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| Ms. Benita's African Mask |
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SUNSUM: THE MASK OF AFRICA
Chiku Awali African Dance, Arts & Culture of Rockland, Inc. is dedicated to bringing the diverse cultures of Africa to Rockland County. African masks represent the traditional art form for the various tribes of Africa. They are linked esoterically to political authority, initiation of youth into adulthood, moral and ethical teachings, averting evil forces, and the spirits of the dead, the living, the heavens and the earth. A chosen or initiated dancer wears a mask during celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, war preparation, and during peaceful as well as troubled times. Mask are intricately tied to the African's belief in spirits. Thus, the project is aptly named Sunsum which means "spirit" in the Twi language of the Asante in Ghana, West Africa.
Anna Vargas, artist and puppeteer, conducts an annual three-part workshop for Chiku Awali, where participants construct their own mask from cardboard and oak tag. In the past, masks have been displayed at the Finkelstein Memorial Library and at the Arts Council of Rockland, Inc.
In African cultures, masks of human forms often embody the spirit of ancestors and are objects of family pride. As African-Americans turn to rituals such as Kwanzaa, initiation rites, etc. to provide them with a sense of identity, the meaning and messages of the African mask must come into focus. Without art, a culture perishes.
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SUNSUM TSOOBI: The Puppet Masks of Africa
2011 Workshops
Chiku Awali is pleased to offer the fifth annual mask making workshop to the community. Once again the workshop will include the opportunity for participants to expand the scope of African arts to include African puppet masks, which will be showcased at the 2011 African Dance Extravaganza.
The workshops will be 10977
held October 1, 15 and 22 at the Spring Valley Youth Bureau, Louis Kurtz Civic Center Building, 9 North Main Street, Spring Valley, NY The program is free and open to participants of all ages, however registration is required on a first-come-first-serve basis. Participants must attend all workshops to complete a mask. For more information, call the 845-845-357-5062.
Similarly to masks, in West and Central Africa, puppets are traditionally used in rituals, dance performances and as entertainment. Puppet plays are increasingly used as a means to educate youth about health and development issues. By adding the significance and power of the mask to the social agility of puppets, we arrive at our project, Sunsum Tsoobi: "Sunsum" meaning "spirit" in the Twi language of the Asante tribe, and "Tsoobi" meaning "puppet" in the Ga language of the Ga tribe; both tribes are based in Ghana.
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This project is made possible, in part, with funds from the Community Arts Grants Program of the Arts Council of Rockland and the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.
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