been learning about and performing in Nigerian theatre since high school. A politically-themed comedy narrated by Tinu Akinfolarin ‘09, the play centered around Ngozi (Thomas), a Nigerian woman who isn’t getting what she wants out of her marriage to science professor Mark (Francois). She treats her daughter Ama Sarah (Malate Atajiri ’12) as a familiar mom would—never satisfied, but always content to watch The Lazy Husband Parts I-IV instead of helping out herself. Mark, who opts to remain a professor instead of rising to political fortune as Ngozi wishes, earns himself a bowl of “Plain white rice for progress” because his wife, apparently, only has enough money to buy food for two. Cleverly written and well acted, the play got many laughs from the audience.

The American Society of Capoeira and Arts from Brazil, based in Philadelphia, also performed at the culture show. Capoeira is a dancing tradition developed by Brazilian slaves. They were not permitted to practice martial arts, so they disguised their moves as a dance in order to advance rebellion. The performers spent almost as much time on their hands as on their feet in a fluid exchange of near-blows. It was interesting to watch, but the BACaSO cast truly outshone them in their own acts.

BACaSO’s goal is to celebrate and spread awareness on campus about the diverse cultures of the African continent and the Caribbean islands. The co-Presidents of BACaSO, Nana Asabere ’09 and Teyvonia Thomas ‘09, welcome anyone interested in learning more to come to their bi-weekly meetings on Wednesdays from 9-10 p.m. in Haffner Spanish.

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