Dance to the Sankofa beat Famed drum and dance group comes to Penn State Harrisburg By BROOKE MESSMER Assistant Copy Editor BEMSOOO@PSU.EDU February is Black History Month, and Penn State Harrisburg has been hosting a plethora of events to celebrate. I had the pleasure of attending one of these very events on the afternoon of February 8. African Drum and Dance group Sankofa brought entertainment and celebration to PSH through the efforts of sponsor Campus Life and Intercultural Affairs (also known as Student Activities) and co-sponsor The Black Student Union. The event was funded by the SAF, Student Activity Fee, and The Programming Board—formerly known as The Entertainment Council. Sankofa Dance Theatre is an ensemble of drummers and dancers hailing from Baltimore who “provide an exciting program of traditional dance, music, and folklore by ‘reaching back’ into the rich legacy of African culture and history.” Sankofa is comprised of five performers—three drummers, and two dancers. The drummers are Jumoke Ajanku, also the group’s Musical Director, Carl Allen, and Changa Onyango. The dancers are Mya Ajanku and Kibibi Ajanku, the latter also serving as their Executive Director. The group uses the name Sankofa, a word from the Ghana language of West Africa that encompasses their entire message. The literal translation of Sankofa is “reaching back to move forward,” but the group uses the word to mean “look at the past to build a stronger future.” Sankofa sings and dances to bring the heritage and history of By ANN STILLWATER Columnist ARS29I@PSU.EDU After Valentine’s Day last week, hopefully you have a special someone with whom to share meals. The first few meals together, you may want to make something that you have made before and that comes out well every time! As the relationship becomes closer, it usually feels safer to take more risks. When cooking for somebody else, it is wise to do your homework. Find out if the guest has any allergies, strong preferences, or other dietary needs. In this age of media-hyped diets, it is important choose a high protein meal for those on Atkins or South Beach type diets. Also, be aware that if your guest says they like macaroni and cheese, that may mean Kraft boxed mac and cheese, or it may mean homemade cheese sauce (see the column from two weeks ago) with whole wheat pasta. One reason folks do not like institutional food is because everybody’s folks makes each recipe a bit differently. Planning a meal, shopping for it, and cooking it together can be a wonderful bonding experience. This process allows you to learn the style and preferences of your cooking partner. You can rejoice together that you both like asparagus or despair together at your distaste for mushrooms. If one of you likes something the other does not, it is easier to discover while planning the meal, instead of when you proudly present it at the table. As you start the process, discuss who does the dishes and how groceries will be paid for. Having several dishes ready at the same time is one challenge of serving guests or cooking a whole sit-down meal together. Look over the recipes ahead of time and plan what can be chopped or cooked first so that the last minute heating or putting together goes smoothly. For example, have the salad all made up, except for the dressing. Carrots and most other vegetables can be Africa to the minds of the present. Sankofa’s performance involved a lot of audience participation and interaction. Sankofa sings in a style known as call and response, which involves them, the callers, to sing a line, followed by the audience, the responders, repeating that line. At one point Sankofa had audience members join them in dancing to the rhythms of their drums. According to Sankofa, “African dance is a participatory sport.” They encouraged audience members to clap along and keep the beat while they performed. Their performance was multi dimensional. They did not only perform, but taught us as well. Besides the audience interaction, Sankofa also provided an interpretation of what their dances symbolize; as well as the name and function of each of their four drums. Group members explained that African dance could be used for many different reasons. They can be performed in association with life’s milestones, such as weddings, births, or rites of passages. They may also be performed for reasons of conflict resolution or the changing of seasons. Sankofa member Jumoke Ajanku explained that in Africa, music was used to make the day’s work pass by more quickly, and when the work was done, the people transitioned into dancing and celebration. Ajanku said that dancing could be used to celebrate any event. Sankofa performed the dances of weddings, birth, and rites of passage, among others. The drums, as Ajanku described, are made with solid wooden bases, metal rings', and the skins of goats, cows or antelopes. Drums are played ufr uritk AtfJl cut in the morning and refrigerated in a covered container, to be cooked that night. Meats need to be handled more cautiously, but still can be chopped ahead of time. Just be sure to clean well any surfaces that touch raw meat and store in a drip-proof container so that no meat juices drip onto other foods. Prepping ahead of time allows a more relaxed cooking time. Cooking for guests is easiest when the dishes do not need to be cooked for an exact time. Soups, casseroles, or stews are great main courses. While these are cooking, dessert, a salad, another vegetable and/or bread can be prepared. The table can be set nicely and everything but the main course placed on the table. The most important things to keep in mind when cooking for a guest are to relax and keep your sense of humor. If things do not go as planned, laugh it off and pull out sandwich makings! Everyone makes mistakes in the kitchen, even the best chefs. It is ok to show your special someone that you are human, and you know how to handle life’s problems gracefully. PESTO SALMON Makes four servings (Recipe from University Park student Annie Zankowski) 1 lb salmon fillet, 1 inch thick (adjust cooking time if thicker) 1 cup pesto 1 lemon or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups white wine or broth Marinate fillet with white wine or broth and lemon juice for about ten minutes. Preheat broiler. Remove fillet from marinade to a broiler pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then turn fish over and spread pesto on top of fillet to about one half inch of thickness. Broil 4-10 minutes more until fish flakes easily. The pesto will turn dark brown. Serve immediately or cool to use in a salad later. COPPER PENNIES This salad has its roots in Texas, but is now popular throughout the U.S.A. Makes 4 servings with either their hands or a natural wood drumstick. Ajanku showed the audience that he could play his drum, the Djembe, with his hands to make a tone, slap or bass note. This drum could make six notes, which Ajanku explained are like an alphabet. He creates phrases with musical patterns. The second drum, the smallest, is the Kinkinee. This drum serves the purpose of a metronome, to keep the beat. On this drum there is a skin played with a drumstick, as well as a metal area that is struck with a small metal piece in the performer’s left hand to create a tapping sound. The last two drums are played by one performer. They are the middle drum, the Songba, which plays the part the dancers dance to, and the largest of the drums, the Dununba. This last drum gives the deepest sound, and acts as “the subwoofer” as Ajanku said, and provides the vibration for the music. Another aspect of Sankofa’s performance was regaling their audience with an African story. One performer acted as the griot, the storyteller, who in Africa is the village’s historian. The griot collects family information and shares it with the community in the form of song, dance and rhythm. In America, the griot sings praises of the folklore of the motherland. The story Sankofa performed, as described by dancer Kibibi Ajanku, led to a moral — “If you give nothing you will get nothing.” Sankofa gave a riveting performance that allowed Penn State Harrisburg students and members of the surrounding communities to enjoy a glimpse at African heritage, and join in the celebration of Black History Month. 6 carrots 4 cups water 1 tsp salt, divided in half 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) 2 teaspoons fresh dill leaves (optional) Sprinkle of sugar Dash of black pepper Peel 6 carrots (or just scrub if organic). Cut the carrots into thin slices of about 1/4 inch. Heat 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook, just until tender, about 10 minutes. Place a strainer in the sink and pour in the carrots, or strain by using the lid of the pan. If serving cold, cool under cold running water and drain. Mix vinegar, oil, parsley, dill, sugar, pepper and remaining salt with the carrots. Toss with spoon to mix. Serve immediately or cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to three days before serving. GARLIC BREAD 1 stick butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup oil, (Olive oil adds extra Mediterranean flavor & antioxidants) 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt One loaf of bread, or several slices of bread Mix garlic, butter, oil, salt and optional herbs (1/2 teaspoon oregano or basil, or both) in blender or by hand, until smooth. You can store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Place bread on cookie sheet. Spread slices of bread with mixture. If using French or Italian bread, slice bread first, lengthwise. Then butter each half. Broil in oven for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully to ensure that bread does not bum. Instead of broiling, you can bake for 10- 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven, which will make it less likely to bum and create a different texture. Serve immediately. C*xmv\£