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...back to the people of Hotel Agbeviade People - Kpalimé Kpalimé is where I live, and so I tend to get to know alot of people. Here is but a small sample.
Tuesday March 2 2004 Joe Louey Joe Louey one of the best wood carvers in Kpalimé, probably even one of the best in Togo.
He says that whenever he meets any Canadians that he laughs first before he tells them his name because he knows that they will react. Even so, Joe Louey has never actually eaten or seen a "Joe Louey". Somebody that I know is coming over to Togo at the end of March, so I asked him to bring over a box of Joe Loueys. Joe Louey is really excited about that. The amazing thing about Joe Loueys work is that he really likes being unique. The "run of the mill" wood sculpture will just keep cranking out the same existing designs day in and day out. With Joe Louey, you can tell him "My friend really likes the saxophone" and he will come up with something really cool and unique for you! I did this for my Mom, who really wants a salad bowl, but I wasn't happy with the standard hand carved tie salad bowls around here, they were too simple and too expensive. So, off I headed to Joe Louey and he is going to make something really special! I go over and visit him often to see how the progress on the salad bowl is going. Often we will go out for something to drink and just chat about Africa and Canada for a while. I've learned quite a bit from him. What sets Joe Louey apart from most Togolese is that he actually wants to STAY in Togo, and has had many opportunities to leave. You see, he's quite happy sculpting wood all day! People (like me) stop by all the time and so he gets to meet lots of people and have interesting conversations. Unlike most Togolese, he realized that if he came to Europe or the US, he wouldn't be able to do what he loves anymore, and would be working like mad driving a cab or something totally irrelevant to what he is really good at, sculpting. So, if you ever have any really SPECIAL requests, I'll send pass them over to Joe Louey for you! (He does tend to be a little bit more expensive, but its quality that counts!)
Wednesday March 3 2003 Issa (Djembe Guy) Issa is my Djembe guy. He's cool. He doesn't try to scam me (unlike many other Djembe vendors). Well, he kind of tried to at first, but after a bit of bartering (well, and hour or so) and when he really started to understand that I wasn't a tourist, we got down to a good price for the first Djembe that I bought. Now I don't have to barter with him at all. He just gives me the good prices straight up. We've hung out and just played for a few hours before too.
The cooooolest thing about Issa is that he and his brother are the Kpalimé "Djembe factory". Most people that you can buy Djembes from are resellers... And they buy from Issa. So, I found the Djembe factory. As such, I actually get to see the Djembes being made, everything from boring out the hole in the middle, to carving the design, to stringing the skin, to painting. It's really nifty. It's allot of work to make a Djembe! There are two Djembe factories in Kpalimé, Issa's, and the Rasta man factory. At the Rasta man factory, they're happy just to try and get enough money for smokes, but Issa does quality work. From what I gather, Issa’s factory actually supplies most of Togo’s Djembes! Issa is pretty young, I think about 20 or so. I have him working like a maniac right now churning out Djembes by the day for African Grand Market. (Djembes are a really big seller!) I'm wondering at the moment if he is going to be able to get them all done by the time I leave, but he assures me that he will! There's allot of Djembes out there on the market that I don't really like. So with Issa I like to supervise every stage and make sure that they are made EXACTLY the way that I want them. He happily takes all my suggestions and customizes each Djembe as I request! It's pretty fun... Almost like I'm the one creating the Djembe. Conclusion: Issa (Djembe Guy) and the Djembe factory are cool. back to topReturn to People Introduction...
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