Each spring, beats and melodies from around the world are featured in the CalArts World Music and Dance Festival at The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts.
This year’s festival, which runs over two weekends April 27-May 6, presents music from Ghana, North India, Bali, Java and Mexico while showcasing the Institute’s World Music programs.
This weekend, CalArts’ Walt Disney Modular Theater (MOD) opens its doors for the African Music and Dance Ensemble (April 27), CalArts Tabla Ensemble (April 28), and the CalArts Gamelan Burat Wangi (April 29). The series culminates in a weekend of free outdoor concerts at the Wild Beast Pavilion, featuring performances by the CalArts Student Indian Ensemble & Mexican Ensembles (May 4), World Percussion Ensemble (May 5) and the Javanese Gamelan Orchestra Kyai Doro Dasih (May 6). A special performance of a Balinese shadow play, Wayang Kulit, follows at 9 pm in the Roy O. Disney Concert Hall (ROD).
In addition to performances by faculty and students, CalArts welcomes guest performances by renown Ghanaian drummer and dancer Sulley Imoro and London-based global percussionist Pete Lockett. A visiting gamelan with musicians and dancers from Institut Seni Indonesia in Surakarta, are also set to perform with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Los Angeles. The group’s performance showcases music and dance of the diverse regions of Java. During the outdoor concert at the Wild Beast, photography and painting from the school will be displayed.
A legendary world percussionist, Lockett, has performed music from around the globe, from Indian to Arabic and from Japanese to Latin. Collaborating on numerous projects, he’s worked with a wide range of artists, including Björk, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Dido, to name a few.
Imoro, who began learning African drumming and dance from his father in Ghana when he was 8 years old, is the director and founder of the Mbangba Cultural Troupe of Ashemie and the Degara Bewaa Culture group of Tamale, and is an instructor for the dance ensemble at the University of Ghana at Legon.
To learn more about all of the festival’s concerts, visit the CalArts newsroom.
In the video above, Lockett performs with percussionist Benny Greb in Tea For Steve. Below is a brief video of Imoro dancing Bamaya in Tamale, Ghana.
World Music and Dance Festival 2012
Walt Disney Modular Theater
Friday-Sunday, April 27-29, 8 pm
Wild Beast Pavilion, CalArts
Friday-Sunday, May 4-6, 7 pm
Roy O. Disney Music Hall
Sunday, May 6, 9 pm
Tickets:
MOD Concerts: $10 for General Admission and $2 for students.
Wild Beast Concert Pavilion: free with lawn seating.
Roy O. Disney Music Hall: free, no tickets required.
Reservations and Ticket Purchase