The West Virginia University World Music Centers African Ensemble will present a concert of African traditional music and dance Sunday (Feb. 17).
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the Creative Arts Center on WVU s Evansdale Campus. The show will also feature African popular music.
The eventpart of Black History Month at WVU includes members of the WVU percussion program. The traditional part of the concert will feature the African Ensemble performing dances from Ghana, Togo and Mali.
Selections will includeGahuandAtsiagbekor,dances of the Ewe people of southwestern Ghana and Togo;Geywani,the percussive bamboo music of the Nyamebekyere people of Eastern Ghana; andTansolé,a dance that comes from the Bambara people of Mali.
Rounding out the concert will be the contemporary sounds of Afro-pop from Nigeria, featuring special guest artist Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa. The groups music is a unique fusion of traditional Nigerian Yoruba music, including Highlife, Afrobeat and folklore with jazz, rock, pop and Latin music.
WVU music faculty and students will join Foyehs group during the concert.
Founded in 1995, the African Ensemble is an exciting and talented group drawn from the diverse community of WVU students and dedicated to performing the music and dance of various cultures from West Africa. The ensemble is recognized internationally and has performed throughout the United States, Taiwan and South Korea. Highlights include the groups appearances at the Seoul International Drum Festival in South Korea; the Lotus Blossoms World Music Festival in Bloomington, Ind.; and the Percussive Arts Societys international conventions in Nashville, Tenn., and Columbus, Ohio.
Directed by Gordon Nunn, who is also coordinator of the World Music Center, the African Ensemble is one of many groups in the center. The ensembles mission is to entertain and educate through West African music and dance.
Nunn teaches African music studies and directs the Division of Musics Taiko (Japanese drum) Ensemble.
For tickets and more information, call 304-293-SHOW.