Sunday, August 1, 2010

Tommy Allen visits Rwanda

Tommy Allen in Montana (not Rwanda)
As I sat in line to pay for airport parking, I was already sorely missing Tommy, who was now boarding an airplane to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), his first stop on his long trek home. But I was very grateful for his brief visit to Rwanda, during which we enjoyed some great times together. Here are just a few:





We visited Ivuka Arts and Tommy met some of Wesley's friends,





... and learned a few new beats.




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We drank both coffee and ginger tea with our Muslim friends at Yusef's Coffeehouse





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We also met our Saturday night dinner, and observed much of her seven-hour journey from a pleasant rest on the lawn at "Kigali Hot Racks" to our dinner plate:

You know something's happening, 
but you don't know what it is....

Knife directly into heart                    

Many interesting surprises found inside





Dinner will be ready after 6 hours over open coals


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We visited a "Community of Potters"






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          Tommy ignited musical interests in "The Village," with both guitar and fiddle performances. Villagers ultimately joined in with song and percussion.













                                                                     
Theogene sings,... 
and Tommy joins by keeping the beat,... 


...while John Lambert wails on the guitar case




We visited Theogene's home


And a fellow musician


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And, of course, we paid a visit to Tommy's uncle:


Gorilla? What gorilla?


Oh, that one that looks like Dennis Bales 
(except for all the hair)


I kid you not: 
     He "broke wind" like you have NEVER heard before! 
     (No, not Tommy,... the gorilla)