From a traditional greeting with talking drums to rhythmic clapping to high-energy dances, the Magic of African Rhythm led local students on a one-day tour of Students in Grades 3-5 Experience an African Day
From a traditional greeting with talking drums to rhythmic clapping to high-energy dances, the Magic of African Rhythm led local students on a one-day tour of
Students in grades 3-5 saw the performance as part of the arts council’s Students Take pART in the ARTs program, which is sponsored by CT Communications, First Charter and The Independent Tribune.
Students saw and heard African drums and other instruments such as djembe, dunun, sengbeni, kenkene, yellibao, tama, shekere and bala. They also learned bits of African language: ka kene (are you feeling well), jambo (what’s up), akwaaba (welcome) and
The performance introduced students to traditional African costumes, such as the bubu dyed with natural indigo worn by the jeli, the community’s storyteller or historian. The jeli told a story about how everyone, from the women going to market to the men working in the fields, does everything in rhythm in a traditional African village.
Teachers had the opportunity to discover techniques for Teaching with the Rhythmic Connection at a workshop conducted by the Magic of African Rhythm. Schools also received a study guide to help teachers incorporate the performance into the curriculum.
Besides presenting 12 performances, the group also conducted a dance workshop and performed at the