NSBD Teens Reflect While Building Next Stop: Brooklyn/Dakar Exhibition

As we wrap up our work during the final stages of the exhibition project our teens decided to share some thoughts about their overall experience with the Next Stop: Brooklyn/Dakar project.

Here is what some of them had to say about the project:

Great experience going to Joloff and eating Senegalese food. Brittney E.

This project was a lot of work, but I enjoyed learning about Dakar and the dance classes we took at Cumbe. Sheeba B.

I learned a lot about Dakar, Senegal and Senegalese culture. Erica N.

I’m putting filmmaker on my resume and the project has given me a better understanding of Africa and Senegal. Brionna U.

I enjoyed learning to work with people in a group, gaining leadership skills, and tasting the Senegalese food at Joloff restaurant. Jinelle T.

It opened my eyes to Senegalese culture and I can now say I am a curator. Rayanna A.

The great thing about doing projects like this is that you can engage participants on many different levels. Some will like project-based work, others filmmaking, others research and writing, others will enjoy design, while still others will enjoy the cultural immersion like the dancing, drumming and food tasting that we participated in.

We’re really excited that our students were able to get so many things out of the process, skills that will help them academically and in life.

Interviewing Papa Diagme

For our last interview, our teens returned to Brooklyn’s famous Joloff restaurant where we sat down with Papa Diagme to learn more about his life and career as Senegalese restaurant owner and chef. Papa Diagme and his wife have been in business since 1995. On our first trip to Joloff some of our teens experienced Senegalese cuisine for the very first time. They really enjoyed the traditional dishes we ordered last time so after our interview with Papa Diagme we treated them to some more delicious Senegalese food and beverages!

Photograph of Papa Diagme, owner of Joloff Restaruant.

NSBD Teens Reflect on Exhibit Design

After sifting through dozens of images our curation team was able to select some of the final images that will be included in our exhibit next month. After the images were selected and printed our exhibit design team mapped out where the images will be placed within the exhibit space. While working on the layout of the exhibit here is what some of our teens had to say:

It’s really interesting to hear other people’s opinion about the layout of the project. Collaborating with others makes the project more fun.  Sheba B.

I didn’t realize that it would take this long. Since we have so many images to work with, selecting the best one is hard.   Trevor F.

NSBD teens selecting final images for exhibit.

NSBD Teens Reflect on Using HD DSLR Camera

In addition to learning more about Senegalese culture through dance and interviewing Senegalese artists, our teens have also been learning how to film, photograph, and shoot b roll scenes with a HD DSLR camera. Before this project started many of our teens had very little to no experience using HD DSLR cameras, but after several months of hands on practice they have gotten well accustomed to operating the camera independently. The majority of the images that will be featured in the exhibit were captured by our NSBD teens!

Here is what some of our teens had to say about their experience using the HD DSLR camera:

While building the exhibit I learned a lot of vocational skills like camera techniques, interviewing skills, b roll, and photography. Learning these skills has helped me a lot in my media class at school.  Carliste B.

I really like using the camera and doing interviews. It’s really fun. Sheba B.

I am a lot more comfortable using the camera now. Senee R.

Revisiting Fulton Street, Brooklyn

After revisiting Fulton Street, our teens were able to find more Senegalese influenced businesses in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Some of the places they found include a barber shop, a jewelery store, and a small cafe called Le Paris Dakar. While exploring the neighborhood they also spoke to several business owners as they photographed their experience.

Food menu found on the sidewalk in front of Le Paris Dakar.

Creating Teams for NSBD Project

In order to maximize the amount of time we have left to work on the project, we decided to split the NSBD team into four teams: the exhibit design team, the curation team, the research team, and the web team. Members from each team will rotate in and out of different groups as needed, but everyone has a specific are of focus for the remainder of the project.

The exhibit team is responsible for drafting the final layout of the exhibit. The curation team is responsible for selecting the images and assets that will be included in the exhibit. The research team has to ensure that the information presented is both interesting and accurate. Finally, the web team will launch a full project web site that encompasses the work of both groups, the students in Senegal and Brooklyn, will include downloads.

Brooklyn Teens Trip to the Staten Island Children’s Museum

With only a few weeks remaining until we launch our Next Stop: Brooklyn/Dakar exhibit, our team decided to take a trip to the Staten Island to present our work to a group of teens at the Staten Island Children’s Museum. When we arrived at the Staten Island Children’s Museum we were warmly welcomed and immediately jumped into a series of fun icebreakers and reflection exercises. After the exercises, we shared our presentation on the Next Stop: Brooklyn/Dakar project. During the presentation our teens shared some very useful background information about the project and also revealed some behind the scenes  footage of our adventures in Brooklyn. Following the presentation, we were given a wonderful tour of the Staten Island Children’s Museum, courtesy of intern hosts!

Check out some of the photographs from our adventures; they’re posted on our tumblr page!

NSBD team with interns from the Staten Island Children’s Museum.

Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market Trip

During a recent trip to the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market, located in Harlem, New York, our teens witnessed the bustling community of African immigrants living and working along West 116^th Street. On our way to the market we stopped to photograph the various stores and local businesses in the community. Many of the establishments we found there were reminiscent of some of the places we located during our Fulton Street excursion in Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Here are some of the photographs we took during our Harlem trip:

Photograph of local establishments along W 116th Street, located in Harlem, New York.

Photograph of the Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market welcome sign.

Interviewing Konate Primus

On our last visit to Cumbe, our teens had the honor of finishing their eight week-long Senegalese performing arts learning experience with a final drum circle workshop courtesy the very talented Konate Primus. Before starting the drum lesson, our teens sat down with Konate for a 30-minute interview about his life as an African American drummer, who was heavily influenced by Senegalese arts and culture.

Konate was born in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of both American and West Indian descent. He describes his childhood as being similar to that of any other typical child  growing up in Brooklyn, New York, except the only difference is  instead of hanging out with friends he spent hours learning and practicing African drum rhythms at his parents’ dance school. Although his parents were not of Senegalese descent, Konate and his family had a deep appreciation for the Senegalese culture, which led them to adopt many of the Senegalese customs they practiced at home.

Even after the interview ended, Konate continued to share wonderful stories about how drumming and Senegalese culture has influenced his life and contributed to his growth as a drummer.

NSBD teens interviewing Konate Primus.

NSBD learning sabar with Konate Primus.

Learning Sabar with Lamine Thiam and Konate Primus

Once again our adventure has brought us back to Cumbe! This time our students learned percussion with master percussionists Lamine Thiam and Konate Primus.

Lamine Thiam is a world-renowned dancer, choreographer, drummer, and actor. Born in Senegal, Lamine specializes in traditional West African dance and rhythms such as sabar, djembe, and bougarrabou. He has studied at the Consevatoire National du Senegal (in Dakar) and performed with the Songomar African Dance Comapany and Ballet Jo-Kolly.

After interviewing Lamine, our teens sat down with our instructor, Konate Primus and learned about sabar, a traditional drumming style, which developed in ways similar to American jazz. The sabar rhythm we practiced was called takk ci ripp.

Photograph of Lamine Thiam.

Konate Primus teaching NSBD teens how to play the takk ci ripp rhythm.