[22] music

I came across this video today, of Brenda Fassie in South Africa, and it reminded me of one of the things that I miss most about Africa, a side of the continent that I'm not sure the missionaries I grew up with in Liberia ever quite saw. Sure, they went to five hour church services and yes, people danced at celebrations. But there is nothing quite like a concert or a dance club in Africa. I don't mean a rally or a revival, I mean real, popular music. I am a tavern or coffee shop girl in the US, but in Africa, I go out, and I dance. I suck at it, but I dance. The music has rhythm enough to keep even me looking relatively un-stupid, and people of all ages get out on the floor. 

My favorite part of this video is the crowd just behind the nice tables, all dressed up and dancing. It reminds me of a Rwandese woman, a friend of a friend I'd just met, putting her hands on my hips and showing me how to dance, back in Rwanda. My entire unself-conscious dancing career dates back to that night. (I am still awful, but I have reached the point where people actually tell me that I look "cute." They claim this is a compliment, but I find it patronizing. In a good way.)