Concert Critique

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The concert featuring the Ole Miss African Drum & Dance Ensemble took place on April 19, 2018 in the Nutt Auditorium (Oxford, MS). The ensemble’s program was entitled “Encourage Somebody”, and featured traditional as well as popular music of West Africa arranged by the drum & dance director, George Dor. The dynamic and visual striking performance was well received from the audience; the musicians and dancers’ attention to detail and passion created a truly incredible experience. The first of part of the night’s program included more traditional dance and music from Ghana. The opening number titled Kpanlogo, woke the audience with its energy filled opening. The Kpanlogo is the main social dance of the urban Ga that is high expressive for the …show more content…

It originally had the context of a religious musical performance that payed tribuite to the god, Tingbani, for hopefully down pours of heavy rains after a severe drought. Through oral accounts it is said that the Dagbamba god responsible for water preferred women, whose task was normally to collect water at the riverside, to men. Today, Bamaaya is performed by both men and women during various festivals, funerals, national day celebrations, and other social occasions. The dancers exhibited incredible skill with complex chorography and brilliant color of the costumes. The powerful and energetic pivot turns, swings, and stamping to the lung, hour-glass shaped tension drum, and gungon. The following events of the concert featured selections of popular music and religious hymns. The first tune piece in the series titled, “Some People Ask Me Say,” which is a Nigerian sacred highlife (popular music) composition. The song was an optimistic shift in the concert, the lyrics focusing on the positivity generated by Christianity. The tune was enjoyed hummed by some audience

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