In 1993, five men from Kenya met on a boulder and decided to form a musical group called Jabali - or rock
in Swahili.
Tonight, Jabali Afrika will bring its rocking beats and African rhythms to Baker Center Theatre.
Sponsored by the Black Student Cultural Programming Board, the five-man group will blend choreography with the music of East Africa, said Alicia Boards, assistant director of Multicultural Programming and advisor for BSCPB.
We wanted to bring in a performing act and this group is very high-energy she said. They are very interactive and let people go around and play the drums.
Although the music is centered on percussion, Jabali Afrika uses other instruments, such as guitars and vocals, to create songs about life in Africa, said Joseck Asikoye, the leader and founder of Jabali.
Asikoye and several former members of the Kenya National Theatre dance troupe formed Jabali because the troupe limited their creativity, Asikoye said.
We put traditional (Kenyan) music in the mainstream which was full of Western music Asikoye said. (Kenyans) used to associate traditional music with older folks
but we gave it an edge and got younger people interested.
After touring in Africa and Europe, Jabali Afrika began playing in the United States in 1995. The band got its break in America when it played on Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Asikoye said.
Although the group performs at festivals and events around the country, college campuses are one of its favorite places to perform, Asikoye said.
We like that (students) come and find a different angle of our music
he said. We try to expose them to a positive side of where we come from
and show that cool things come from Africa.
3
Culture
Anna Sudar
27749b.jpg
