Greenwich Village Gazette
 

By Donna Lamb

For twenty years now, every June the Annual Tribute to Our Ancestors of the Middle Passage has been bringing people together on the Coney Island boardwalk to honor the tens of millions of Africans who, after being kidnapped from their homeland, died during the voyage across the Atlantic - the Middle Passage - their bodies plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

While several individuals and groups participate in the organizing, this annual event is largely the labor of love of one man, Tony Akeem (right). He has a passionate commitment to ensuring that African culture from throughout the Diaspora is presented in all its glory, including when it involves the telling of hard truths about how the ancestors died during the middle passage, the tragedies that befell captured Africans in the New World, the aftermath of slavery, the justice of the call for reparations - and anything else a performer feels it is right to speak about without using profanity.

When honoring the ancestors on this site where some of the earliest slave ships once docked, it must be the real thing, "unbought and unbossed" by anyone who doesn't feel the meaning of the ancestors in their bones. Therefore, It will probably come as no surprise that this "people's tribute" is pulled together on a shoestring each year (all performers contribute their labor), due to the fact that Akeem and the other organizers choose to forgo the proffered money from tobacco and alcohol companies, and over the years government funding for this particular tribute has been very scarce, even non-existent.

Before the official beginning of the tribute on the boardwalk, Grandmaster Kham (left), chief priest of the Shrine of Khepera, and Menes de Griot, AKA Baba Mpho, performed an invocation to the ancestors at the water's edge in which they acknowledged the Creator and the ancestors, letting them know that once more people had come to honor them.

The formal tribute began with a beautiful libation ceremony carried out by Mdut SeshrAnkh and Mut Nfrt Ka Raet, followed by the Black National Anthem, sung by Tamiko Baker.

Next was the drum invocation, led by Menes de Griot and his group Shanto, along with the Congo Square Drummers, Crown Heights Youth Collective, and many other drummers. It ended with a prayer for the ancestors by Grandmaster Kham, which concluded, "You can dishonor our bodies, but you cannot ever, ever destroy our soul."

Positive Youth members Jelani, Lillie and Jibri Akeem then read the statement by Toni Cade Bambara regarding the necessity of honoring the ancestors and called out the names of the newly departed.

With Habte Selassie, Michael Hooper, Dequi Kioni-Sadiki and Osagyefo taking turns hosting, the rest of the day consisted of soul stirring drumming, dancing and dramatic performances, along with presentations by spoken word artists and singers who pulled no punches in putting their meaning across.

Among the many Caribbean artists was Trinidadian Jah Jah the Mighty Tranquil who delighted the audience with his songs set to a very lighthearted, bouncy calypso beat even as the lyrics were excoriatingly critical of the actions of the US government.

There was also St. Lucian native Hermina (left), who presented her thought provoking poem entitled "All That I Am," which posed the question, "Where is God in all of this? Is he stuck in the valley of the shadow of death giving Lucifer a final kiss, saying, 'Job well done; job well done you racist, sarcastic beast'?"

The passionate words of the fiery Jamaican poet Osagyefo also thrilled the audience, as did the performance by the renowned poet, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Ngoma, who hasn't missed a single year since the tribute began and always engages his listeners with his unique take on the universe.

Performing, too, was the Sunu Thoissane & Orin Ayo Dance and Drum Ensemble, comprised of students at IS 252 in East Flatbush who have been taking part in a rites of passage program with the Sports and Arts in School Foundation. Along with learning other things related to their heritage, the program participants had been studying the Wolof language of Senegal and East African rhythms and dances. They were very excited to be at the tribute to honor the ancestors and share some of what they had learned.

There was also a stunning performance by Something Positive and by KowTeff, which wowed the crowd with its African drumming and dancing.

Among the many other performers were the Lola Lewis Creative and Performing Arts Studio, Drums and Poet's Society Reunited, Utopia Pan Soul, MEC Drama Club, Jordan Franklin and Abdul Perez.

DuPree also performed a tribute to the late Queen Mother Mary Umolu, who began the tribute twenty years ago as a storytelling event. Founding member Professor Zala Smith was present, having come all the way from Florida to attend the 20th anniversary tribute and to honor Mother Umolu.

As sundown approached, Something Positive, led by Michael Manswell and Daniella, Grandmaster Kham, Richard Green, Shanto and the other ancestral drummers led participants down to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, where Menes De Griot thanked Olodumare, the Egunguns and the Orishas. Then each person placed flowers into the ocean, the largest African burial ground in the world.

The organizers extend a special thanks to Caribbean Life, PRIDE-Coney Island, Medgar Evers College and the MEC Student Body.

Photos by Donna Lamb

Last Week                                         HOME PAGE