LANG CONCERT HALL performance at Swarthmore College (Oct.3, 2008) Featuring Bernard Woma, Gina Ferrera & Peace Elewonu www.bernardwoma.com Bernard Woma and The Saakumu Dance Troupe will be teaching and performing at Swarthmore College from October 2nd to 4th and in Philadelphia at the Calvery Center for Culture and Community, supported by Crossroads Concerts, a grant from the William J. Cooper Foundation and the backing of the Department of Music and Dance and the Black Cultural Center. Bernard Woma is a true cultural treasure from Ghana who has toured the world as xylophonist and lead drummer of the National Dance Company of Ghana. He was honored to perform for Bill Clinton and Jerry Rawlings, when the US President visited the Ghanaian president in Accra. His recent appearances in the US include a performance with New York Philharmonic at the Avery Fisher, Lincoln Center, residency with the Ethos Percussion group, and performances & teaching at New York's AXF: African Xylophone Festival. Bernard is the Artistic Director of Saakumu Dance Troupe and the founder and director of the Dagara Music and Arts Center in Accra, Ghana. Gina Ferrera is a visionary with a passion for folkloric drum, dance music and their combined expression in electronic music. Gina is a seasoned drummer & percussionist, an educator, and a specialist in African music and emerging technology. Her explosive polyrhythmic performances feature a hybrid of live percussion and electronic drums, juggling different styles of African traditional drum & dance music. She seamlessly fuses ancient tribal rhythms, both intimate and driving, with live production, electronic drumming, looping, sampling and vocal effects. Gina Ferrera began studying rudimentary drumming at the age of ten. While pursuing a degree in video/audio production, she was introduced to ancient African music. Gina has made two independent research trips to Ghana to study Gyil (xylophone) with Kakraba Lobi, Bernard Woma, and Valerie Naranjo. Gina is an American delving into the music of far removed cultures. In addition to researching and performing gyil music, Ferrera studies ancient Cuban, Nigerian, Ghanaian and Zimbabwean music, playing Batá drums, shekere, congas, Shona mbira (thumb piano) and traditional Ewe drums. Gina has received awards and grants that celebrate her work in the community, sharing her wealth of experience. Gina has taught multi-cultural music and drum programs as a resident and teaching artists at schools throughout the Philadelphia and New York City since 2001 (Build-a-Bridge, Appel Farms, Swarthmore College & Rutgers University- Cultural Arts Programming) with her music education program, "World Music Magic". www.ginaferrera.com www.soundcloud.com/gina-ferrera Peace Elewonu is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher. She has toured with the National Dance Company of Ghana for 15 years as a senior performer and artist. She received the "Best Traditional Dancer in Ghana" Award in 1994. Peace has worked with international contemporary dance choreographers, such as Germaine Acogny from Senegal, Bud Blumenthal, Ann Marie Ronald, Lawrence Lavasser and Bernard Monte. She is a graduate of Jant-Bi Ecole de Sable, a contemporary dance institute in Senegal, and has collaborated with many choreographers in France, Belgium, Madagascar and Burkina Faso. Her recent choreography, Vividzeme (darkness) was performed as a solo piece at the Momplieye international dance festival in France. Other dance choreographies include a duet titled, African Woman in Baobab which had received standing ovation at concerts in France, Nigeria and Ghana. Peace currently teaches traditional Dance and Songs of Ghana in workshops throughout the United States and also performs her own original contemporary African dance choreography.

• published: 30 Mar 2014
• views: 1989