African slaves brought the drum to the New World, where they created new musical genres, including the music of the steel drum. Now, an African is seeking to take the steel drum back to its motherland.
Re-Percussions: Our African Odyssey is the story of the steel drum, which evolved from the drum, which African slaves brought, and is today a completely different orchestral instrument. It was taken by Trinidadians to the Festival of Black Arts in 1977, held in Lagos, Nigeria, when it enthralled a young boy, Bowie Sonie Bowei. He never forgot and 25 years later Bowie has dedicated his lift to propagating the steelpan in Nigeria. But it's not so easy: first he has to learn the difficult craft of making the instrument, and then penetrate the indifference of the society. The solution he opts for is to target the children, but can he succeed?