Join us in the fabulous season of celebrating of the ancestors
Usually, pre-pandemic, around this time of the year, our neighborhoods change, classroom teachers put up scary decorations and shops are fully stocked with costumes and treats. But it’s not Halloween that we would be most excited about. It’s Gede, a celebration popular in Haiti that embraces and celebrates the dead. While we’re completely online, we are still feeling the vibes and immersing ourselves into the world of ancestral celebration for the whole of November.
Check out these upcoming workshops & events:
Oct. 27 – Griot Circle Lecture Series: Second Line with Jude Evans
Nov. 1 – Gede – A Celebration of the Ancestors with Julio Jean
Nov. 8 – Nbozi and Bâ Ngûnza: Congolese Dances of the Ancestors with Andoche Loubaki
Nov. 15 – Second Line with Jude Evans
Nov.22 – Nbozi and Bâ Ngûnza: Congolese Dances of the Ancestors with Andoche Loubaki
We’re starting our celebration with Gede, or family of spirits that rule of the space between life and death, with Papa Gede at the helm of the group. Here’s a rewind of an article we shared in 2018.
If you know anything about Day of the Dead or All Souls Day in the Catholic religion, this celebration is in many ways aligned with these religious holidays. But there are some major differences including the act of becoming possessed.
During the festivities, dancing and drumming is common, along with several rituals and feasts, calling upon the Gede to enjoy the pleasures of life. Dances for the Gede, like Maskawon and Banda are suggestive and sexual, because this family of Loa are associated with fertility, death and mysteries between worlds.
Julio Jean, Haitian singer, dancer and instructor at Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance is leading a special celebration on Nov. 1 to introduce people to this sacred and fun holiday.
“Besides that, Gede have healing power,” Julio says. “You can get protection. If someone is sick, you pray to Gede for healing. They are a very powerful family. They can give health and remove bad spirits.”
The Gede are part of the pantheon of Vodou, an ancient African spiritual and religious practice with roots in Benin. Haitians are often most associated with the practice, but with a kind of stigma.
Chita Tann Bon Mambo, researcher, author of “Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti’s Indigenous Spiritual Tradition” and Vodou practitioner, explains that the practice is widely practiced and misunderstood.
“Most of what we hear popularly about Haitian Vodou today that is negative can be traced directly to anti-Haitian and anti-Vodou sentiment expressed during the U.S. Marine occupation of Haiti (1915-1934), including the obsession with zombie tropes and a continuation of racist commentary raised against African revolutionaries during the Haitian Revolution. It is undeserved. Vodou is an ancient and vibrant tradition that affirms life and provides healing to millions.”
Revelers often wear black, white and purple. They powder their faces in white, carry canes, wear dark shades and top hats. There’s plenty of liquor, specifically clairin (a Haitian rum sometimes infused with hot peppers), passed around.
It’s during this time, the dead, those who have no grave, the forgotten or lost, ancestors and the keepers of the dead are honored. It is through this celebration people are reminded that life is a gift and a joy.
Cumbe embraces the various cultural celebrations shared across the Diaspora and provides space for everyone to learn and enjoy the beauty and complexity of African and African Diaspora culture through dance.
Join us for this dynamic dance workshop and celebration Nov. 1 from 2:30-3:30pm. Attendees will learn dances sacred to the celebration and everyone is encouraged to wear black, silver, white and purple costumes.