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Adefua African Music and Dance Company |
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ADEFUA AFRICAN MUSIC AND DANCE COMPANY Celebrating West African Cultures |
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| LORA CHIORAH-DYE & SUKUTAI Zimbabwean Storytelling, Song and Dance |
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As a professional storyteller and master performer from Zimbabwe, Lora brings to full-school assembly performances a vivid evocation of life in a Shona town and a sense of Zimbabwean history. Lora also presents presents comprehensive residencies on the expressive traditions of the Shona people. By combining slides of Zimbabwe's natural beauties with stories, songs, games, dances and crafts projects, she conveys to students the values of Shona culture in a completely engaging manner. Sukutai is a traditional Marimba & Dance Ensemble from Zimbabwe. Formed by Lora Chiorah, "sukutai" means that when you are doing something, you should do it right. Lora started Sukutai because she wanted to hand her traditional music roots down to her three children. Lora and the band have been performing around the world for over 25 years now. CONTACT: |
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| "I absolutely loved having Lora
Chiorah-Dye in my class. My students were pushed, which they needed,
and the idea of bringing movement into the classroom was exciting
for them as well as for myself." Jennifer Rhoades, Third Grade Teacher Rock Creek Elementary School, Maple Valley |
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OCHEAMI Deep into the Riches of Ghana's Traditions |
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 In Ghanaian history, the person
known as the Ocheami was the one who spoke on behalf of the King in
the ancient courts. The group Ocheami uses the arts to speak for the
cultural legacies of this West African country. Led by Kofi and Amma
Anang, Ocheami's programs and residencies engage audiences of all
ages.Through pulsating rhythms, exuberant dances, sweet harmonies and fascinating stories with serious lessons, Ocheami offers a loving invitation to experience the world through Ghanaian eyes. SPECIAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE:
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| "The quick movement through geography,
games, songs, dance, drumming and storytelling brought to every child
a rich feeling of Africa. Your ability to adapt to each grade level
and to maintain control in a positive way was a credit to your roles
as teachers as well as artists." Jeani Krogstad, P.E. Teacher Bagley Elementary School, Seattle |
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LAGNI SUSSU WITH NABY CAMARA Growing Up in a West African Village |
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Naby Camara is a master musician from Guinea in West Africa who grew up in a small village. He went on to become a musician with several world-famous groups, among them Les Ballets Africains and Fatala. His American group, Lagni Sussu ("all together") combines folk tunes with popular sounds to present a portrait of childhood in Guinea. These songs, sung in several languages, present the cultural diversity of contemporary Guinean society. CONTACT: |
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| TARANGA The Spirit of Senegalese Culture |
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Performances by Taranga feature powerful yet graceful displays of traditional drumming and dancing. Souleymane N’Diaye is a master drummer specializing in the sabar drums of the Wolof people of Senegal and the jembe drum, popular throughout West Africa. The ensemble, consisting of men and women drummers, dancers and singers, presents traditions of several Senegalese ethnic groups. Audience members are invited to the stage to join in on percussion as Taranga celebrates the spirit of Senegal through music and dance. CONTACT: |
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| Back to Top | Return to
Artist Roster Index | About the Artist Roster For more information, email amy (at) nwfolklife.org. |
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Adefua
African Music and Dance Company is known for its energetic and colorfully
costumed performances of West African music, dance and song. Leader
Afua N’Diaye began dancing at the age of nine and has trained
with many prominent African musicians including the late Babatunde
Olatunji of Nigeria. She has performed extensively throughout the
Northwest and abroad and is committed to promoting awareness of
African performing arts in our schools and communities.
The arts in many African societies
are a vital part of everyday life, from work songs to children's
math games. The values of working together and including everyone
are taught through songs and dances, too.
Throughout
the villages of Africa, children grow up surrounded by music,dance
and ceremony. No stage of life is without performances of many sorts.
Generations participate together in some cases, while children have
their own cultural traditions in others. 
In
many West African cultures, family ancestry determines one’s
occupation. The class of people known as griots include
hereditary storytellers, historians, musicians and entertainers
who pass their knowledge on from one generation to the next. Souleymane
N’Diaye, founder and leader of Taranga, is a griot
born to a family of musicians in Dakar, Senegal. He began drumming
and dancing at the age of five and joined his family’s performing
company soon afterwards. A veteran of the Ballet National du
Senegale and many Senegalese performing ensembles, Souleymane
moved to the United States in 1998 in order to continue the griot’s
work of spreading his cultural knowledge.