In December 2006, Mike Slocombe and a collective of friends embarked on a cross-Atlantic voyage from Canada's largest metropolis, Toronto to the remote village of Baro in Guinea, a West African nation with a complex history and a rich culture. They embarked on their globetrotting adventure to learn and culture themselves to the traditional African rhythms and dances, indigenous to that region of the world. Slocombe, who has a deep rooted passion and admiration for the art of African drumming—so much so, he is a founding member of the Toronto-based percussion ensemble Baro Dununba, which is rooted in cultural music from West Africa and the Diaspora (individuals of African ancestry living outside of Africa )—was ecstatic at the opportunity to commune and apprentice under the masters of the art forms on African soil—a homecoming that would prove to be life changing. “I was so excited and nervous at the same time, as I had always felt that if I visited Africa I would not return,” recalls Slocombe. “I had mentioned this to a spiritual guide before I left and she said that it did not necessarily mean that I would be harmed or stay there but that I would most likely find a part of myself, or have an awakening, making me a different man. She was so right.” Upon their arrival in Baro, Slocombe’s and his friends’ excitement about their pilgrimage was eclipsed by the sight of human suffering through poverty, disease and sickness. “Tetanus, leprosy, and … [Read more...]