All the Way from Africa Land
By Akilah Richards
In a country like the Republic of Senegal in West Africa diversity is everywhere. For those born into wealth, life can be fulfilling with vast opportunities, but for those born on the opposite end of the spectrum life can be extremely difficult. Therefore, many hunger to find success in life elsewhere, usually in the United States. With tales of its glitz and glamour from those who have traveled and returned, life appears almost perfect. Here are two individuals from opposite sides of the fence who describe their experiences of emigration to the United States.
Malang Bayo
Malang Bayo is a world-renowned Senegalese virtuoso of the arts. His many diverse talents include song, dance, choreography, and the African drum. Emigrating to the United States as an adult, it is his heartfelt passion for and extreme dedication to African dance that has gained him stardom. Bayo is a hardworking yet gentle individual who constantly strives for perfection, evident in both his exemplary work ethic and dedication to preserving and spreading his craft amongst both the young and old. Being born and raised in Senegal, West Africa without lavish accessories, Bayo worked to aide his family with the funds he generated. It is in these times he molded the characteristics that would become essential for his success.
“When I was younger I never thought about traveling out because I can get anything in my country,” he said. “But when I got older, I thought the Gods wanted me to travel out to help my family because we were pauvre (poor)…we had nothing.” Mr. Bayo used these trying times to fuel his jet to success as he began to demonstrate an extraordinary passion for dance, which caught the eye of dance company scouts in Senegal. It was this intense love affair with dance that would become his port of entry into the United States, enabling him to tour with major dance companies and experience what the world truly had to offer.
Bayo has an incredible resume composed of cameo appearances in major movies to main stream performances with celebrated artists, him being one in his own right. Bayo has danced with Ballet Fore Sacre, The National Ballet of Senegal, Great Ballet D’Afrique Noir of Mansour Gueye and has even performed at the Seoul Korea Olympic Games. However, his portfolio hardly concludes here as he devotes his life to filling others with his adoration for his culture. He is well taught in the diverse dances of West Africa including traditional Senegalese dance and other cultural dances. His expertise sets him apart from the rest when it comes to creativity and proper execution of dance routines.
One could say that Malang Bayo has it all as he has become a prominent name in the artistic sphere, but it is safe to say that Bayo will hardly ever forget his difficult beginnings in Senegal. Highly religious and painstakingly humble, Bayo is the type of artist one would aspire to meet. As a proud Muslim and dedicated father Mr. Bayo said his life is now here in New York. “My retirement is not in Senegal it is in the United States because that is where I do everything not for me but for my children when I get old,” he said. It appears that his rough start to life has affected him only for the better as he works to secure the best life possible for his family.
Malang Bayo can usually be found hard at work ensuring the best for his students and clients with his own performance company which was founded in 1992. His personal endeavors also include educating the youth about African dance, through which he regularly performs and lectures at different schools and colleges. He is also the assistant choreographer and a performer in the dance company, “Les Enfants du Soleil.” Mr. Bayo is a proud Senegalese who never misses an opportunity to give back to those who have helped him and to encourage others to develop their talents. When asked about his marriage to dance Mr. Bayo simply replied, “I love dance… I Malang Bayo love dance, it is in my heart, it was meant for me… the dance made me know this world, and I love what I am doing.”
Traditional Senegalese Cuisine
Francois Sene
“It is better to start with difficulty, than to end with difficulty,” said Francois Sene, an interesting individual who has lived this quote in its entirety. Having emigrated to the United States in pursuit of educational desires, he better than anyone understands that the road to “El Dorado” does not exist.
According to Sene, before he made the decision to leave his native country Senegal, he had no blueprint for the course his life would take. Post-emigration proved to bring more hardships than anything he had ever faced. With constant curveballs being thrown from every direction, he realized that living within his own Senegalese enclave posed a major threat to his sanity. “New York has been extremely hard for me; I have a lot of enemies even though I do not consider them as such, for no reason.” Well versed in French and English, Sene continued to strive for excellence attending the College of Staten Island and the New York Technical College Institute with advanced study in areas of industrial electronics. Currently his major goal is to finish his studies.
The New York experience has been quite the winding road for Mr. Sene as he has been the victim of racism, extreme jealousy, and outright wrong doing from his colleagues. Though degraded by the harsh reality of American society, he still manages to remain hopeful in spite of past occurrences. According to Sene, the anger harbored by many New Yorkers impedes individual success, therefore he believes to attain great things one must consistently remain positive.
As a devout Muslim he relies on his spiritual teachings to stay grounded and tries to do good for all, even those from his past. Though humble and extremely determined, Sene said, “my mind is tired, my body is tired, but I am not a quitter… I will keep on going because I believe that one day things will improve significantly in my life.” It is this ability to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative that has pushed him to discover his internal strength. Though some emigrate and strike it rich, others fall by the wayside and for many recovery is not an option as breaking the law becomes their only way to achieve the American dream. Through intense study and countless experiences, Sene said he understands the system and has accepted the fact that he may never become rich. However, money is not an issue for Mr. Sene as he finds his true reward in being a “holy and good person, who shares with others.”
Self-sufficient and hard working Francois has concluded that “emigration is the last step one should choose for themselves. Some people make it if they are lucky but the majority will not.” Spoken with the strength of experience Francois Sene will continue to remain true to himself and make the best of his current situation.