Toronto, March 10, 2004 - A cross-cultural rhythmic kaleidoscope comes together at York University on March 16 at the annual Drum & Dance Fest presented by the Department of Music.
Coordinated by York ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist Rob Simms, this talent-laden concert showcases some of the exceptional student ensembles in Canada’s oldest and largest world music program.
Simms will be joined by instructors Kwasi Dunyo, Anna Melnikoff, Rick Shadrach Lazar, Paul Ormandy, Ruben Esguerra and Colin McGuire, who direct five of York’s 14 world music ensembles.
Fuelled by the dynamic percussion grooves of an array of global cultures, the show will feature music from several continents, played on traditional instruments.
The ensembles will rotate on a 10-minute basis. The dance floor is open to all. The music is so infectious, you will surely want to move and groove.
Simms directs the Middle East Ensemble, which performs classical and folk music drawn from Persian, Turkish and Arab cultures. A specialist in Middle Eastern and West African traditions, Simms himself plays setar (long-necked lute), ney (reed flute), ‘oud (short-necked lute), kora (harp), guitar, and various percussion instruments. His research interests include West Asian maqam repertoires and Mande music of West Africa.
Kinetic art best describes the West African Drum Ensemble directed by Kwasi Dunyo and Anna Melnikoff. Renowned master drummer Dunyo has performed worldwide. Born in the Ewe village of Dagbamete in the Volta Region of Ghana, he learned much of his Ghanaian music repertoire under the tutelage of Godwin Agbeli while performing as lead drummer for Sankofa Dance Theatre in the U.S. He is founder and artistic director of Toronto’s Kekeli Drum and Dance Ensemble.
Melnikoff is a djembe player and specialist in the traditional Malinke percussion of Guinea. She has studied intensively in West Africa as well as North America with leading artists such as Guinean master drummer Famoudou Konate, M'Bemba Bangoura, a founding member of the Percussion de Guinea, and Lamine Diallo, master drummer/arranger for National Ballet of Senegal. She is founder and leader of the Malinke percussion ensemble Bolokelen, which has been performing in the GTA for the past four years.
The Escola de Samba, directed by award-winning Canadian percussionist Rick Shadrach Lazar, is all about Brazilian music: Latin jazz drumming on a samba beat. Lazar’s wide-ranging musical interests and innovative edge, combined with heartfelt energy, have made him a pivotal force in contemporary fusion and world music. A busy session musician, he is also the founder and leader of the global jazz sextet Montuno Police and the 40-member Samba Squad, one of the most sought-after acts on the Canadian Latin music scene. His eclectic discography includes recordings with Manteca, Jesse Cook, Loreena McKennitt, Brian Hughes and Barry White.
The hot Afro-Latin rhythms of the Cuban Ensemble, directed by Paul Ormandy and Ruben Esguerra, are guaranteed to melt away the winter blues. Ormandy is a seasoned and versatile percussionist who has performed throughout North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Japan. His performance credits range from steel band to flamenco and Indonesian gamelan, from Afro-Cuban percussion to Broadway show orchestras and world drumming festivals. His global activities include membership in Phase II Pan Groove Steel Orchestra (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad) and appearances at Musaïc (Expo '98, Lisbon, Portugal), and Mika Yoshida’s Marimbop in Japan.
Colombian-born Esguerra, an alumnus of York’s music department who is completing his Masters degree in ethnomusicology, is an active percussionist on Toronto's Latin music scene. His interests centre on music from the African diaspora, focusing on Afro-Cuban and Afro-Colombian music.
Pushing the parameters, Philharmonia de Caelo Tactus, under the direction of Colin McGuire, is York University’s electro-acoustic orchestra. The name means "lovers of harmony touched by heaven" (as in touched by lightning). Musically, the repertoire stretches from electronic dance music to abstract sonic exploration. McGuire (aka Ronin E-Ville) is a producer, electroacoustic composer, DJ and music engineer. His quirky tracks are influenced by and span the genres of acid jazz, downtempo, trip hop, world fusion, dub, house and intelligent/experimental.
The Drum & Dance Fest will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30 pm in the Winters College Dining Hall at York University, 4700 Keele St. Admission is $10 and $5 for students. For more information, contact music department at 416-736-5186.
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Media Contact:
Mary-Lou Schagena
Communications, Faculty of Fine Arts
York University
416-736-2100 ext. 20421
schagena@yorku.ca
