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African Immigrant Folklife The following article has been change negative assumptions about Africans and their African Immigrant compiled from edited excerpts traditions. of a research report written by "The African Connection" on WDCU-FM and "African Communiry community scholar Ann Perspectives" and "African Rhythms and Extensions" on Olumba on African media WPFW-FM operate in the greater Washington metro­ Broadcast Media hosts in the Washington, D.C., politan area. These weekly programs share common goals: area as part of the African to project and promote African cultural traditions in a Ann Nosiri 0/umba Immigrant Folklife Study. positive way, to help maintain and strengthen links be­ Other excerpts have been tween African immigrants and their homelands, and to published in an article in the provide a forum where African immigrants can express journal Cultural Survival. themselves and discuss issues concerning Africa. lthough nationally syndicated programs such as "THE AFRICAN CONNECTION" National Public Radio's "Afro-Pop" are well Mr. Ibrahim Kanja Bah is the host of "The African Con­ A known across the country, Washington, D.C., nection"- broadcast on WDCU, 90.1 FM Saturday after­ radio stations often feature local shows that blend noon from 12 noon to 3 p.m.- a music program and call­ traditional and popular African music, showcase local in show that features music from Africa and the Carib­ African music groups, and inform about Africa-related bean. The program's goal is to educate the American activities around town. These programs play an important public about African and Caribbean culture and at the role in building community consciousness, introducing same time to entertain them. As education, the program African music to Americans, and keeping music traditions projects African culture in a more positive way than the vital for immigrants. negative assumptions and conclusions about Africans and Many African immigrants hold to aspects of their their cultures so widespread in the media. The program cultures tenaciously and hold them in esteem, regardless concentrates mainly on up-to-date music- both modern of the many difficulties they face in doing so. To many of and traditional in style - from different countries of them, culture is central, something to be practiced and Africa. Some of the kinds of African music played on this maintained. Undermining immigrants' self-esteem and program are: kora music, juju, fuji, highlife, and soukous. reverence for their traditions are the widely held, ignorant, In addition, the program plays Caribbean music such as negative stereotypes of Africans and their cultures. calypso, reggae, and zouk. African immigrants have bene­ African traditional customs have been destroyed in many fited from this program. Some who had little or no idea ways, but none has had more far-reaching impact than about the many different varieties of African music have mass communication: television, film, radio, newspapers, come to understand more about its diversity in the African and periodicals have all been used to denigrate Africans world. and their traditions. Mr. Ibrahim Kanja Bah, who was born in Sierra Leone, But although the mass media can have a negative effect has been hosting "The African Connection" for several on an immigrant group's traditional culture, they can also years. He had no background in radio broadcasting when be a means through which cultural traditions are cele­ he started hosting the program. " 'The African Connec­ brated and a larger public's respect for them increased. tion' provides a way for people to begin to understand that The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the import­ Africa is dynamic, alive, and well," he said, "aside from ance of mass media as an instrument of social and cultural the Africa that they hear about in the news." uplift, so that such media can be further mobilized to propagate African traditions and cultures in the United II AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES" States. Although African radio programs in the Washing­ "African Perspectives," a public affairs program focusing ton, D.C., area are plagued by lack of funds, limited trans­ on Africa, is produced and hosted by Ms. Cece Modupe mitting power, and often short duration (ranging in length Fadope. The program's goal is to shift public focus from from thirty minutes to three hours per week), African im­ existing negative stereotypes and assumptions about migrants in the media use their resources in the struggle to Africa to how ordinary people meet the challenges of 54 SMITHSONIAN FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN FOLKLIFE African Immigrant Folklife accomplishing social and economic development on the continent. The listening audience is a cross-spectrum of Africans, African Americans, African Caribbeans, Afri­ cans from South America, and others interested in African issues. Through "African Perspectives," African immigrants convey who they are in their own voices. Concerned with the immigrants' welfare, the program has on many occa­ sions invited experts to give suggestions and valuable advice on problem areas facing their communities. Immigration and naturalization law, for example, is one area the program has focused on; the position of women in the community is another. "African Perspectives" also focuses on cultural contributions made by African immigrants to American social life. Musical artists and sculptors from Sudan have come and shared their talents 11 and experiences with listeners. AFRICAN RHYTHMS AND EXTENSIONS" Cece Modupe Fadope interviews The program also serves as a link between African "African Rhythms and Extensions" is a human rights attorney on her immigrants and their homelands, disseminating infor­ hosted by Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere and is weekly radio program, ''African mation of events as they happen in Africa, reported by broadcast on WPFW, 89.3 FM Sundays Perspectives," heard on WPFW-FM Africans and with African perspectives. It receives very from 10 p.m. to 12 midnight. The program in Washington, D.C. favorable reactions from its listeners and facilitates their started more than ten years ago as "African Photo by Harold Dorwin opportunity for participation. It provides one way for Roots." The agenda of "African Rhythms African immigrants to share their political views and and Extensions" is to promote African serves as a medium through which community events can music in the United States and to share the African be brought to their attention. "African Perspectives" re­ creative essence in rhythms; to promote awareness by ceives appreciation from African immigrant communities, African immigrant and non-African communities of the but its development process needs more grassroots finan­ relationship between Black musical forms and of their cial support. The program has been on the air weekly for roots in African musical forms; and to use music to bring four years, on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to midday. people together in peace and understanding. The program Ms. Fadope is a journalist and activist, born in Nigeria. is structured under three rubrics. "Meta Polyrhythms" pre­ She has hosted "African Perspectives" for three years. A sents different traditional musical forms. A news section graduate of the University of Maryland, she has taken brings communities into contact with what is happening in numerous courses in communication over the years. She is the continent of Africa. And the "African Megamix in very interested in using communication strategies to build Polyrhythms" presents modem African musical forms and and empower grassroots organizations. The idea for "Afri­ their relationships to other Black musical forms. The ob­ can Perspectives," she said, "just came naturally to me. It jectives of "African Rhythms and Extensions" are to sell is something useful that I want to do, and I have put a lot African music and to present African culture in its finest of time and energy in cultivating the skills that are form. Musical performances are selected to show relation­ needed .... I would like to make 'African Perspectives' ships and continuities among African musical forms and part of a larger media communication strategy to build the to demonstrate that on one level the musical languages are image of Africa as it [really] is. Not have the major the same. Like "The African Connection," this program attention be on what the military governments do. Africa also projects an idea of African unity by educating Afri­ is its people. It's more than the government, it's more than cans to other African musical styles they have never the heads of states, and it's more than the crises that heard. happen." Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere is a professor in the Depart­ ment of Economics at Howard University. His country of SMITHSONIAN FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN FOLKLIFE 55 African Immigrant Folklife origin is Ghana. He p'reviously hosted a program called . "World Rhythms" for four years, although he had no for­ mal training in radio broadcasting. He acquired his know­ ·;. ,, : ':\ .. ledge about African musical forms and their cultural im­ ~-.· ·~ '.'~ ·;:i·~~~f~~\: ·~,~~ plications through reading. He has hosted the program for more than ten years, financing it himself and hosting it •African Connections• "Yet Hibret" without pay. Dr. Dompere remarked, "I hope that people WDCU, 90.1 FM WUST, 1120 AM will understand through the 'African Rhythms and Exten- Saturday, 12 noon- 3 p.m. Saturday, 2 -3 p.m. sions' program that Africa has a lot to offer in terms of Ibrahim Kanja Bah, host civilization, and it would be useful to pay a little good Ethiopian Evangelical Church attention. I hope that 'African Rhythms' would become "African Rhythms and Extensions" WUST, 1120AM not only an instrument of enjoyment but also an instru­ WPFW, 89.3 FM Saturday, 3- 3:30p.m. ment of instruction." Sunday, 10 p.m.- midnight Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere, host Senegambia Program While all of the radio hosts interviewed use different WUST, 1120 AM approaches, all are working toward a common goal, which "2000 Black" Saturday, 3:30- 4 p.m.

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