African Folktales Without Happy Endings

On August 2, 2015, during Afrifest 2015 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, I performed African folktales as part of the festival program.  I chose two tales--"Hawk and Crow" and "The Monster in the Rice Field"--from my book Matengo Folktales. The photo on the left shows me as I was impersonating the monster in the second tale, who was snatching away members of a family, one after the other, as they were out in the field, away from home, watching over their rice.

Neither of the tales has a happy ending. The first ends in a bloody fight between Hawk and Crow in which Crow is killed. In the second tale, the monster takes away the entire family. With the disappearance of each member of the family, the tale builds suspense, the audience wondering with increasing anticipation what is going to happen next. The last member of the family is taken away by the monster, and that is the end of the tale.

When I declared to my Afrifest 2015 audience that the tale was over, I knew what to expect. There was spontaneous laughter mixed with disbelief and puzzlement, and at least one person exclaimed, "We want a happy ending!" I had told tales from Matengo Folktales to audiences across the United States and, again and again, the endings left the audiences puzzled or incredulous.

There is a general expectation in American society that tales should have a happy ending, as is underlined by the famous sentence, "And they lived happily thereafter." This expectation is related to the idea of the pursuit of happiness which is deeply ingrained in  the minds of Americans.

African folktales tend to emphasize that life consists of ups and downs, that it is a mixture of joy and sadness, good luck and misfortune, success and failure. In life, good is not always rewarded and evil is not always punished. This is not an anomaly in African cultures. Traditionally, African youths were brought up to face challenges and be brave, through practices such as initiation rites, which were difficult, to say the least, meant to prepare boys and girls for the responsibilities of adulthood, marriage and parenthood.

I was not surprised at Afrifest 2015 that people expected happy endings. I felt they have succumbed to the American fantasy of the pursuit of happiness. But I have to honour the African storytelling tradition. There are certain changes a storyteller can make in the telling of tales, and some changes are inevitable, because performers don't usually memorize a text or read from a book. In a way, they create in performance. Nevertheless, there are core aspects of the tale that must be kept intact.

As we explore different folktale traditions and the cultures they spring from or operate in, we will encounter surprising and even shocking aspects. Researchers have noted this from the earliest days of the tradition of recording folktales, exemplified by the German brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm since the early years of the nineteenth century. With the passing of time and the rise of such influences as Disney films, there have evolved expectations about folktales such as I have described, including happy endings.

Afrifest Foundation Board Meeting, August 27

The board of the Afrifest Foundation held its meeting--via teleconference--this evening. We started with a review of this year's Afrifest, which was held on August 2.

We noted that the event went well, with an array of vendors and activities, including children's games, drumming, storytelling, and soccer games. The attendance was greater than last year.

We are glad to have been joined by the Multicultural Kids Network, which kept the children engaged with drumming and other activities. We look forward to the participation of Multicultural Kids Network in Afrifest next year and beyond.

We talked about what we have learned from this year and what we need to do for next year. Foremost among these is the need to start our planning early, reaching out to potential sponsors, vendors, and volunteers.

We reminded ourselves about the special nature of the mission of Afrifest, which is to showcase and celebrate the cultural achievements of Africans and the African Diaspora, promote education about the historical and global African experience. Afrifest distinguishes itself from many other organizations in that it fosters education and the spirit of Pan Africanism.

We also discussed our existing relationships with organizations such as the Council on Black Minnesotans, and affirmed our desire to cultivate relationships with various African organizations in the Twin Cities and beyond.

We are grateful to our volunteers, vendors, media partners, and the City of Brooklyn Park, whose support was crucial for the success of this year's Afrifest. We look forward to Afrifest 2016.

For photos and videos of this year's festival, please visit Afrifest 2015

African Americans We Met at Afrifest 2015

I want to continue sharing my memories of Afrifest 2015, which was held yesterday at Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. As I mentioned on this blog, stories of that festival will continue to be told, and I want to focus on one aspect: encounters with African Americans.

I was at the festival as an educator, writer, and cultural consultant, with two of my daughters--Assumpta and Zawadi. Several African Americans came to our table and we had a chance to chat with them.

The first to come, soon after the festival started, was a gentleman who appeared to be of my age. As soon as we had greeted each other, he looked at my books and asked if I knew Professor Mahmoud el Kati.

Incidentally, I have known Professor Mahmoud el Kati for almost a decade. He and I have met at events involving Africans and African Americans, and have even featured on panels at such gatherings. This visitor to our table recalled having met me at one such events. He summoned his wife who was standing nearby, and she joined us, as a witness to our conversation, which revolved around Professor el Kati and the events I have alluded to.

At some point during the festival, three young black ladies came to our table, and we immediately got into a lively conversation. With obvious delight, they told us they were traveling to Accra. I could tell, from their accents that they were African American, and when I asked where they were from, they affirmed they were African American. They had not been to Africa before, and they were excited about their forthcoming trip. I told them how Americans who have been to Ghana rave about it, as do those who have been to Senegal, another West African country.

I seized the opportunity, however, to entice them, partly in jest, but also sincerely, with the idea that their next destination should be Tanzania. I also told them what I tell every American traveling to Africa how touched and pleased I am that they are going to my continent, to see and experience it for themselves. I wished them well and they moved on, exploring the exhibits.

Later, out of the blue, we saw a beaming Adrian, an African American friend of mine, coming to our table. As soon as we saw each other, we started waving and shouting our greetings. He and I have known each other for years, and my daughters know him from last year's Afrifest. He and I have some common interests in community engagement to promote Pan African education and solidarity. He is a great fan of my writings. Needless to say, our meeting yesterday was a major highlight of the festival for both of us. We made sure to take the photo seen above.

I have written about these encounters with African Americans because they exemplify the dream of Afrifest, which is to connect Africans and the African Diaspora in order to pursue common goals, such as self enlightenment on historical, socio-political and cultural matters. Despite its Afrocentric name, however, Afrifest embraces the human family.

African Storytelling at Afrifest 2015

Today, many roads led to Afrifest, which was held at the Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. As is to be expected, many of us texted, tweeted, or wrote about the festival on Facebook, to let friends and the world know what was happening. No doubt, the stories will continue to proliferate. Out of the many things that happened today, I just want to say a word about African storytelling in which I was involved.

As part of the planning for Afrifest 2015, the board of the Afrifest Foundation accepted my idea that we enrich children's experience of the festival with the addition of African storytelling. This was a new feature in the history of Afrifest, but I was eager to do it, given my years of experience as a folklorist and storyteller.

We had many children at the festival today, and when the announcement was made that I was ready to tell folktales, a number of them came with me and we sat under a big tree. The gathering started with three children and an adult woman, but the number quickly grew. By the end of the session, I was surrounded by children and adults.

I chose to start with the tale of "Hawk and Crow," which features in my book, Matengo Folktales. However, I never read folktales to an audience; I perform them ex tempore. Those who have read "Hawk and Crow" in my book will remember that it ends with Hawk fighting and killing Crow in a fit of anger following Crow's attempt to run away with Hawk's chicks. I chose not to tell the kids the bloody end of the story, but concluded with the somewhat mild observation that Crow was beaten in the fight. I worried somewhat about what the adults in the audience might feel about the bloody ending.

Concluding that tale, I thought that one tale was enough. The kids had come from playing games to join me under that tree, and I thought they would want to go back to their games. I was wrong; they wanted another tale. I had no choice but to think about another tale.

I told the tale of "The Monster in the Rice Field," which also features in Matengo Folktales. I chose this one partly because I wanted the kids to participate in singing the song that occurs again and again in the tale. This worked perfectly. Each time I sang the song, they clapped their hands together with me, and some made an effort to sing along.

I did my best to refrain from saying that it was a monster that, from day to day, snatched away the children and their parents as they were out in the fields watching over the rice. Instead of "monster," I said "a very big creature."

I don't remember ever having done what I did today. In telling folktales to audiences--including children-- in different parts of the U.S.A, I have always told the tales the way I recorded them, complete with monsters and killings.  When I asked the children whether they found the tales scary, they always said no.

I have found this intriguing, especially because I know that many modern parents tend to worry about such references in folktales. This is a complicated issue, which has bedeviled scholars from the very beginning of the discipline of folklore. Still, I did what I did today, and I don't know why.

Nevertheless, we all had a great time. After the storytelling was over, my daughter Zawadi asked a little girl how the storytelling went, and, with a thumbs up, the little girl said, "It was awesome!"

Afrifest 2015 is Here, August 1

Time flies, and the much anticipated Afrifest is no longer months, weeks, or days away. It is tomorrow, August 1. I wrote about it in an earlier blog post.

Stop by and experience a rich and varied display of Pan African history and culture, through exhibits, performances and interactions with people of different regions of the Pan African world and beyond, ranging from children to adults.

Afrifest, a family event, is an occasion for enlightenment and entertainment. It will take place from 10am to 9 pm, at Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

For the full festival program visit this site.

Planning for Afrifest

Today I attended a meeting of the Afrifest Foundation at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Park. The main agenda item was planning for this year's Afrifest, scheduled for August 1.

Fortunately, we have been doing this for years and know exactly what is needed to accomplish the festival. We are excited and grateful to have secured financial and other support from the city of Brooklyn Park. This is a new development for us, testifying to our growing visibility and value to the community.

We spent time brainstorming on ways of enhancing the Festival this year, and we decided to give particular attention to children. We plan to have various children's activities and games. For the first time, we will have performances of African folktales. I am the one who will do this, given my many years of involvement in African and world folklore. I enjoy performing to any kind of audience, from children to college students.

For more information and updates, please check the Afrifest Facebook page.

Memories of Afrifest, Minnesota, 2014

Afrifest 2014 took place on August 2, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, as planned, and I was there. As has been the case in the past, this was an occasion to interact with different people. There was a steady stream of people coming and going. They talked with vendors, saw products on display, and learned about various services.

One of these people was Jeffrey Lunde, the mayor of Brooklyn Park. I was happy to chat with him for a few minutes. I told him I was quite sure I had heard him speak, some years back, at an African event.

Mayor Lunde has a particular interest in Liberia, a country he has visited. It is interesting that he is mayor of a city which hosts the largest number of Liberians in the U.S.A.

As a vendor, I displayed my books and got to interact with different people who came to my table. They asked questions, shared their perspectives, and picked up copies of free publications. Some bought books.

I enjoyed the questions people asked. One question that stands out in my mind was whether
African Americans are Americans. I have been asked this question again and again by African Americans, when they looked at the title of my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. My answer has always been that African Americans are Americans, and this is the position I take in my book. I plan to deal with this issue in a future blog post.

As is the case year after year, I met old acquaintances as well as new people. I shared my knowledge, experience, and vision with them and at the same time learned a great deal from them. This alone makes my participation in Afrifest worth all the time and effort.

In the late afternoon, around 5 p.m., the stream of visitors grew noticeably, attracted by an impending soccer match between East Africans and West Africans. I did not stay to watch the match. Still recovering from a long illness, I felt tired and embarked on the journey back to Northfield.

Afrifest 2014 is Coming, August 2

Afrifest, now an established annual festival, is coming again, August 2. The venue is North View Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

As in previous years, this is a great opportunity to meet Africans from Africa and the Diaspora, as well as friends of Africa. People who might just be curious about Africa show up as well. and the Afrifest Festival affords them a uniqe opportunity to meet people and learn many things, through conversations and the exhibits. Some people come having travelled or lived in Africa, and they see the Festival as a good opportunity to reconnect with the continent.

There are, every year, vendors, music and plenty of great food. There are children's activities and games, soccer matches, and other forms of entertainment.

The Afrifest Foundation board has already started planning for the festival. It invites vendors and volunteers, as in the past. Vendors showcase their products and services, and volunteers gain valuable experience in social and cultural programming.

For young people, in particular, volunteering for, and participating in, the Afrifest Festival is a valuable learning opportunity. I value especially the fact that this festival fosters a pan-African consciousness in the future generation as opposed to the ethnic chauvinism, narrow nationalist, and other sectarian tendencies that fuel many of the problems confronting Africa and the African Diaspora.

The Afrifest Festival is a family event. For more information, visit: the Afrifest Foundation site

Afrifest Foundation Board Meeting: April 2013

Today, the Afrifest Foundation Board met at the Center for Families, in Minneapolis. I was glad to be back in the fold, after travels in Africa.

As usual, we had a rich agenda. One of the decisions we made was to appoint key directors of the Foundation, whom I have featured on this page.

Here, on the left,  is Wycliff Chakua, who will continue as Treasurer and will serve as interim Secretary of the Foundation.









Here is Nathan White, the originator of Afrifest, who will continue to serve as Executive Director and President of Afrifest Foundation.

















Here is Joseph L. Mbele, owner of this blog, who will continue in his role as Chairman of the Foundation.

We reviewed progress made towards our attainment of IRS 501c3, and it seems satisfactory.

We also took note of our partnership with ACER, the Duluth Festival, and Carifest. Everything is going well on that front. We reviewed emerging partnership opportunities, such as the possibility of working with event planner Rick Aguilar.

We welcomed Denise G. Butler, Outreach Coordinator of ACER, who wants to join the Afrifest Foundation Board.

We have come a long way, and we look forward to the future, with an increasing diversification of our portfolio of programs and activities, as well as solid partnerships with other organizations.

Afrifest 2010

Members of the Afrifest Foundation met again today, at the 1st Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis. The main item on the agenda was planning for Afrifest, the Pan African cultural festival scheduled for August 7, 2010.














We received reports about several matters, including confirmation of the venue and an update on exhibitors and performers. Vendors are being lined up, and an art display is in the works.













We will have a fashion show and musical performances. The Sojourner Truth Academy will do a step performance. The Pan African Historical Display will be there as well.













There will be food booths, art and craft displays, informational materials and books. There will be children's activities and games.













Afrifest 2010 promises to be an exciting and edifying event. To sign up as a volunteer, contact: volunteers@afrifest.org. Mark your calendar; spread the word, and be there.

Planning for Afrifest 2010

Planning for Afrifest 2010 got into high gear today, at the First Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis. The Afrifest board met and went briskly through the agenda, emerging with concrete plans for the annual cultural festival, scheduled for August 7 this year.
Nathan White, chair, informed us that the venue for Afrifest 2010, MEC Event Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is confirmed. The Center for Families has agreed to be the fiscal agent for Afrifest. We approved the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation of the Afrifest Foundation.

The Afrifest Foundation starts its work with the following leaders: Nathan White, second from right (Executive Director); Joseph Mbele, right (Chairperson); Pat Gebes, second from left (Board member); LaTonya Harris, left (Secretary); Milpha Blamo, not in the photo (Treasurer); Lee Tyree, not in the photo (Board member).

Our main task now contacting artists, exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors. We are publicizing the event and inviting everyone. We have a big venue, with plenty of exhibition space. Booths are free for non-profits, $25 for artists, and $50 for vendors. For more details, visit the Afrifest website website and Facebook page.