Saturday, November 21st 2009

USU Bioneers - Kuku & Sorsonet

KSM Drum-off
Kuku
Sofa (5:35) -> Djole (10:45)
Cassagbe (12:03)

 

West African Drumming
2007 ~ Current
For the last couple of years, I have been part of an West African Drum ensemble, performing often at Utah State University with Jaynan Chancellor's African Dance class, as well as various performances elsewhere in Cache Valley. The ancient and complex rhythms can both inspire the frenetic dance and hypnotize the listener. The traditional arrangements include Dunun, Sangban and Kenkeni drums, along with several Djembes, playing several different parts at once to weave an overwhelming master rhythm.
Other Drummers include: Travis and Jennifer Sapp; Jake Gibson; Travis Taylor; Wade Evans; Chase Griswold; Brendon Zoah; Jen Minnick; Kevin Kobe; Ali Sugerman; ...and then some.

 

Saturday, March 21st 2009
USU Ballroom Presents "Jungles"
with West African Drumming by Travis and Jennifer Sapp and Ryan Russell

Matinee performance
West African Set 1 2:11-5:45
(Sofa 2:11-> Guinea Fare 4:01)
Jungle Boogie 5:52-8:15
Jungle Sounds interlude 8:15-9:37
Jungle Waltz 10:08-13:04
West African Set 2 13:17-16:07
(Kotedjuga 13:17-> Gbe Gbe 14:26-15:56)

Evening performance
West African Set 1 0:27-3:40
(Sofa 0:27-> Guinea Fare 1:58-3:40)
Jungle Boogie 3:45-6:00
Jungle Sounds interlude 6:15-7:45
Jungle Waltz 8:01-10:57
West African Set 2 11:08-14:00
(Kotedjuga 11:08-> Gbe Gbe 12:19-14:00)

 

Travis and Jennifer Sapp

USU Diversity Days performance 11/21/2008

Cassagbe Feb. 3rd
Yonkidi-Sinte (Wave file)
Dununba-Kuku (Wave file)
Lamban Feb. 3rd 2009 class (1) (2) (3)

Yonkidi and Macru
Sinte
Sofa
Gbe Gbe
Soli and Sofa
Legiba
Sinte
Sentuay
Yonkidi-1
Yonkidi-2
Macru

Kuku
Djole
Kotedjuga
Kotedjuga-call
Lamban
Lamban-wav
Djole and Sinte
Ngoron
Cassagbe
Cassagbe-call

Ryan Russell, Ali Sugerman, Jake Gibson, Travis Sapp, Jennifer Sapp and Chase Griswold

 

article by Dave Sweeney, Herald Jounal News Sunday, March 21, 2010

It’s probably safe to say that students of West African dance at Utah State University have the most authentic experience of any dancers in the valley.

There is no CD player here. Instead, a group of djembe players sets the rhythm for every class. Instructor Jaynan Chancellor calls it a “symbiotic relationship.”

“Drummers drum because dancers dance and vice versa,” she says. And, she continues, she’s not sure who gets the better workout.

The one-and-a-half hour class starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in HPER room 215. Both students and non-students can participate. Cost for students is tuition plus a $90 fee; non-students pay $100.

For Chancellor, dance instruction reflects the tradition of African oral history.

“To me, African dance is kind of like telling a story,” she says. “Someone tells you a story, and when you retell it, it will vary, losing some characteristics and gaining others from the previous telling.”

She says she teaches each dance the way she feels it but allows students freedom for interpretation. That informal approach, she says, is perfect for those taking their first dance class.

“Each member of the class will imbue the movement with their own style.”

But the class isn’t always easy. Like learning a language, it’s an immersive experience. Instead of giving a lot of one-on-one instruction, Chancellor says it’s more “do as I do” — she models a movement for the students, who then mimick her while marching in a sort of grid.

“Every class is new,” says student Tammy Zeitlin, and keeping up is “as much a mental exercise as a physical exercise.”

Last Tuesday, students learned Kuku, a dance of thanks for bountiful blessings. In many West African villages, protein is a rare commodity, and Kuku celebrates a successful hunting or fishing expedition.

Dance movements also reflect the African landscape and climate. The rapid footwork, specifically, has its roots in picking bare feet up off the scorching African earth. Mostly, says Chancellor, she wants the students to get a good workout and have fun.

Zeitlin agrees: “If you’re working out and it’s fun, you’ll want to keep doing it.”

Travis Sapp, Ryan Russell


 

 

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