VOA慢速英语2009-AMERICAN MOSAIC - The Ocean Spirit Mami Wata

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week we travel to Africa with the banjo player Bela Fleck². We hear music from his latest album, "Throw Down Your Heart," and discuss a movie about his trip to Africa.

But first, we go to the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., to see an exhibit about an ocean goddess.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

She is part woman and part fish. She carries snakes with her and brings good luck in the form of money. She is sensual, beautiful, and protective, yet sometimes dangerous. Her name is Mami Wata. Faith Lapidus tells us about her.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Mami Wata is pidgin English for "Mother Water." Since the fifteenth century, the water spirit Mami Wata has taken many forms and names. She appears in different cultures throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas. She is a very popular subject for artists.
　
A wooden headpiece from Sierra Leone showing forms inspired by Mami Wata

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., currently³ has a show that honors Mami Wata's many faces. The exhibit shows how cultural influences and spirituality change and grow throughout history.

One of the first works in this exhibit was made in the nineteen fifties by the Ovimbundu people of Angola. This expressive⁴ wooden sculpture is of a woman with a lower body like a fish. The woman raises her left hand as though she wants to tell you something.

Nearby, a sculpture from the same period by an artist in Nigeria shows a woman holding a snake in her hands. Another snake wraps around her body. This sculpture was probably the center of a religious offering table.

There is also a wooden headpiece worn in water spirit ceremonies by people in Guinea-Bissau. It is shaped like a huge shark fin⁵. It is cut with forms of colorful sea creatures swimming with humans.
　
Roudy Azor's version of Lasirene

African slaves who settled in the Caribbean and South America brought with them beliefs linked to Mami Wata. These beliefs grew into other traditions. In Haiti, she is known as . Her influence can be seen in a shiny flag by the Haitian artist Roudy Azor. It shows three women sharing one fish tail body.

In the Bahia area of Brazil, this water spirit takes the form of Yemanja. In February, people honor Yemanja, the Queen of the Ocean, with offerings they place in small boats in the water. When the small boats sink, it is believed she has received their presents. Brazilians pray to her for love, support and protection.

And, in the Dominican Republic, Mami Wata takes the form of Santa Marta la Dominadora or "The Dominator⁶." She is known for her special powers in helping⁷ people with relationships. Visitors to the exhibit can see a special religious area set up to honor this saint⁸.

The last part of the exhibit shows Mami Wata's influence in modern art. The African-American artist Alison Saar gives her a new look in a flat metal sculpture hanging on the wall. In this version, Mami Wata is a woman with a snake wrapped around her. She is wearing nothing but red shoes with high heels.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Bela Fleck is widely considered one of the most important banjo players in the world. He is famous for his many bluegrass and jazz influenced recordings¹⁰. His most recent album is called "Throw Down Your Heart." It is his third recording⁹ in a series called "Tales from the Acoustic¹¹ Planet." Barbara Klein has more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Bela Fleck's goal with this album was to explore the African roots of the banjo. He says many Americans mistakenly think the banjo came from rural areas of the southern United States. So, in two thousand five, Fleck went to Africa to learn from musicians there. His trip resulted in an album and movie, also called "Throw Down Your Heart." In the movie, you can see Bela Fleck playing with musicians in Uganda, Tanzania, the Gambia and Mali.

WALUSIMBI: "What he wanted was to bring the banjo back to Africa. It would be possible for the banjo to come back and play with its old folks."
　
Béla Fleck in Uganda

The movie shows how important music is within communities in Africa. Music is not only for special events. It is part of everyday life for men, women and children. Bela Fleck could not talk with many of the musicians you see in the movie because they did not know each other's language. But they were able to communicate very clearly with music.

Here is playing with a group of women from a small village in Uganda.

(MUSIC: "Tulinesangala")

In Tanzania, Fleck plays with musicians including Anania Ngoliga. He is a master of the thumb piano, which you can hear in this recording.

(MUSIC: "Kabibi")

While in Tanzania, Fleck visits a beach where centuries ago enslaved Africans were led to ships that would carry them to other countries.

JOHN KITIME: "This town's called Bagamoyo, Bagamoyo means 'throw down your heart.' Bwaga means throw. Heart, moyo is heart. Because this is where slaves from the mainland would come for transportation."

The musician John Kitime explains that the slaves knew that they were not going to see their homes again. So it was time to "throw down their hearts" before leaving. The Africans on these ships brought the instruments to America that would later evolve into the banjo.

While traveling, Bela Fleck discovered many of the banjo's ancestors.

BELA FLECK: "West Africa is where you really see things like banjos; East Africa, not so much. But in West Africa, you have the halum, the ngoni, the akonting ... "

In the Gambia, Fleck met with the Jatta family of musicians. They play an instrument called the akonting. The akonting has three strings¹², while the banjo Bela Fleck plays here with the Jattas has five.

(MUSIC: "Ajula/Mbamba")
　
Bela Fleck and Djelimady Tounkara

Bela Fleck plays with popular musicians in small villages. He also plays with some of the biggest names in African music. Here he performs "Miriam" with the Malian guitarist Djelimady Tounkara.

(MUSIC)

We leave you with Bela Fleck performing with the famous Malian singer Oumou Sangare. This beautiful song tells about a songbird crying out into the forest. Mizz Sangare asks people to remember those who are poor, powerless and without hope.

(MUSIC: "Djorolen")

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written and produced by Dana Demange. For transcripts¹³, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com.

Send your questions about American life to [email protected]. Please include your full name and where you live. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., two-zero-two-three-seven, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

 

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 fleck   

n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳

参考例句：

• The garlic moss has no the yellow fleck and other virus. 蒜苔无黄斑点及其它病毒。
• His coat is blue with a grey fleck.他的上衣是蓝色的，上面带有灰色的斑点。

3 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

5 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

6 dominator   

n.支配者，支配力，统治者

参考例句：

• TOYOTA becomes the new dominator in global automobile industry impetuous development. 丰田正以凶猛的声势成为全球汽车业新一轮的霸主。 来自互联网
• Both equity and non-equity joint ventures are subject to risk and profIt'sharing: their common dominator. 不论是股权式合营企业，还是非股权式合营企业都要共同承担风险，分享利润。 来自互联网

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

9 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

10 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

11 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

12 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

13 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句