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The West Virginia University African Drum and Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Paschal Yao Younge, will perform “Aza! A Celebration of Contemporary African Music and Dance” at  7:30 p.m. April 8 in Hodgson Hall. They will be joined by UGA students and faculty from the Handdrum Ensemble, the Percussion Ensemble, the African-American Choral Ensemble, the Pamoja Dance Company and the dance department. Tickets for “Aza!” are free but required, and can be obtained at the box office in the Performing Arts Center.
Younge and the ensemble are in residence this week in UGA’s School of Music. A native of Ghana, Younge is a clinician in sub-Saharan African music and dance and an advocate of multicultural music education. Currently he is a faculty member at both West Virginia University and the University of Ghana. The American students in Younge’s West Virginia University African Ensemble perform contemporary African music and dance. The ensemble has a large repertoire of musical styles, ranging from work-based dances to ritualistic ones representative of east, west, central and southern African countries.
The program for the concert will include contemporary music and dance from across the African continent and authentic instruments and costumes from West Virginia University’s World Music Center.
Younge will also give a public lecture about African dance, demonstrated by the WVU African Drum and Dance Ensemble. The lecture is scheduled for 4 p.m. April 6 in the Georgia Room at the Tate Student Center. A reception in honor of the visitors on April 7 at 4 p.m. will be held in the African-American Cultural Center, 408 Memorial Hall.
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