KU News Release

Workshops to offer lessons in traditional African drumming, dancing

Members of the KU African Drum and Dance Ensemble perform outside the Spencer Museum of Art.

LAWRENCE — A group of student performers at the University of Kansas is offering a series of workshops this weekend that will leave attendees feeling beat — in a good way.

The KU African Drum and Dance Ensemble is sponsoring a visit by Maputo and Mawuenyega Mensah, brothers who were raised in Ghana and now teach others about traditional African drumming, dancing and singing. Workshops will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26; and 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and Sunday, Oct. 28, at 118 Murphy Hall.

Dylan Bassett, a KU graduate student in international studies and director of the ensemble, said that in Africa, music is used to mark the stages of life, from birth to death. Drumming and dancing break down boundaries, establish opportunities for communication, provide emotional outlets and give individuals a voice in group settings, he said.

“The polyrhythmic nature of African drumming symbolizes this concept,” Bassett said. “Playing multiple rhythms at the same time forces the performer to be steady with his or her own part. And in this way, the parts, though they may seem very different, support each other through their diversity.”

Bassett founded the KU African Drum and Dance Ensemble last spring to provide a sense of community for Africans at KU and in Lawrence and to offer a medium of cultural exchange between African and non-African people.

Bassett has been a percussionist for more than 20 years; currently he performs with the Afro-jazz fusion band Sunu in addition to giving percussion lessons, pursuing a master’s degree at KU and leading the ensemble.

The group consists of 12 students. Their next concert will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at 130 Murphy Hall. The ensemble will also perform at Student Night at the Spencer Museum of Art, scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8.

All events are free and open to the public.

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