Steven Hall, conductor

Craig Burletic, Rodney Elkins, Steve Hall, master drummer

Notes:

Traditional African music is a community activity and is functional. Traditional African music maintains deep connections with the aspects of the daily lives of the people including the history of their ancestors.Most traditional African music has four aspects: drumming, dancing, singing, and costumes

Gotta Youth social music of Benin, West Africa. This dance is a celebration of friendship, kinship, and comradery. Traditionally performed with male/female partners expressing playful flirtation.

Kundum Traditional music of the Ahanta and Nzema people of the western region of Ghana. This dance utilizes more spectacular and acrobatic dance moves than the other dances on the program. The first slow section features strong hemiola-based drumming parts placing three notes superimposed over two notes during the same time period.

Sikyi A social music and dance of the Akan of Ghana. The nature of this dance is flirtation between sexes.

Bantaba Bantaba is a festival dance of the Djolla, Ballanta and Mandingo people of Senegal and Guinea. Bantaba would normally be performed at the end of harvest season and would involve everyone in the community. The purpose for this music would be to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest and to bring the community together in celebration. This piece uses the djembe for the master drum and supportive parts. The djun-djun is the heartbeat of the ensemble, functioning as a bass voice, with a bell attached to provide clarity for the ensemble.

AFRICAN ENSEMBLE:

Rebecca Adkins, Robert Anastasio, Edward Brown, Kyle Baughman, Angela Brehm, Craig Burletic, Mike Cochran, Reba Collins, Patricia Eckert, Rodney Elkins, Gabrielle Gardner, Steven Holland, Greg Kiser, Kris Liegey, Joni McCourt, Tyler Nelson, David Patrick, Lance Shelton, Neal Titus, Catrese Thomason, Danielle Tye, Sara Vorac, Jason Van Meter, Reece Watkins, Justin Wiget