Capoeira Angola is a phenomenon of the African Diaspora, developed from the N’golo ritual. But what of the African diaspora in other parts of the world?
In Martinque, the art form of Danmyé (or Ladja or Ag'ya) developed from the N’golo ritual, like Capoeira Angola. One site notes:
The singer spurs on the wrestlers by means of provocative lyrics. These lyrics are derived from the history of Martinique. They either praise a famous "major" or highlight the qualities of courage, strength or even wickedness of one of the wrestlers.Sound familiar?
Look familiar??
The video is pretty amazing, and it is interesting to note the similarities and differences between the two forms.
2 comments:
That You Tube clip was fantastic! Talk about malicia! I wonder what or if current efforts are being made to preserve this art.
Chicago dance anthropologist Katherine Dunham did extensive research on dance and ritual in the West Indies in the 30's, among them Ag'ya, which she brought to NY and made palatable to the American taste (an attribute she is often criticized for from the comfort of today's dance community). She was an amazing woman who led an amazing life that left innummerable contributions to the dance community and the endeavors of African Diasporic anthropology. Do a You Tube search on her and it yeilds alot of valuable info...
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/dunham.html
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