Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Saturday, March 12, 2011
We took a bus on a group excursion to Grahamstown on Saturday. In Grahamstown, we toured a warehouse which built the popular marimba. A marimba is similar to a xylophone but made out of specific types of wood which give it a “hollow” sound. We also learned about the uhadi, a bow which vibrates to create sound, and an umkangi. Later, we toured an old police station which had been converted into an art building called Egazini. Many of the apartheid atrocities had occurred in this police station and it was comforting to see the building put to better use. Most of the art were paintings using a template and roller to press it down.Finally, we toured a small Xhosa village. Some of the children of the village put on a tribal dance for us with traditional garb and paint on their faces. An African drummer also accompanied us to the village and he showed us how to play the bongo drum, and he also taught us a Zulu dance. The day ended with a meal consisting of chicken, some hot dishes, and ginger beer.
