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Avainsana: News on Villa Karo

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touko302012

Workshop with the Thakamou Culture Arts

On 19th of May Villa Karo participated in the finale of the Teni-Tedji Marionette Festival, which was organized for the third time in Benin by association Thakamou Culture Arts and it’s director Jude Zounmenou. Earlier in May Thakamou performed at the concert in Villa Karo, and now it was time to let the local children and high school students participate in the act – and they were many!

The rain forced us indoors in the beginning, but it didn’t stop people from playing, singing and dancing. Familiar songs and rhythms invited the children to try the marionettes, and the artists from Thakamou group taught us how the puppets are moved and how a performance is made.

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After the workshop Teni-Tedji Festival had a succesful ending, as the performers gave one last show for the children. Next year we’ll see the 4th edition of the festival, and we warmly welcome Thakamou Culture Arts back to Villa Karo!

Here’s also a peak to Thakamou group’s project in 2011. This year’s theme in the Teni-Tedji festival was the treatment of disabled people in the society and an effort to enhance their well-being. We’ll see what next year brings!

touko262012

Nonvitcha Week in Grand-Popo

It is Nonvitcha time again and a lot is happening in Grand-Popo and Villa Karo. By now the town is already filled with ex-habitants and their children and their children’s children to celebrate the home area. This year it’s the 91th birthday of home association Nonvitcha.

On Monday Villa Karo had a small celebration as well. Miikka arrived to town and we opened the new museum exhibition: a small opening for the family! Check out the photos below!

Nonvitcha weekend is the last big event of the spring. One concert is coming up and the last scholarship holders, Midy, Ayewa and Simo, continue their work for a few days. After that it’s time for the summer maintenance.

I got back to Finland yesterday and am missing Villa Karo and Grand-Popo already. Wishing everybody bonne fête de Nonvitcha et joyeux dimanche de Pentecôte!

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joulu222011

Merry Christmas! – Joyeux Noël ! – Hyvää joulua!

Christmas Manger from Ivory Coast - the Wise Men (in the Museum of Villa Karo)

Only two days until Christmas! We asked a few people from Villa Karo and Grand Popo how they will celebrate the holidays this year.

Villa Karo normally arranges a Christmas dinner for the staff, their families, scholars and their friends. Everybody gathers together in the hall of Lissa Gbassa in the evening of 24th December. In a Finnish fashion, Christmas ham or “porc braisé” is served – but also fish for those who don’t eat meat.

This year some are also travelling. Some go to Burkina Faso, and for example Richard Tandjoma, who works as an accountant at Villa Karo, will be spending Christmas this time with his family in Lomé, Togo 65 kilometers from Grand-Popo.

Richard, Papa Adanou, the gardener of Villa Karo and Boniface Gossou, the caretaker of Villa Karo, all tell that Christmas is the holiday for children. Family traditions include small gifts for children, good food and music.

But Christmas is also the celebration of Christ. After dinner families join the Christmas mass. Papa tells that he will be assisting in the Nativity scene this year. On the 25th some go to church again and afterwards to visit friends and family.

Richard, Papa and Edoh, Boniface and his friend Joel and all the staff of Villa Karo wish you a merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël à tous !

marras102011

NOVEMBER CONCERT

Real, traditional, seductive and communicative music by MIDJOUBA from HEVE, a suburb of Grand-Popo, delivered the goods on Saturday night re concert of the month.

Midjouba, a folkloric group founded in 2006 presented a great show that attracted thousands of souls from the beginning to the end.

Midjouba, in their concert, tried to send a message to the younger generation about the danger of severing our ancestral link by importing and mixing too much of western tradition into our daily lives . The key to traditional communication lies in the link between the young and old folks and their capacity to merge ideas for good results in community development was the message throughout the concert. All these were demonstrated by short musical sketches to strengthen their message to the audience, especially the youth. A message well digested by all generations, young and old is already in the archives of the folks.
KtL
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