Culture Lesson Is More Than Song and Dance
Decked out in traditional Fra Fra tribe attire, Fransisca Atule Leff danced to a pulsating drumbeat Wednesday as part of a live lesson about her culture at Rosary High School.
Her arms punching the air, shoulders shaking and legs leaping, Leff demonstrated the energetic “dance for women” as her husband, Bob Leff, beat a lively rhythm on his drum and explained that all girls and women of the Fra Fra tribe in West Africa know how to do the dance.
“The women like to compete against each other, and the more energy they have, the more chances they have of winning,” he said.
Dancing plays a big part in Fra Fra life. It’s used to express feelings, to celebrate all kinds of occasions and to even make work go faster in the fields.
The Leffs, from San Luis Obispo, and drummer James Balseiro of New York make up Aba-Koma, which means children of a great warrior. Their performing group presents shows at schools throughout Southern California to teach students about a little-known culture.
At Wednesday’s performance, Aba-Koma explained the significance of the dances, displayed Fra Fra artwork, clothing, headdresses, musical instruments and the currency used in Ghana. They also presented a slide show and brief lesson about the tribe, which has 40,000 to 45,000 members.
Most of the adults farm millet and corn, and the children are shepherds.
Fransisca Atule Leff, 36, was born and raised in Ghana’s Bolgatanga village. Her husband lived there from 1978 to 1982 as a Peace Corps volunteer. Balseiro knows about the Fra Fra tribe through his studies.
“We’re trying to educate, enlighten,” Balseiro said. “Having knowledge of other cultures brings humanity together.”
Added Fransisca Leff, “Many people think of Africa as a jungle with people running around with no clothes on, and they need to learn the truth. That way, we can respect and understand each other better.”
The message was clear for Gina Gordon, 14, who was one of about 180 Rosary High ninth-graders at the performance.
“I really learned a lot--way more than I would have if I had just read about the Fra Fra in a book,” Gina said after taking part in the final dance, which involved the entire audience.
“There’s a perception that everyone in Africa lives in jungles or deserts,” Maureen Eckholdt, a Rosary history teacher, said, adding that Aba-Koma’s presentation shattered that stereotype and taught a lesson that can’t be duplicated in the classroom.
“We’ve never actually seen anyone from the Fra Fra tribe before,” said student Jackie Anderson, 14. “I had never even heard of it before today, but now I’m not going to forget.”