From a member of Kankouran West African Dance Company posted to Djembe-L

I am a member of Kankouran West African Dance Company. I was also a
performer for the Malaria Awareness Day event at the White House. I'm
not going to get into it too much, however the event was a great one
with some unexpected twists and turns, all of them positive from my
perspective.

I am no fan of the President or his policies. However, we weren't
there for him. We were there to support a greater level of awareness
of Malaria and the blight it causes amongst countries within the
continent of Africa.

In all honesty, Bush looked like he was enjoying himself from the
first time he heard the drums play. This is a true testament to the
healing properties of our dancing and drumming culture.

Too many times, people wish to focus on the negative. I for one took
it for what it was and kept on moving.

For some to suggest that Papa Dame was going to tell the President of
the United States "NO!!! Don't touch my drum" is totally ludicrous and
would have done nothing except ruin a totally good event. Everyone had
fun and enjoyed the piece of culture we brought to them. It's too bad
that it's our own people trying to pull us down about what happened,
without knowing what really went down. Dance is about healing and I
can't think of any other place and/or people who are in need of some
healing.

The Media also didn't do a good job in portraying what really happened
(replaying the same clip over and over again), however how can one
really expect them to do anything but what they did.

All I can say is that I walk in the positive. My Kankouran Family
also walks in the positive. Those who wish to thrive in the negative,
my prayers go out to you, for life is indeed too short for wasting
your energy like that.

Bless Up
Kevin McIntosh
Kankouran West African Dance Company