African Drum and Dance Ensemble to Perform April 26

Fairmont State University’s Department of Music presents a full performance of the FSU African Drum and Dance Ensemble on campus Wednesday, April 26. Students will showcase traditional West African music and dance learned throughout the spring semester.

The performance begins at 8 p.m. April 26 in the Falcon Center third floor conference rooms. Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.

This performance will focus on the music and dance of the West African country Ghana, as well as the neighboring countries of Togo and Burkina Faso. Three distinct cultural groups will be represented: Dagara, Dagomba and Ewe. Attendees will be exposed to many different traditional instruments unique to each culture, as well as the movements characteristic of each piece.

The African Drum and Dance Ensemble is an experiential ensemble that focuses on traditional music of African origin. The repertoire, taught primarily through the oral tradition, allows the members to learn within the traditional structure without the use of written notation. While music is at the core of the ensemble, the cultural contexts of the repertoire are also studied, supplying a more holistic and deeper understanding of traditional African music.

“The ensemble was very fortunate to receive a number of new drums including a gung-gong, lunga, kagan, kidi and sogo this semester courtesy of the Department of Music,” said Logan Seidler, instructor of the African Music and Dance Ensemble. “This will allow the ensemble to expand its repertoire using authentic instruments handcrafted in West Africa.”

For more information, please contact Logan Seidler at tseidler@fairmontstate.edu.

African Drum and Dance EnsembleSchool of Fine ArtsMusicDepartment of Music