Author: Gorer, Geoffrey.
Title: Africa Dances. A Book About West African Negroes.
Description: John Lehmann. London 1949 2nd edition. (isbn shown is for a later paperback edition). Library rebind with red cloth boards. 254pp illustrated 32 photographic plates and maps. 8vo. Ex library with usual paraphernalia, a Good sound copy, no dustwrapper. ISBN: 9780907871187 The author divides his writing to cover three distinct itineraries. Firstly from Dakar across then French West Africa through Senegal to Bamako. Secondly he continues across country to Ouagadougou. Lastly a continuation through Dahomey along the coast westwards and then inland again through the Ivory Coast and a return via Senegal to Dakar. He travelled on this expedition as a guest of famed Senegalese dancer, Feral Benga, circa 1934 - 35, whose intent was to study the local dances and bring back a black ballet to Paris. Much of interest beyond the intent to study african dance including native religions and the French colonial administration. A perceptive traveller. Blurb: "Africa Dances takes the reader on an odyssey across West Africa, in the company of one of the great black ballet stars of 1930s Paris (Feral Benga). It is a devastating critique of colonial rule, which was shown to be destroying African society while Christian missionaries undermined indigenous morality. Wickedly scornful of French rule, and the creator of outrageous portraits of colonial society, Gorer's humor still strikes like a whip across the pretense and hypocrisy of the system. The book captures the rich physical and psychological detail of African village life from food and architecture to witch doctors, dance, and magic. Gorer witnesses men diving for three-quarters of an hour without coming up for breath, witch-doctors conjuring thunderstorms out of clear blue skies, and chameleon fetishists whose skin changes from a dirty white to almost black".

Keywords: french west africa dakar wolof dahomey fetishist missionaries africa african


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