“Baamaaya”, is a dance/music piece that was developed in Dagbamba villages in Ghana. It was traditionally used as a way to beg the gods for rain during the drought. The men dressed up in feminine outfits and performed the ritual dance to make amends for committing crimes against women. They believed that by performing this ritual, the gods will make it rain and put an end to the drought. Today, baamaaya is performed in funerals throughout Ghana and the world. Based on the video we saw in class, the performers are not all dressed in the traditional feminine attire. Some of the performers are wearing casual clothes like jeans and a t-shirt. Although, these are not massive differences, they do add a modern flare to it. Even with the slight adjustments, they have still kept some of the original concepts of the dance such as the dancers dressing up in womens clothes. The changes made to the Baamaaya is a positive one because it is keeping the culture and the tradition relevant in the modern day.
“The Washerwoman’s Branle” was a dance piece that was based on a peasant dance. This piece got its name because the clapping sound in the song resembles women doing their laundry on the riverbanks. This dance was very significant during its time because it was important to know how to dance in order to find a mate. The people from this time period believed that the dance would help them find a partner. However, based on the video we watched in class of the college students performing this dance in recent times, it is seen that its not taken as seriously as it once was. In the video, the students look like they find the dance a little funny and they aren’t serious about it either. However, some aspects of the dance have remained the same. The music and the dance is still the same but just in a different environment. The changes that I have noticed are negative because the dance is not relevant in today’s culture like it was in its own time period. People are not likely to perform this dance in order to find a partner now and they also do not take it as seriously anymore.
