By Donna Lamb
enes is a griot who walks in the
footsteps of his father, the late, great Art Sebastian Broomes. Art, a
master musician, dominated the jazz scene in Guyana, South
America, as a drummer from the late 1930s until his passing in March
2003.
Born of African ancestry in Guyana, Menes is dedicated to
maintaining the culture of his people, for, as he says, "to be without
knowledge of one's true history, culture or heritage is to be like a
tree with no roots."
Menes is also a master drummer plus an herbalist, and natural
lifestyle consultant working with his wife, Mama Nyaah. She is
originally from Trinidad, and is the brilliant nature
scientist/herbalist who makes most of the herbal compounds offered by
Cosmic Enterprise, The Healing Village.
Menes is the leader of the musical group, Shanto, which performs the
indigenous music of the African people of Guyana. They have played at
such places as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Yankee Stadium as
well as many venues in Canada, South Africa and throughout the
Caribbean, always within the context of keeping the culture alive.
In 2002 after playing for her fashion show, South Africa's leading
designer and cultural icon, Meisie Mosimane - also known as Sister Bucks
- invited Menes to visit her country as a guest instructor at her
school, which teaches art and design to young people, and to do some
healing work. It was a dream come true for Menes to go home to Mother
Africa to extend his knowledge and to connect even more deeply with his
roots, so he accepted.
At the school he taught drumming, poetry, history, the healing arts,
and culture from the Caribbean as well as the African American
perspective. He said of the South African youth, "They're very much into
hip hop, and one of their idols is Tupac. During and after apartheid,
South Africa has had a tremendous amount of Western influence trying to
move youth away from traditional rituals. I reinforced the tradition,
which calls for respect for the creator, our ancestors, or parents, the
elders, our families and community."
Menes also sat down with many of the elders who taught him some of
the healing modalities practiced in South Africa. He was very glad to
learn that South Africa is in the process of organizing the natural
healing arts in such a way that they can be taught in a university
setting. They would then bring in Sangomas - the spiritual people who
deal with healing - and have them teach the youth. Once they are
proficient, they will be certified.
One of the elders he met with was working on this project of putting
together a natural healing program. He wanted to learn more about the
herbs used in the West - primarily, the US, the Caribbean, and South
America - so Menes was glad to be in a position to share some of his
knowledge.
He also learned that South Africa was making into law a person's
right to chose whether they wish to seek the help of a Sangoma or go to
a Western medicine hospital to be treated. The health coverage would
have to pay either way.
While in South Africa, Menes performed as well. He opened for Sister
Bucks at the South Africa Fashion Week, and played with the Jabu
Khanyile band at the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Development
Conference in Johannesburg.
Another highpoint of his trip was becoming acquainted with the Venda
people and having one of their ancestral drums made for him. Even before
he left New York, he had seen this big beautiful drum at the Caton
Cultural Market in Brooklyn and instantly felt a strong connection with
it. It had a sign "Venda, South Africa." He didn't know what that meant
until Sister Bucks told him the drum was indigenous to the Venda people
of South Africa. When he told her what a powerful attraction he was
feeling to these drums, she said she would take him there.
When he arrived in Venda Land, in the Northern Province of South
Africa, Menes learned that the Venda people originally came from the
Congo. Many of the people in his native Guyana originally came from
there as well, which helped explain the great bond he'd felt.
In Venda Land, Menes went to see the Sangoma and drum maker, Makouba,
who became one of his spiritual advisors and counselors. Makouba and
another young lady taught him their methods of playing the ritual drums.
"They play the drums with sticks as opposed to the hands," Menes noted.
"One of the rhythms they were playing they said was one of the most
complicated rhythms and it's one they use in their ceremonies. I began
to smile. I knew that rhythm, so I picked up the sticks and began
playing it. They were amazed that I played it with so much proficiency.
We played that rhythm in Guyana. We call it Kromantee, and we played it
with our hands."
Menes said, too, "What I also noticed at the rituals I was privileged
to attend was that most of the drummers were females. I was very pleased
and astonished because those sisters were playing those drums, and they
were making those drums talk!" He also saw at the different rituals that
like all drum orchestras, they had at least three drums: the lead,
rhythm and bass drums.
A special ancestral drum was made for Menes in South Africa.
According to the Yanga Makouba, this drum is the first design of its
kind ever made. The drum consists of three playing sides: The top, which
is the lead; the right side, the bass; and the left side, the rhythm.
As Menes explained, "They each sound different, and together they
represent the trinity, which is the family - the man woman and child,
not the father, son and Holy Ghost. That is why in all indigenous
cultures where the drum is played they have at least three drums. The
bass drum represents the female. She's the foundation what keeps the
family together. The lead drum represents the man. In African tradition
his responsibility is to protect and lead the family. And the rhythm
drum represents the child."
Before leaving South Africa, a "Return to the Source" or "Welcome
Home Ritual" was done for Menes. "Part of this ritual included a naming
ceremony," he said. "And one of the names I was given is Mpho
(pronounced OoMpo), which means 'The Gift.'"
A year later Menes' ancestral drum arrived in the US just in time,
as it turned out, for him to play it at his brother, Fedna Stoll
Woseley's funeral in September, and then at the reinternment of the
ancestors' bones in lower Manhattan at the African Burial Ground in
early October. He will be playing it in February at Medgar Evers College
at the fundraiser for the annual "Tribute to Our Ancestors of the
Middle Passage" and certainly at the Tribute itself in Coney Island in
June.
As to his message to his people, Menes says, "I want to remind
everyone, irrespective of where your journey is leading you, to remember
that your health is your wealth. Take care of your body and your body
will take care of you. Drink plenty of water, exercise, eat wholesome
food whenever you can and don't hold onto any negative vibrations. Get
into a dance class; dance to the drums. And if you can't get to a dance
class just get some Shanto music and dance at home!"
Menes can be reached at Cosmic Enterprises at 147 Rockaway Avenue,
Brooklyn, (718) 342-6257 or (732) 841-4712. Email:
Mposhanto@optonline.net
