COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JULY 1, 2021 | 7A
The rhythm of healing
Sophia Edelblute
sedelblute
@cgsentinel.com
From S 8th Street to S 6th Street and
Main, the rhythm of the djembe, a tradi-
tional West African drum, draws people
in on the evening of Friday, June 25.
Special musical guest to Cottage
Grove’s Art Walk, Fodé Isamael Sylla,
plays alongside his friend, Joshua Cara-
co. Caraco plays the kora, a string in-
strument of West Africa. Together they
weave a melody through downtown.
“Music is the answer,” says B.J. Jones,
who scheduled Fodé to come play. She’s
also general manager of the Music Mon-
ey nonprofit in Cottage Grove. “People
are just happy not only to be out but
to have music, live music in downtown
again, because it was a regular thing and
then it was gone. It feels good to see peo-
ple’s smiling faces.”
Fodé has been playing djembe all his
life, since he was very young he says.
He’s originally from Guinea and ended
up in the states performing for Cirque
de Soleil. After three years of touring,
he decided “to share my knowledge as a
dance instructor and drum instructor, so
that’s how I ended up in Oregon.”
He met Caraco about three years ago at
a performance. There, Caraco was play-
ing kora, which he learned to play while
studying abroad in Senegal in 2008.
Fodé recognized the instrument and
“invited him to my group and when he
has a show I will join him and when I
have a gig I will invite him and we share
music because music is all about heal-
ing.”
“We are able to play together quite eas-
ily because [Fodé] is familiar with Kora
repertoire,” says Caraco.
“We play [kora] when people are sad,
when we lost some people, we play for
a funeral,” says Fodé. “And when we
are celebrating, it is also playing. Same
as when we play djembe, it’s a universal
language. It doesn’t know color or race
or anybody. Once you put your hands
on it it brings people together. So that
has been my passion, bringing people
together and helping them live in the
moment.”
On this evening as they play, people
gather in Opal Whiteley Park to listen
and dance. The rhythm is almost trans-
fixing. Music has returned to the Cottage
Grove Art Walk.
“It’s one of the most amazing things,”
says Jones. “It’s a healing thing and it’s a
fun thing.”
Fodé echoed the Jones’ sentiment on
the importance of music.
“Cottage Grove, this is probably my
third time being here because as we all
know, we are living in a dark time right
now. It’s hard and music, I think we all
need music,” he says. “Music helps us be
in the moment. It’s just like, move and
dance and feel our soul. So I call it a heal-
ing time, and we are happy to be here,
sharing with the community because it
brings community together, brings toler-
ance and peace.”
Concerts make a comeback
PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNETH MICHAEL ROBERTS
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Fodé Isamael Sylla (right) and Joshua Caraco play
together in All-America City Square (aka Opal
Whiteley Park) for Cottage Grove’s Art Walk. Fodé
plays the djembe drums and Caraco plays the Kora.
Concerts in the Park made a rousing return to The Grove on June 23 with a foot-tapping performance
by Gabe Schliffer and the Sugar Pine String Band. Wednesday marked the first concert since the sum-
mer of 2019 as last year’s concerts were called off due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Chamber of
Commerce’s summer series of concerts is produced by KNND and will showcase a different musical tal-
ent every Wednesday in Bohemia Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy the ease of
Worship
Directory
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
10:00am
Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th
Tim Baker, Senior Minister
www.6thandgibbs.com
Calvary Baptist Church
77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290
Pastor: Riley Hendricks
Sunday School: 9:45am
Worship: 11:00am
The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm
Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm
Church of Christ
420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565
Sunday Service: 10:30am
Cottage Grove Bible Church
1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771
Pastor:Bob Singer
Worship 11am
Sunday School:9:45am
AWANA age 3-8th Grade,
Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm
www.cgbible.org
First Presbyterian Church
3rd and Adams St
541-942-4479
Rev.: Karen Hill
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:00am
fpcgrove.com
Hope Fellowship
United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd.
541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg
Worship: 11:00am Sunday
Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday
www.hopefellowshipupc.com
“FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Showering Safely
So you can stay in the home you love!
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Scripture, Tradition, Reason”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am
All Welcome
ALL NEW
Walk-In
Shower!
Seventh-day Adventist Church
820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: James D. Boram
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
Trinity Lutheran Church
6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373
Pastor: James L. Markus
Sunday School & Adult Education
Living Faith Assembly
9:15am
467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612
Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a Sunday Worship 10:30 am
Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur
Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all
5:00pm TLC Groups
ages welcome)
Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) tlccg.com
United Methodist Church
Non-Denominational
334 Washington 541-942-3033
Church of Christ
Worship 10am
1041 Pennoyer Ave
umcgrove.org
541-942-8928
Preacher: Tony Martin
“VICTORY” Country Church
Cottage Grove Faith Center
Sunday Bible Study:10:00am
33761 Row River Rd.
Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913
Pastor: Barbara Dockery
541-942-4851
www.pennoyeravecoc.com
Worship Service: 10:00am
Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett
www.cg4.tv
Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Message: “WE BELIEVE IN
MIRACLES”
Full Childrenʼs Ministry available
St. Philip Benizi
Services: 9:00am & 10:45am
Catholic Churches
CRESWELL:
1025. N. 19th St.
Creswell Presbyterian Church
Delight Valley
541-942-3420
75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419
Church of Christ
Father John J. Boyle
Rev. Seth Wheeler
33087 Saginaw Rd. East
Holy Mass:
Adult Sunday School 9:15am
541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend Saturday Vigil – 5:30 pm
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am
Two Services:
Sunday – 10:30 am
9am - Classic in the Chapel
For weekday and Holy Day of website www.creswellpres.org
10:30am - Contemporary in the
Obligation schedule see website
Auditorium
OLPHCG.net
First Baptist Church
301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242
Pastor: David Chhangte
Sunday School 9:30am
Worship Service 10:30am
Youth Wednesday 6:30pm
cgfi rstbaptist.com
Introducing the
Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM
Saturdays or by appointment
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell
552 Holbrook Lane
Sunday 8 am
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