Archives

Cajón (box drum)

This program is designed to introduce participants to the rhythmical magic of the cajón (box drum) as well as to the fascinating history and culture it carries within. Participants will learn basic techniques to play the most popular rhythms of Afro-Peruvian music. Depending on the length of the program, other percussion instruments like the quijada […]

B.A.R.S.: The ABC’s of Hip Hop

Baba Bomani’s program uses rhythm and rhyme to explain basic reading and math concepts such as how to recognize syllables and showing how a rapper’s flow is simply a number bond math equation! Students have fun breaking and learning how to rap the alphabet backward, as well as learn crucial active listening skills and Black […]

Sound Stories

This professional learning session provides a dynamic exploration of the sonic spaces and rhythmic worlds in which we inhabit through deep listening, sensory play, and hands-on collaborative learning. Educators will experience guided deep listening exercises and be invited to consider the many ways we make meaning of the sounds around us. Personal experiences will be […]

Cajón (box drum): Heartbeat of Africa in Peru & The Americas

This program is designed to introduce educators to the history, culture, craftmanship, and rhythmical magic of the cajón (box drum). The cajón is an instrument that originated from the Afro-Peruvian community and is deeply rooted in the African Diaspora in Perú. Although it is at the heart of Afro-Peruvian and Criollo music, it also became […]

Afro-Puerto Rican Folkloric Music: la Bomba y la Plena

Segunda Quimbamba is a cultural gem based in Jersey City. Led by Master Drummer Juan Cartagena and Master Dancer Nanette Hernández, the band performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music La Bomba and La Plena, honoring their ancestors and heritage through practicing this preservation. The call-and-response music creates a collaborative artistic space in Bomba for […]

Intro to Capoeira

Developed in Brazil by enslaved Africans during the 16th century, the martial art of Capoeira, disguised as a dance and including acrobatics, music, and the Portuguese language, was used as a means to resist oppression in the relentless struggle for freedom. This program led by Leigh Robertson gives students the opportunity to participate in all […]

From Africa to Brazil – The Afro Brazilian Folkloric Show

The ensemble brings the rich African influenced rhythms and dances originating in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a region known for customs deeply rooted in the traditions and spirituality of ancestral Africa. Our ensemble tells the story of Africans brought to Brazil as slaves. To alleviate the suffering and preserve their identity they maintained their rituals, dances […]

Diaspora West African Drum and Dance Traditions Workshop

  This program is an intense study of the elements of various Diaspora West African drum, dance, song, storytelling, and masquerade traditions from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. This Jeannine Osayande & Dunya Performing Arts Company workshop allows students to understand how dance is used to communicate in different ways, and how dance […]

Diaspora West African Drum and Dance Traditions

Join Jeannine Osayande & Dunya Performing Arts Company as they explore some of the ways West African Diaspora cultural practices are used to affirm community, communicate values, enhance cultural sensitivity, and inspire meaningful dialogue. Program options include storytelling, dance, drum, and song from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Brazil, Haiti, and the United States. Program […]

Boom Buckets Around the World!

Students discover the art of drumming! Participants have a blast playing everyday objects like buckets and garbage cans while they develop essential aural musical skills and learn how to read basic musical notation. Along their journey students experience music from different world cultures, participate in ensemble playing, and have the opportunity to perform in an […]