Waaw Waaw BC Honors West African Traditions

BY JACK WEYNAND Heights Staff

Some nights, on the fourth oor of Lyons Hall, rhythmic drumming can be heard echoing throughout the hallways. ere are di erent layers in the music—multiple rhythms work with each other to create a uni ed song. Voices chanting “waaw waaw” accompany the music as the drumming dies down. is music comes from Waaw Waaw BC, a West African drumming ensemble open to all students to learn and perform the Sabar drum style, which hails from Senegal.

“ is is the rst African ensemble [we’ve] had at BC,” Timothy Mangin, co-director of Waaw Waaw and assistant professor in the music department, said. “Africa is underrepresented in the curriculum. So it’s a way to show a living, vital cultural tradition.”

Waaw Waaw will perform at the 25th Annual Arts Festival on April 29 at O’Neill Plaza. While multiple music groups will perform throughout Arts Fest, the history and culture behind Waaw Waaw di erentiate it from other ensembles at Boston College, according to Mangin.

“We play rhythms and those are what people usually dance to,” Mangin said. “And then there’s something called a bakk, which is a composition from an elder.”

Waaw Waaw is currently preparing four rhythms featuring bakks. Each rhythm has a rich cultural history behind it, dating back to as early as the 12th century. One of the rhythms is called Baar MBaye.

“It’s beautiful when you see it danced by women, especially elder women, when they dance,” Mangin said. “It is very graceful and beautiful.”

Lamine Touré, instructor and master drummer for the group, is a member of one of Senegal’s oldest griot families. According to Mangin, this means that it is Touré’s family’s responsibility to ensure that the traditions, histories, and stories of his people are maintained and upheld to withstand the test of time. is often comes in the form of the group’s drum music. e drumming itself is called Sabar, which refers to a single drum or a group of drums together. Craftsmen called lawbe create the sabar drums from either dimb or baawbaab, which are hard materials that help create the drum’s echo. Once the drum is created, members of the griot families, like Touré, have the responsibility of putting the drums together with a goatskin drumhead. ere are numerous di erent types of drums, each with the ability to make di erent types of tones and noises that contribute to the diverse sounds in the Waaw Waaw BC ensemble. Ben Hetherington, a student in the drum ensemble and MCAS ’23, said he joined Waaw Waaw BC because he wanted to learn both about music and African culture.

One of the rhythms that Waaw Waaw is practicing, called Nsupp, has a special meaning in Sereer culture. Nsupp is played to a certain individual in order to honor them, according to Touré.

“A long time ago they worked together, like farming,” Touré said.

“ ey like to play, the women, so that can give them energy. So if you’re a hard worker, I can play Nsupp to honor you.” roughout rehearsals, Touré will say the words “waaw waaw,” which means “good job” or “excellent” in the Wolof tradition. Touré said he says these words in order to create a supportive environment where mistakes can be easily mended with more practice.

Touré runs through beats multiple times to ensure that all students understand the rhythm and the hand coordination needed to play each one.

“I was interested in learning how to play drums because I didn’t have any experience,” Hetherington said. “I also study Africa. Like I’m an international studies major and so it’s always interesting to me.”

Hetherington said that getting to perform at Showdown this past year with Waaw Waaw was one of the most exciting performances he has had in the group.

According to Mangin, the drum ensemble also played at the annual African Student Organization Fashion Show. Mangin said other venues around New England have also invited Waaw Waaw to perform. e group takes in teachers, students, or alumni at any level of experience. For Waaw Waaw, its goal is to preserve culture and foster a sense of community. e group aims to ensure that every person feels included in Waaw Waaw.

“ In the previous semesters, we’ve had an equal amount of women and men,” Mangin said. “People from South America and Mexico, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, people from really all over.”

Hetherington said that being in a club like Waaw Waaw at BC allows him to get out of his comfort zone.

“Basically, from my perspective, like you look at a serious, typical like BC students that are like, from like Connecticut or New Jersey and like a lot of like nance majors, guys that have names like Ben Hetherington,” Hetherington said. “I just feel like it’s just like a great way to kind of get out of your comfort zone and be exposed to something like di erent than that.”

For any new members to Waaw Waaw, Touré stressed that community was at the core of the drum ensemble.

“We just have to be patient, but with Sabar, people can really relax,” Touré said. “ e answer is to help each other, bring people together, check the stress out, and recharge.” e Maker Art and Craft Sale will return at the 25th Annual Boston College Arts Festival, organized by the Boston College Arts Council. Student vendors will showcase goods ranging from handmade jewelry to photography prints in the Rat on April 29 from 12 to 5 p.m.

“I’m honestly really excited to talk to people about my process and why I picked up crocheting, sewing, and embroidery,” Natasha Serfaty, MCAS ’25, said. “I’m really excited to meet all the people who walk by and have questions.”

Serfaty specializes in crocheted items. She said she was inspired to sell at the event after attending last year’s event and seeing her friend vend. Of the wide range of items she creates, customers could expect beanies, ngerless gloves, and leg warmers to be displayed on her table during the event, according to Serfaty.

Serfaty also has a business Instagram account and website to display the clothing and crafts she has made for her friends.

Like Serfaty, Matthew Kirven, CSOM ’24, took his hobby to the next level by starting a small business. rough his business, Upper Limit Films, Kirven sells prints of photos he has taken on trips across the world. Kirven said he plans on selling photos he took while traveling during his time studying abroad last semester.

“A lot of [the prints] were taken when I was backpacking in the mountains, so there’s a lot of di erent mountain shots,” Kirven said. “One of my favorites is called ‘Above the Void,’ and it’s this photo of a mountain and clouds emerging, so it’s peeking out above this sea of clouds.”

Behind the scenes of Kirven’s prints are a multitude of hectic and risky stories that contextualize the shots’ signicance to his journey in photography. Kirven recounted his e ort in taking “ e Night Mirage,” a photo that will also be featured at the Arts Walk.

“I slept in my car for maybe three nights in that parking lot,”

Kirven said. “And I think I did the hike ve times just for the shot but it was a really cool experience because I saw the Northern Lights. … ere’s a light show moment where they kind of go o and there were a couple other photographers on nearby peaks, and they were shouting and whooping when that happened. So it’s kind of a surreal experience.”

According to Kirven, all of the pro ts he makes at the Maker Art and Craft Sale will go to Nazareth Orphanage, an organization that is currently fundraising the building of a girls’ dormitory in Tecate, Mexico. e event will also host student artists who are looking to show their talent and creativity with di erent mediums than photography. is will include linocut cards and prints from original watercolor, oil, and pastel paintings, according to Arts Council’s Instagram.

Sadia Tanzem, MCAS ’26, will bring her nature-inspired watercolor and pastel works to sell alongside other student vendors. ese works will include plants and animals, including one of a monarch butter y and others of Mustang horses, according to Tanzem.

Tanzem participated in the Arts Council’s Holiday Craft Fair on Dec. 10, 2022. She said she owes both the free time she’s had since nishing instructive art classes and BC’s supportive art community for allowing her to continue making art and vending.

“I took art classes from third grade up until early high school,” Tanzem said. “I do think I’ve been exploring di erent mediums and using it as more of a fun creative hobby … previously it has felt more like something that I had to do.”

Students like Tanzem, Kirven, and Serfaty are just a few of the many students that will be showcasing their talent, hard work, and love for art at Arts Fest. Products from the vendors shine a light on one of the speci c ways BC students create and foster an artistic community on campus.

“I really enjoy being able to sell and get my art up there, to get feedback from our community and see [other art] in general, so I am excited to get the chance to do that again,” Tanzem said.