Balinese dance and Gamelan ensemble at the World Music Festival.
CalArts is one of the first schools in the country to offer programs in World Music for performance. To celebrate that heritage, The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts will stage six free concerts that feature music from Africa, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Iran during its 2011 World Music and Dance Festival.
The festivities begin tonight (April 29) with an African Music & Dance Concert with The CalArts African Music and Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Beatrice Lawluvi and Andrew Grueschow. Students will perform traditional drumming, singing and dancing pieces from the Ewe and Dagomba people of Ghana and Benin.
Other highlights include:
- FeFe: Don’t say it doesn’t concern you, it may takes to the Wild Beast stage on May 6. Written by Alfred Ladzekpo, this play focuses on a community embroiled in conflict. The evening will feature the work of the CalArts African Storytellers and Dance Ensemble and will also mark Ladzekpo’s final full concert at the Institute. The beloved musician is retiring after 41 years of teaching and mentoring at CalArts.
- The festival closes on Sunday, May 8 with the Institute’s experimental World Percussion Ensemble as part of Levitt Pavilions’ Wild Beast Concert Series at CalArts. The evening will feature guest artist and Brazilian pandeiro maestro Guello and an all star line-up that includes members of CalArts’ World Music faculty: Ghanaian Sogo drummer Ladzekpo, Indian tabla master Swapan Chaudhuri, Indonesia’s I Nyoman Wenten, master Persian percussionist Houman Pourmehdi, and multicultural percussionists Randy Gloss and Andrew Grueschow.
2011 World Music & Dance Festival
The Wild Beast music pavilion at CalArts
24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, Calif.
April 29-May 8
The World Music Festival’s full schedule follows.
North Indian music at the World Music Festival
African Music & Dance Concert
Tonight! Friday, April 29, at 7 pm
The CalArts African Music and Dance Ensemble performs traditional repertoire from the Ewe and Dagomba people of Ghana and Benin, West Africa.
North Indian Classical Music
Saturday, April 30, at 7 pm
This concert of North Indian Classical Music features performances by the CalArts Tabla Ensemble, the CalArts Student Indian Ensemble under the direction of Aashish Khan, and a special performance by CalArts World Music faculty members Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla, and Aashish Khan on sarode.
Balinese Music & Dance
Sunday, May 1, at 7 pm
A Night in Bali features gamelan Gong Kebyar, Bali’s modern bronze gamelan orchestra of about 30 musicians. This orchestra has absorbed repertoire and techniques from many of the older ritually oriented gamelan orchestras. CalArts Gamelan Burat Wangi (Fragrant Offering) will be accompanied by traditional dance as well as new choreographed dances. The performance is directed by I Nyoman Wenten with special guest and Musical Director I Made Lasmawan and Nanik Wenten, Dance Director.
FeFe: Don’t say it doesn’t concern you, it may
Friday, May 6, at 7 pm
Alfred Ladzekpo will present his 14th play, FeFe: Don’t say it doesn’t concern you, it may. This is Alfred Ladzekpo’s retirement concert and will close the curtain on his 41 years of work at CalArts. The concert will include music and dance by the CalArts African Storytellers and Dance Ensemble.
Javanese Music & Dance
Saturday, May 7, at 7 pm
A Night in Central Java offers a journey into the Javanese performing arts, presenting classical as well as newly created dance and gamelan music with CalArts’ beautiful Javanese gamelan Kyai Doro Dasih (The Honorable Dream Come True). The performance is directed by Djoko Walujo and Dance Director Nanik Wenten, and features special guest dancer/choreographer Bhagawan Ciptoning.
Levitt Pavilions presents The Wild Beast Concert Series at CalArts: CalArts World Percussion Ensemble
Sunday, May 8, 7 pm
Worldwide Percussion offers exhilarating pan-global drumming from the CalArts World Percussion Ensemble, an experimental performance group combining instruments and music from a spectrum of cultures. The evening will feature guest artist and Brazilian pandeiro maestro Guello. Ghanaian Sogo drummer Alfred Ladzekpo will join an all star line-up of musicians including members of CalArts’ World Music faculty: Indian tabla master Swapan Chaudhuri, Indonesia’s I Nyoman Wenten, master Persian percussionist Houman Pourmehdi, and multi-cultural percussionists Randy Gloss and Andrew Grueschow.