The Journey of the African Storyteller
foreign [Music] [Music] I was born deep in the culturally rich but financially and economically poverty-stricken overcrowded warunga Reserve in colonial Rhodesia this was during the most turbulent years characterized by a fierce Liberation war that heralded the final end of British rule to give birth to Zimbabwe in 1980 I should ask him to say that we were socially quite wealthy in family and connections despite our political predicament if you were born in the reserves there was no mistaking life for a box of chocolates you knew exactly that you were going to end up working on a farm or in a mine there was no box no chocolates just people full of Hope and driven by faith with the will to survive unless you were fortunate enough to have head red Charlie in the Chocolate Factory falling of course from the sky on your lap like the ridiculous fume the goods must be crazy the coke bottle falling from the plane the only available source of comfort entertainment for a boy like me and actually everyone else was storytelling stories allowed me to dream of places that I would never ever visit tourists enriched my life and allowed me to escape the Daily Grind that was punctuated by manual labor from dawn to dusk and not much play time for a growing boy like me stories and music made working in the Maze Fields under the Africa hot sun a little more bearable intolerable stories create emotional connections that last forever culturally information Customs knowledge and traditions were passed down through stories dances in their own African games like Toro which sharpened the mind foreign [Music] thank you very much for inviting me to your University to offer this online program as we celebrate a Black History Month to talk a little bit about my recently published book The Journey of the African storyteller um first and foremost I would like to acknowledge that I am only and see the territory of the culture and First Nations people I raise my hands to the First Nations calcium people Hayes [Music] thank you foreign [Music] today [Music] all right so you told me from Zimbabwe when did you come to Canada if you don't want me asking no that's fantastic actually I came in 2012 in June of 2012. okay so it's a magician and Storyteller I after I made this gorgeous lady in Zimbabwe so she invited me over you know she came to start the couch and the music and I did the tour within this course you know since you know she's a teacher as well so we went to the schools and you know we did you know this and when she came here she invited me to come and share the stories in music with a community there's a beautiful love story [Music] wow okay oh yeah it's kind of like some romance definitely [Music] thank you [Music] please tiptoe with me through the jungles list we wake those sleeping lions ladies and gentlemen we are gonna arrive into this beautiful paradise a land between two Great Rivers the Limpopo and the Zambezi yes and they you're gonna find one of the most [Music] spectacular places you can ever see anyway in entire world and ladies and gentlemen I'm talking about one of the seven wonders of the world mostly opportunity is more that than us yes the smoke that Palace popularly known as Victoria Falls because of one Explorer by the name of David Livingstone who claimed In 1855 to have discovered MOSI or atuna they smoke the planets which he named after Queen Victoria you mentioned a little bit about your background here and in that you said that you did cultural tours in Zimbabwe all right so while you're exploring your culture and presenting it to the tourists did we experience any dangerous animals along the way as well yes and no oh yes thanks I would like to tell you guys before we go when you come to your tour I want to tell you a few Basics even like now everyone I'm giving you this for free this is like that information you must know that vehicle the hippo is like please it's really it's cute I know yeah you guys you want to see if animals are cute the hippo is cute but it is dangerous you see the elephant is huge and gentle and cute but dangerous the lion oh it's so cute like you see the man you see like it's so cute but dangerous the buffalo can you please avoid the Buffalo if you can avoid the Buffalo then you are good so how you remember that the hell h hippo the elephant the lion the buffalo in that order but yes you should always be Just Be watchful it's like here the bear when it has got a baby why are you going there the bear is having a nice time with this baby and then you are going there so don't do that well I think we have some very important information here one don't poke the bear or the lion or the hippo or the Buffalo or the elephant why are you poking the elephant sleeping so that's why I say come with me tiptoe with me into the jungles of Africa lest we work those sleeping lines let the sleeping Lions rest right ladies and gentlemen I am taking you way back in time come with me to the winter of 1977. it is during the during the I am only one week old my mother is running away with our lives from the war two days after we leave our little shop which saved also is our home it was bombed and it bent to the ground nothing was recovered as we were running away I was later to learn that my mother was exhausted she was carrying me in my other little sibling and two more siblings so it was a hard time so she really was exhausted and slept while sleeping a hyena came and picked me I screamed that's how she walked and she had to wrestle that hungry hyena with her bare knuckles my mother is my hero [Music] [Music] thank you I am sincerely grateful to my father not just for the gift of life but also mbira and country music when I was just a little boy I would listen to my father play I was also fortunate to listen to the traditional country female records he had collected and occasionally played on the record player under the bright African Stars I will never know how my father got hooked to country music but I'm so grateful that he introduced it to me at a very tender age in my early teens a dear friend had just bought a record player and borrowed the records few weeks later during a rainstorm the roof of their house gave in and all the records were destroyed while I cried that what was to be my inheritance was destroyed I had listened enough to the music that it stuck in me forever as we played at Sunfest people watching I wondered if my father was sitting in heaven with his favorite musicians Johnny Cash Jimmy Reeves Patsy Cline and laughing when you are born in the village life is not easy you have to go to fetch water and it's many many miles away you have to fetch firewood we have to work in the fields at times you have to wake before you go to school my mother who trick us using songs she would start singing fist would ignore her would be so grumpy when she starts singing before we even knew it will be singing with you and it really made the wake a little more bearable as a little boy growing up I would say when I grew up I want to run away from the village I want to go as far away as is possible and yes that is what happened I went away as far as possible from marombi and came to Canada and guess what I am farming [Music] welcome welcome ladies and gentlemen Technologies for me slightly wow I am amazed amazed and amazed I'm flabbergasted but I can be reaching you through this online platform and share a little bit about my recently published a book The Journey of the African Storyteller as we celebrate Black History Month [Music] it was quite an honor for me to have a ceremony for my job Canadian citizenship on the I'll see the territory of the culture and First Nations people [Music] the area was ordinand with this blanket I was also honored with this they might talk and that was really very special for me [Music] to have a traditional ceremony [Music] hello hello is this African Storyteller this is the African Storyteller hello I'm the head of our pack in Parksville really hoping that you would come and share your amazing book and poems with our students here at the school wonderful wouldn't you have a date next week would be wonderful so that we can do it for Black History Month awesome I'm honored to be invited wonderful thank you so much the children are gonna love your poems [Music] thank you [Music] growing up in the village there is no mistaking life for a box of chocolates you know exactly what you are going to get there is no box there are no chocolates you cannot even dream of chocolates how can you dream of something that you have never ever seen [Music] ladies and gentlemen welcome to little Zimbabwe Farms first ever folktale series featuring all the very best of folktales coming from pre-colonial Zimbabwe I realized ever since I was a little boy that the best storytellers were the ones that would also use music to share their stories [Music] [Music] my name is Brandy Gallagher here we are at our Eco Village and I can remember when I first met tafaswa the Zimbabwean Music Camp was here we all gathered I think that they were called here for some bigger reason so yes you spent your first day in Canada here but there's something I think that calls you between you and the couch and people I had the opportunity to read the story of the ant the elephant and the Pumpkin to my preschool classroom [Music] foreign hello everybody and welcome to Today's Show so this month we have a lot of exciting things going on we have Valentine's Day everyone's celebrating Love Love Is in the Air which is also very important to recognize that it is Black History Month so today I have a very special guest we have the African Storyteller himself he's promoting his book The Journey of the African storytellers been recently released declining to the charge so it is a must read and here to tell us all about it is the African storyteller ladies and gentlemen [Music] I am taking you Way Big in time come with me to the winter of 1977. it is during the night I was born on June 10 1977 Indian erodesia Zimbabwe before independence was called Rhodesia it was a British colony the night that I was born my mother tells me that there were some helicopters that arrived landed the nearby School and everybody went to see what was happening and everybody was told that now that there was a curfew nobody was supposed to be seen [Music] in that day during the night even though I was June 11 months I didn't want to come out I want to stay here I want to stay here my mother went into labor she was only one I had the superior power to receive me because there was no one that my mother could call because people are not allowed me during the night no hi hello yes personally I'm calling because I'm a mom of free myself and I can see myself there I mean can you even imagine being the mother of three children ages six four and two and expecting a fourth a little African Storyteller himself and two full months past his due date to boot I mean wow there are no words and to think that this was going on during the height of the Liberation War to think that out of nowhere a helicopter carrying Rhodesian Armed Forces just landed at the primary school in their Village and overnight their lives were changed they said a curfew at night and warned the villagers that if anybody stepped outside of their homes they'd be shot I mean can you even imagine it's mind-boggling me here was this poor woman in labor and unable to send anyone outside of her home to get help for herself to boot her husband is out of town that night working and completely unaware of the events unfolding in his village let alone his home so she was left completely stranded and isolated with three small children and in labor with the force I mean this is this is stuff of nightmares she must have been terrified [Music] I mean the Incredible strength and courage he must have had to get through it all I mean how else could she survive it what a brave soul the whole story is just mind-blowing and miraculous and personally I think she was a real hero [Music] this is my favorite poem from the African Storyteller so much pleasure that fills my heart I fear it could explode as I stare at the beautiful stars that never fail to reach down to my heart even when I am down and out never faltering and always faithful [Music] I thought that inviting the African Storyteller to our school district would share some simple things that some may take for granted for example that Africa is actually a continent not a country there are 54 countries in Africa as the assistant superintendent we're putting our efforts into enlightening our students about other cultures and we are fully utilizing Black History Month by sharing a few stories from Zimbabwe [Music] Chris and I'm Jen and we're from Mill Bay BC I can say that it's my honor to be one of the first Canadians to be able to call my friend so this is an original matamba drawing which we received in at Christmas time 2013.
and we just met and now look at him he's going to Nashville and singing in country music festivals come pretty far from a long ways away in rural Zimbabwe to singing country music at music festivals in Canada and the United States [Music] hey my name is Adam Knight I'm the president of AOK records here in Nashville Tennessee and I am proud to be here today producing in beerus spirit to fazwa and Amy matamba this project is going to be incredible it really captures the soul of traditional country music with the twist of the African Storyteller and I believe you're going to love I Saw the Light [Music] [Music] Jesus came [Applause] [Music] no more Darkness [Music] [Music] I first met tafatswa while working at the food bank and the moment I looked at this smiling face and his pleasing demeanor I realized we had a connection I at that time I didn't know what the connection was but I felt as if I had already met him sometime in my life or he was going to be in my life as time went by and I got to know to fazo and Amy we had social times together we danced and sang and he did folk dancing it was it was a really lovely time and every time I met to fazwa always my heart just opened right up as if he was somewhat like I say someone in my family I really really cared for him a lot one day I came across a bracelet and this bracelet was unusual and it had the most amazing eyes it was a lion sitting on top of a bracelet and I would love to give this to tafasoa coming from Africa a Memento of his homeland something that he can relate to most of us cannot relate to lions so I presented it to him and he was overjoyed as uh I continued to speak with tifazzo about this lion um I found there was an interesting fact that came to life and this fact was that his grandfather was known as a rain he was a Rainmaker he had a spirit the spirit of a lion and he saw it he was overjoyed he said this is my grandfather's spirit and that story is just it it just makes me uh quiver because it's such a beautiful story [Music] so another thing that we did is I wrote an article for tafasa about his village in Africa I had once been a writer for a paper in Northern Alberta so I asked if that's why if I could write his story one thing that kept coming across in the story was his mother and I know he misses her deeply being on this side of the world when I look at him I clearly can see his mother and if his mother and he are really alike then she must be a beautiful person too because I love his smile I love his generous spirit I love the fact that he is he doesn't give up he will when he when the when things get tough I notice he just with a smile will keep on going yes he will um probably get a little down but then he writes his poetry uh is a great photographer as well and he's a Storyteller his stories are absolutely phenomenal uh he's got so much talent in this one person his spirit is just overwhelming it takes over so I am so grateful to have been blessed in my life to have met such a lovely man as to father foreign [Music] and I'm calling from Salt Spring Island I started out meeting to father when he came to Canada to visit with Amy and to see the west coast and at that point I got to play lots of music with Amy into phosphora I had the chance to meet profanzo's family when I went to Zimbabwe in 2013. it was fantastic to be able to see where fonzo's Roots come from the trip was amazing the people were amazing family were all wonderful and it was a really life-changing trip Islands [Music] yes [Music] [Music] hi yeah oh my God I'm so glad I got on um so I was just listening to your segment on the African Storyteller I was driving and I had to pull over and call because I had the funniest thing happened to me just a couple weeks ago I was at my aunt's wedding and the African Storyteller was there playing with his band they were amazing everybody loved them it was a great wedding um but my daughter who's about four at the time goes up to him while he's on stage and he was just taking a break and had a minute I guess and she says sir are you hot and I'm not sure where that came from or why she was asking him and I can't really I didn't really hear what he said so I went up to her later I'm like baby you know why are you asking that man if he was hot and she says to me oh well Auntie Penny kept saying how hot he was so yeah great guy awesome band super hot according to Auntie Penny out of the mouth of paints [Music] so Tifa I've traveled the world what can I do if I went to Zimbabwe what are the tourist attractions wow the one the one of the seven wonders of the world is the mostunya yes almost working here does the Victoria Falls one of the seven wonders of the world oh it's so like amazing I will go there it's unbelievable I'll say cheaper sent me oh yeah Jenny of the Africans storyteller [Music] hi Haley hey how's it going today pretty good wow another day on set is background that's right oh so tell me about life growing up in Zimbabwe wow wow wow it's totally different from here of course you know like from the simple things that someone here might take for granted like water like we have here with running water even like shower hot water so there's really not you know so where I come from there's no running water even still now people have to like to walk like miles and miles to get like drinking water and put their domestic purposes some have even to go and wash their clothes in the river so would you help with that as a kid getting water yes yes that was really hard work you know as a kid you want to go and have fun but now if what I get these containers and like tell me about this town or Village should I say that you grew up in my Village in the capital city it's like two different worlds you know like yeah night and day so it would have been the 70s right when you were yes yes during the height of the Liberation no I couldn't even have died from the wall and also when my mother was running away from the war with us a hyena grabbed me during the night when apparently was sleeping until I screamed then she got up so she had to fight that hyena with her hands and no show I could yeah we could not have met his background actors well we need you here with a story I know I know right this one terrifying so you were really young yeah I know I just had been born maybe less than a week by no yeah [Music] yeah foreign [Music] [Music] 2012. so now 10 years wow how are you enjoying Canada oh I love it is a very very um they're very sweet and they're very nice yeah very nice yes I'm grateful to be here you know I I'm the first time I come here and it's just totally everything strange for me but totally no good I feel so warm I don't feel I'm in the um strange country I love it yes me too me too angel I love it the people are so nice yeah wow Canadian the best I think it's the best people they always you know so nice so sweet wow foreign [Music] hi I am so honored to meet you the African Storyteller and I have a question for you so in Canada here my name is Trisha Toth and I work as a clinical counselor and mental health is a priority to me I'm wondering how people in Zimbabwe deal with their mental health or how they care for themselves wow that's a very good question Trisha in Zimbabwe I threw a music I can say ever since I was young the music is really a played an important part in helping with mental breakdowns he I started seeing it when I was really young my mother would use music while we were working in the fields it was really hard work so the music and even going to fetch water the music is there going to fetch firewood there's so much music there whatever you're doing it from way back in time going out to hunt the music is there the times you catch something the times you don't again there are songs to take you through the pain of not having heard anything when you go out hunting or be it lost when a loved one passes on is the music that comes in to do the healing and maybe times even death the music comes in people are celebrating and be it may be a harvest ceremony the music is there so maybe someone's not feeling well you're doing a healing ceremony the music is there again so I would say feeling without any fringing doubt say that music is the medicine that really has helped us growing up in the village because we don't have like more alternative a like a more Western medicines you know like so we rely on our like the herbs like music you're going to always take that with you right wherever you go it's internal and it's really happy to hear that because I I share that opinion with you that it's something I enjoy in my own life that's very healing and it's just a great way of expression and release and yeah that's awesome that's amazing that's yeah yeah thank you nice talking to you yeah nice talking to you nice meeting you yes you have a wonderful day thanks you too foreign [Music] [Music] the materials is the means finding a better connection yes so like now I'm so grateful I I I I see no reason to complain even only waste today it's everything is still fantastic there's always food at the end of the day like even now I'm having a future problem so I know I never even thought I would have it I would say that like wow like there's like so much food so I think that's another thing that like there's so much food around and it's not as much you know in Zimbabwe things a little hard you have to forage you have to you have to go find yourself yes we're here it's delivered two years so that is something that when I came to Canada I saw that the food was coming you know like all over see like it's like you have to do that yourself there's no food that's gonna come from Africa foreign and every year I do a week where I eat what I sow and so I really eat a lot of tomatoes and carrots wow but yes it is because I want to teach my children yes yes sowing the seeds in order we are doing a program called seed to Bailey so we sell seeds you know like we collect you know seeds Tomatoes pumpkins you know things like that kale you know like so we you know like we just try it again you know to encourage other people to grow as well okay thank you so much Canada for this opportunity to share the Journey of the African Storyteller and give people a glimpse of the situation on the ground in the village of marombi where I come from I hope that by sharing this story I might be able to get the opportunity to drill some water wells in the village that I come from water is such a challenge ever since I was a little boy it was a struggle and it is still a struggle up to this day thank you Canada there's a bit of a Vortex has drawn us all together and somehow some way there's going to be what's next in the story of the African Storyteller I raise my hands to the coach and people whose territory I'm honored to be able to present the Journey of the African storyteller then [Music] [Music] Jesus came like an Angel in the night praise the Lord I Saw The Light I Saw The Light the more Darkness eyes [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] for straight with the kids and not always the way we treated the wrong for the ride praise the Lord I Saw the lights no more Darkness [Music] thank you [Music] I saw the light I Saw The Light No More Darkness [Music] praise the Lord I saw [Music] [Music] life
2023-02-05 05:18
