Stories are meant to be told. In African cultures stories entertain, inspire and provoke. Storytelling promotes communication, self-confidence, diction, and the love of reading in children. The more we share the more we realize how similar we are.
Stories teach right from wrong, remind and educate us about our own world and those worlds far, far away. In the story “Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom,” the spider’s greed and trickery backfires to remind us greed does not pay. Some stories explain the world. An example is, “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ear.” Cautionary tales for example, warn us about judging a person by their outward appearance. In the story “How the Turtle got his Shell,” the very small and very slow turtle was the only animal to trick the powerful and mean Leopard into giving up his great drum for a celebration. Some stories remind us to respect and honor our elders while others simply make us laugh!
Although music and dance is my first love, my love for reading and theater made storytelling an easy transition. Story telling transports me to my first home. An opportunity to tell a story is a chance to go home. Come home with me!
"Habiba Addo's electrifying storytelling and dance performances offer a superbly authentic expression of African culture. She charms her audience with such remarkable animation and warmth that both children and adults are drawn into the village life of her story characters."
~ Sally Shaw, concert producer for the Micro Credit Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, OR