"Listen. Do you hear that?" my grandmother asked me. "Listen. Listen to what the beetle is saying." I would spend hours and hours listening to the little beetle rolling a huge ball of dung, and while at it, I heard a variety of environmental sounds. With the keenest of ears, I would hear family chatter, laughter, the wind howling and even crickets chirping. All these sounds crisscrossed into each other, and I would hear rhythm in between. Then I would beat my plate with a spoon and my chest with my tiny hands trying to recreate what I was hearing. I have been beating the same plates, shakers, drums, pans and so much more ever since to become a professional drummer and percussionist.
“仔细听。 你听见了吗?” 我的祖母问我。 “仔细听。 听蜣螂在说什么。” 我会花上许多个小时 去听小小的蜣螂 滚动大大的粪球, 与此同时, 我听到了各种各样环境的声响。 用耳朵最敏锐的部分, 我会听到家人的交谈, 笑声, 风的呼啸, 甚至是蟋蟀的鸣叫。 所有这些声音交错在一起, 我能听到其中的节奏。 然后我会用勺子敲击盘子, 用我的小手敲击胸脯。 试图再现我所听到的节奏。 从那时起,我开始敲击盘子, 沙锤,鼓,平底锅和其他许多东西, 试着成为一个专业的鼓手 和打击乐手。
(Applause)
(掌声)
As I grew up, subconsciously, I felt a strong urge to hide my newfound hobby. Even without it being said out loud, I knew that somehow it was wrong to do what I was doing. In most of the ceremonies, I noticed that most of the women and girls were not in sight, but when they were, I noticed that they would wear their dancing skirts and shake their waists off, singing, clapping, ululating, while the men filled up the rhythm section. A few years later, I came to understand what tradition and culture meant, and what was considered taboo or otherwise.
随着我渐渐长大, 潜意识里我感受到了 一种强烈的冲动 促使我隐藏新的爱好。 即使没有大声说出来, 我也知道我做的好像是错的。 在大多数仪式上, 我注意到很少有女人和女孩的身影。 但当她们出现时, 我发现她们会穿着她们跳舞的裙子, 扭动着她们的腰, 唱歌,拍手,叫喊, 而男人会补上节奏的部分。 几年后,我开始理解 传统和文化意味着什么, 以及哪些事情是忌讳的, 哪些不是。
In the majority of African cultures, women have been forbidden to play drums and percussion for a very long time. I believe this taboo stems from the psychological and traditional belief that the woman is an inferior being. I grew up hearing that the place of the woman is in the kitchen or in the other room. Mhm?
在大多数非洲文化中, 很长一段时间里, 女性都被禁止演奏 鼓和打击乐器。 我相信这种禁忌来源于, 在心理上和传统观念里, 女性被当做劣等的存在。 我从小长大听到的都是, 女人应该在厨房里 或者是“那个”房间。 没错。
(Laughter)
(笑声)
Women had been brainwashed and led on for so long until we had fallen victim and actually started believing in this ourselves. This, coupled with the lack of interest to educate women, played a major, major role in etching this into our minds. The sounds of the drum provoke emotion and movement. Essentially, the drum is a very sensual instrument. Once at a festival, a man asked me how I dared put a drum in between my legs. I have been considered loose and dirty for playing an instrument. I have repeatedly been questioned why I would choose to play drums instead of practicing journalism, which I studied for my undergraduate, which has been termed "more decent." The sight of a woman playing drums enfeebles her, makes her less feminine, less desirable, but all this optimally puts her on a lower social stand.
长久以来,女性被洗脑和引导 直到我们成为受害者, 并且我们自己也开始相信这些。 再加上女性教育的缺乏, 这种观念被深深植入了 我们的脑海。 鼓的声音让你的情感和身体 都不由自主地动起来。 实质上,鼓是一种撩人的乐器。 在一次节日庆典中,一个男人问我, 我怎么敢把鼓放在我的双腿之间。 因为演奏这个乐器, 我被看成是放荡的,肮脏的。 不断地有人问我, 为什么我选择演奏鼓 而不是从事新闻行业, 也就是我本科学习的专业, 那被称为“更加正经”。 一个女性演奏鼓会使她变得弱势, 让她不再像女性, 不再有魅力, 但这些最终都会 降低她的社会地位。
Drumming has essentially represented the strong African heritage, and its importance can be seen in the many aspects of the African tradition. Many communities encompass drumming in their day-to-day activities, and still do up to date, from childbirths to initiation ceremonies, welcoming ceremonies, marriages and even burials. However, this same drum is disappearing very fast from the music scene, and the traditional genre is losing its popularity very quickly amongst the people. Inspired by the need to preserve this culture, I am teaching the significance and the importance of the drum to young boys, women and girls.
演奏鼓本质上代表的是 非洲根深蒂固的传统, 它的重要性 体现在非洲传统的很多方面。 很多族群在日常生活中都使用鼓, 现在也还是这么做, 从孩子的出生到成人仪式, 欢迎仪式, 婚姻,甚至是葬礼。 然而,同样的鼓 正非常快速地从音乐领域中消失, 并且传统的流派正快速失去 人们的喜爱。 保护这种文化的需求启发了我, 我开始教导年轻的男孩, 女性和女孩, 鼓的重要性和意义。
In my journey as a percussion teacher, I have realized that very many women actually want to play the drum, but at the same time, they fear it. Some fear how society will perceive them. Others fear the physical pain that comes with playing. Oh yes, it's not that easy. Some, because their spouses don't approve of them, and others generally fear the responsibility of being a bearer of culture. I believe, or I think that all these fears are etched in the collective feminine cautiousness because when we learn of the atrocities that have happened to women, continentally especially, it serves as a constant reminder that one step out of our designated place may end up in very serious consequences.
在我作为打击乐教师的旅程中, 我意识到很多的女性 其实是想演奏鼓的, 但同时, 她们害怕。 有些害怕社会将如何看待她们, 另一些则害怕演奏带来 的生理上的疼痛。 是的,演奏鼓并不容易。 有些,因为她们的丈夫不支持, 而另一些则害怕承担成为 文化传播者的责任。 我认为这些畏惧 根植于女性的集体意识中, 因为当我们了解到 施加在女性身上的暴行时, 特别是在这个大陆, 它不断地提醒我们, 如果我们跨越界限, 就会有非常严重的后果。
Well, I use my drum to tell my story and my people's stories. My roots shaped me and my culture is here to stay with me. Women can be custodians of culture, too. We are born to bring forth life, to nurture it. We can definitely preserve our traditions very, very excellently. My drum and I, we are here to stay.
我用我的鼓来述说我的故事 和我的族群的故事, 我生根发芽的地方塑造了我, 我的文化与我同在。 女性也能成为文化的守护者。 我们天生能孕育生命, 哺育生命。 我们一定能非常出色地 保护我们的传统。 我和我的鼓, 我们会一直在这里。
(Applause)
(掌声)
We are definitely here to stay. If women have led countries, women have gone to space, women have won Grammys, then the same, same women can play the drum and play it -- to a five-star rating? No, to a million-star rating.
我们肯定会一直在这里。 如果女性领导过国家, 女性奔赴过太空, 女性获得过格莱美奖, 那么同样的女性就可以演奏鼓, 并得到一个五星的评价? 不,得到百万星的评价。
Thank you.
谢谢。
(Applause)
(掌声)
(Chiming)
(风铃声)
(Metallic drumming)
(钹声)
(Chiming)
(风铃声)
(Rattling)
(沙铃声)
(Drumming)
(鼓声)
(Applause)
(掌声)