Dance in the Diaspora

May 20, 2017 @ 7:00pm

Today’s program celebrates the borough’s African heritage and Afro-diasporic legacy through dance and drum ensembles. West Africa comprises a vast geographical area including Guinea, Cameroon, Nigeria, Gambia, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Libe- ria, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Sierra Leone among others. Countries that are quite different historically, culturally, and politically. During the colonial period, some of the dances and traditions were pushed “underground.” Some have returned after Independence in revival performances. For the Garifuna communities, West African traditions merged with indigenous ones in the Caribbean to produce their music, though it relies heavily on the rhythmic drumming from Mother Africa. Tonight will look, learn and hear the drum and dance traditions as we remember a saying from the Efik people of Cameroon and Nigeria, Abasi ecue maya beki (Through the drum God speaks).