BRATTLEBORO — A benefit event will take place at The Stone Church on Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. to help save the land and culture of the Baka Pygmy in Salapoumbe, Cameroon, which organizers say is being destroyed by deforestation and modernity.
The evening starts with a delicious Cameroonian meal leading to a performance of spirited dancing and drumming by Brattleboro residents Georgette Adjie Beighle and Raoul Ombang, originally from Cameroon, and members of the Brattleboro African dance community: Pape Ba, Namory Keita, Alyse Landis, Amy Jordan and Lisa Ballesteros.
A short documentary filmed by Georgette Adjie, with a presentation on the issue, follows. This cause is dear to Georgette and Raoul as they are from the eastern region of Cameroon and are seeking to help preserve their culture.
Forms of traditional cultural expression such as dance, music, poetry, language, and crafts face extinction, and deforestation has forced displacement of the Baka, the organizers say.
In response, in 2003 Georgette started Bantu International. Her goal is to raise awareness and promote African culture with a specialized focus on the Baka Tribe of Cameroon. Bantu International is working to expose New England to aspects of African culture through workshops, lectures, and presentations.
In 2009, the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation was interested in supporting international efforts to preserve culture. Cameroon was one of nine international sites selected to film dance rituals and games of the isolated Baka. Georgette received funding support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund.
During the filming in Cameroon she discovered additional challenges that her tribe faced in attempting to save their land. She says documentation of a culture's expressions can save them from extinction “by creating an enduring record of key pieces of the culture while instantly bridging younger generations to their ancestral roots.”
As a child, Georgette explains, she began dancing traditional dances with the elders in her village and learning about the customs of her people. In 1994 Georgette moved with her husband to Brattleboro, where they lived for 12 years during which time she taught and performed dance.
In 2006, the family moved back to Cameroon. Georgette started a dance troupe there called Singo Dance Troupe to teach youth - “many of them street kids” - new skills and show them how they can use their talent in drumming and dance professionally.
In 2010, she joined the National Ballet of Cameroon and that year toured 21 major cities in Japan, the World Expo in China, and the African Art Festival in Senegal. She now resides in Vermont and is continuing the momentum of her work through teaching, performances, and presentations.