THE RHYTHMS OF THE SOUL

GOLD: AN OPULENT AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

In my visit to Cape Town, South Africa, we had an opportunity to visit this incredible restaurant that had a full “Immersive African Experience.” Our group delighted in the opportunity to go and celebrate the rich, vibrant culture emerging from so many different countries around the continent of Africa. We were energized and mesmerized by how all of our senses were stimulated during this one evening.

It is located within walking distance from the V&A Waterfront, where many tourists make their way for a shopping indulgence. But, the exterior of the building is brick, boring, and bland, blending into a commercialized area that surrounds it. But, the minute you walk in, it’s as if you are being carried to a new world. Both sides of the walls are covered in lively shades of orange, yellow, and blue, boasting an array of African art. If you are lucky enough to be greeted by the giant-sized puppet that reaches over ten feet into the air, you’ll get a whole new sense of welcome as you climb the stairs to the main dining room.

The concrete stairs lead you in a spiral up into the second floor where tables are scattered, but the main attraction is tucked into another room where dozens of long tables are set up for large parties and groups to come and be surrounded by waves of opulence in decor. Every seat in this space is equipped with your own artistically crafted drum and like small children, every adult in the room picked it up and played with it, wondering what this table decor was for.

Before the dinner began, a young man came out on stage and picked up a drum, calling for everyone’s attention. He said, “We are going to work a rhythm together. Everyone repeat after me.” He then proceeded to lead us in simple drum beats to start, helping people catch the beat as he demonstrated how we were to follow. Inevitably somebody would do 5 beats instead of 4 and we would have to start over again. But, when the room of two hundred people or more got into the right beats together, it was hypnotizing.

As you can see in the video, our group really got into it, bringing their own unique techniques to the process of playing. I marveled at my colleagues who let the sounds wash over them and enter their body as a welcomed spirit, moving their arms, chest, face, and head to each beat that penetrated across the room and into each person’s soul. It was exhilarating, to say the least.

It did make me wonder what it would be like for thousands and maybe even millions of people to come together under a beautiful rhythm like this? What if there was something powerful enough, like this, to get them to stop caring about their concerns, their own beats, but they could see and feel the rhythms that they contributed to which affected other people, too?

The whole night still reverberates in my memory as I witnessed a momentary miracle of unity as a celebration of culture. There were so many elements of that whole experience that reminded me how beautiful humanity can be when we let the rhythm of our souls come together!

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