Roadstead Rhythms is the name of the project that I did within the framework of Negotiating Equity and that is related to the DAI trip to Dakar in May 2012. The project aims at a combination of sounds, recorded at two distinct places, one in the Netherlands and another in Senegal. Despite their geographical distance those places are forever connected by a sad history of slave trade. One of the obvious traces for that is the name of those places, in both cases derived from the Dutch word ‘goede rede’, which means roadstead, or sheltered anchorage area. A composition of the recorded rhythms will reveal differences and similarities that are still present today.

The project has been performed in several phases, which is reflected by the structure of these pages. In the Prélude, I explain how a first look at the map of Dakar led to the project proposal. On the Partita page, collages of the collected material are presented. The Interlude gives some additional evidence of Dutch traces in Senegal. Finally, the Coda will give one of the many possibilities of a uniting composition.