Dancing in the Streets!
“We’ll toast your wine and drink your brew,
And maybe we’ll make love to you!”
Night is falling and the Autumn Equinox is upon us. The center of our village is bursting with the sound of wild, tribal drumming as the merry Mood-Makers, bringers of energy, fire-magic, juggling and circus arts, and the local townsfolk dance each other through the streets.
As the street lamps begin to glow, theTown Crier – eyes, ears and news-carrier of our village – calls us forth from the pubs and inns. He is guiding us, along with the hijinks of the Jester and the darting Ninja theatre cast of Passion Players, through the ancient story of Vinotok ceremonies and celebration.
The rhythms throbbing through our village core echo off the Colorado mountainsides as well as the hills and plains ofWest Africa. The Tribal Drummers are led by Drum Masters from the Gunnison Valley as well as the Motherlands of Guinea, West Africa.
For almost two decades, Crested Butte percussionists and dancers have studied with Guinean traditional artists, as groups travel back and forth between both of our native villages to share the rhythms of our homelands. Now we honor the families who have grown out of the marriage of our musical interconnections.
We also honor that the First Mother of all humans is Mother Africa. We celebrate our unity and ecstatic awareness by joyously “following the Heartbeat out into the street”—Together.
As the Equinox Moon rises over Crested Butte, we send up voices, songs and the Autumn Festivities which unite each and all of us through the bounty of our shared cultural and collective Harvest Home.
Cheers! From your Godmother, Marcie Telander