The Legacy of Weyanoke: A Journey Through Song
Taking a less tense and musical tone, “Legacy of Weyanoke” took the remnants of the days’ conference attendees on a journey from Africa to the American South through song. The quartet was accompanied by their two-person band. While playing bongo drums, maracas, a tambourine, and a cabasa, the kente-cloth-wearing group sang African chant songs, and concert spirituals. The audience, made of head-nodding, foot-tapping on-lookers, listened closely as they were taken to Nigeria by a Yoruba chant. From there, melodic strains transported them to Ghana with a Kente cloth weaving song, to Jamaica and The Bahamas with a coconut-picking song, and dropped them off in America with a Weyanoke song. Once in America, Legacy of Weyanoke sang two Gullah songs, “Waiting On You,” “Moses,” and “Ride the Chariot,” a mainland Negro spiritual. Considering the previous festivities, this was a different, yet highly enjoyable presentation. The audience was actually able to visualize the presentation’s events and feel the emotions of the Africans. Legacy of Weyanoke’s mission is to spread awareness to the public about African folk music and literature, and its role in America through performance. As evidenced by this display, they are doing just that.