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Brenda
Payton, Oakland Tribune, June 17,2003
Dancer/drummer's
death a terrible loss
THE LOSS OF dancer and drummer Malonga Casquelourd, killed
early Sunday morning by an alleged drunk driver, is vast. Immense and monumental.
To the Bay Area dance community, it's the equivalent of a tsunami. That
might sound like hyperbole. It's not. It's nearly impossible to describe
the extent of the loss. When Casquelourd came to Oakland in the mid-1970s
he was an early ambassador of African dance and drumming. A friend recalls
him still counting in French for his dance class, "un, deux, trois." Other
accomplished African dancers and drummers came through the area, but Casquelourd
was a continual presence, becoming the magnet and foundation for the most
advanced African dance community in the country.
African dance in Oakland is the most varied and sophisticated in the United
States, including New York, in large part thanks to Casquelourd. He had
an international reputation as a dancer, choreographer and drummer. He
not only attracted other African dancers to the area but educated scores
of people about Congolese dance and drumming, his particular style.
Thousands of people have taken "Malonga," Casquelourd's classes,
over the years. In addition to teaching at CitiCentre Dance Theater where he
was a founding member, he taught in East Palo Alto and at San Francisco State
University. He took his classes to the Sierra foothills for a summer Congolese
dance camp and to Hawaii for annual workshops.
His dance company, Fua Dia Congo, is a staple at African and ethnic dance performances.
He established a unique all-women's drumming group to counteract some of
the misunderstandings about women and the tradition of African drumming.
The women were stunning, dressed in African cloth, walking from the back
of the stage toward the audience as they drummed.
Of course it all started with his own dancing. Casquelourd had a distinctive
energy and quality of dance that was inherently exciting. In the middle
of a flurry of rhythmic movement, he would stop unexpectedly, juxtaposing
complete motion with stillness, and then continue. His love of dance and
music was infectious. You couldn't watch him move without smiling.
Casquelourd was the Godfather of African Dance.
He used his art form to teach about his culture. But his life was also a lesson
in family, community, loyalty and dedication to art. He made sure his four
children were knowledgeable and proud of their Congolese culture. He made
countless sacrifices to preserve and promote Congolese dance and drumming.
In the 20-plus years I knew him, I never once heard him consider giving
up the tough life of a dancer/drummer. I doubt if it ever crossed his mind.
Similarly, he remained dedicated to CitiCentre Dance Theater through times
of financial and organizational uncertainty. Casquelourd stuck with the
organization, believing in its mission of offering a wide range of multi-ethnic
dance classes to the community. Its philosophy reflects the African dance
tradition that is not an elite art form to be watched, but a community
activity that everyone participates in.
I've probably made Casquelourd sound somber and studious. While he was absolutely
serious about his family, community and art form, he had a mischievous,
playful personality. However you felt before you ran into him, you were
guaranteed to be in a sunnier mood when you left. When people talked about
Malonga, they shook their heads affectionately and smiled.
His dancers stayed with him for years. If anyone did get angry with him, they
didn't stay that way for long. Using the words of one of his colleagues,
he was a warm, jovial Papa bear.
Casquelourd was the patriarch for the African and multi-ethnic dance community
here. He built the foundation and nurtured it. Anyone who has enjoyed watching
or participating in African dance and drumming in the Bay Area has Casquelourd
to thank. Because of his dedication, the tradition is bound to continue
as his legacy.
But for the dance community and for those of us who knew him, his loss is indescribable.
It's impossible to think of dance in the Bay Area and not think of Casquelourd.
Malonga. That void will never be filled.
Brenda
Payton, Oakland Tribune, June 17, 2003
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