Everybody “bobo”

I finished working on an article about local Peace Corps volunteers and their families that will run in Sunday’s Carolina section. I really enjoyed writing it because I got to talk to other local volunteers and their families and learn about their amazing experiences. Some of the volunteers are finished, but some are just starting and it was fun to hear how excited they are. I’ll be posting additions to the story here.

I finished my own service in Namibia in December of 2007, where I taught grades 5-7. This first addition is three very short videos that make me smile. I took them at my end-of-year class parties. One of the many wonderful qualities Namibian children possess is an utter lack of timidity when it comes to dancing and singing. At the party, as soon as I announced that my friend and fellow volunteer Elizabeth had brought her laptop to play music, they were all stuffing their cupcakes in their mouths and jumping out of their seats to stand close to the speakers.

In this first video, Elvis, Michael and Mornie are dancing to “Bobo,” a song by Namibian artist Stanley, who is very popular with my kids. He speaks and sings in their native language, Khoekhoegowab, which is a language with clicks. The refrain in the song is “Everybody bobo,” and “The Bobo” is a dance. So, that’s not confusing at all.

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In this video, Gilldy is the little girl in the black shirt who clearly knows how to get down. Dancing with her are Juanita, Irene, Melody and Elizabeth. They are also dancing to “Bobo.”

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And finally, the whole grade 5 class doing the kudu dance to a Raphael and Pele song. Raphael and Pele are also Khoekhoegowab speaking, and in February of 2007, they visited our school and gave a concert in the cafeteria and all the kids got to meet them. Anyway, I think it’s called the “kudu dance” because the kids put their hands on their heads like antlers and kind of hop around. When they wanted me to play the song, they would say, “Miss, play for us the kudu!”

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