Avo Randruut, director

Transcription

1 Saturday, May 20, :00 p.m. African Ensemble Avo Randruut, director DePaul 800 West Belden Avenue Chicago

2 Saturday, May 20, :00 p.m. DePaul Metal, Skins and Wood: Experimental and Traditional Sounds African Ensemble Elliot Bergman, bells and electric kalimba Avo Randruut, director Program Lolo Traditional rhythm from the Malinke people, Guinea Kuku Traditional rhythm from the Malinke people, Guinea Agbekor Songs Traditional rhythm from the Ewe people, Ghana and Togo Macru Traditional rhythm from the Susu people, southwest Guinea Dibon Traditional rhythm from the Malinke people Community Drum

3 African Ensemble May 20, 2017 About Tonight s Performance The theme for our spring concert, Metal, Skins, and Wood: Experimental and Traditional Sounds, highlights the range of sounds possible in West African music. This program introduces the sounds of traditional instruments and playing techniques, demonstrated on the djembes, the goblet shaped hand drums, and the dunduns, a trio of bass drums with attached metal bells from Malinke culture, as well as the double bells (gankogui) and gourd rattles (axatse) common to Ewe dance-drum ensembles. The rhythms of the instruments overlap in layers of repeated patterns or ostinatos. Call and response textures dominate the relationship between singers as well as between the lead drummer and the ensemble, and in more traditional settings, the interactions between dancers and drummers. Improvisation is a key element of all the pieces as the lead drummer or a soloist often improvises over the group. West African musical traditions have been a source of inspiration for generations of African and non-african musicians. Tonight s performance also draws attention to the way that groove-based West African music informs other kinds of musical traditions such as jazz, minimalism, electronic music, and rock. Our guest artist, Elliot Bergman builds his own kalimbas, an instrument made with metal tines attached to a wooden board. Kalimbas are found throughout sub- Saharan Africa and the Americas. By manipulating the sound of the kalimba with effects pedals and looping technology, Bergman creates multi-layered textures that build on the traditional rhythms played by the ensemble, but his improvisations introduce melodies, timbres, and textures that may depart from those heard in more traditional settings. On the Agbekor songs, the students play the bell pattern used as the time line in the performance of Agbekor performance on tuned metal bells made by Bergman and traditional gankogui, but the varied layers and sonorities push the music in new directions. At the end of the concert, we invite all audience members to join us on stage to learn a rhythm and play together as a community. The spring quarter concert is the culmination of a year of work. Students enroll in the ensemble for course credit each quarter, and many students stay with the ensemble for the whole academic year

4 African Ensemble May 20, 2017 About Tonight s Performance if not the majority of their time at DePaul. We thank our graduating seniors for their contributions to the ensemble. Although we ll miss them, we wish them luck in their future endeavors. Notes by Katherine Brucher. About the Guest Artists Elliot Bergman is a multi-instrumentalist from the Chicago area. He is well known for his work with the bands NOMO, Wild Belle, and Metal Tongues. In addition to performing with his own groups, he has collaborated with a variety of bands including His Name Is Alive, Iron & Wine, and Yeasayer. His approach as a composer and performer is influenced by diverse styles of music such as African drumming, Indonesian gamelan, jazz, and rock, among others. Bergman makes many of his own instruments. He has been interested in bells since he was a child, and he eventually began casting bronze bells. He also builds electric kalimbas that can be combined with effects pedals and manipulated digitally. About African Ensemble The DePaul University African Ensemble was founded in Fall 2008 to further the understanding of music from Africa and the African diaspora. Avo Randruut directs the ensemble and is assisted by Kate Brucher. Students in the ensemble come from many different programs within the School of Music and the university at large, but they share a common interest in music of African cultures. They learn not only drumming technique and repertory, but also songs and movement as many cultures in West Africa integrate instrumental music, singing, dance, poetry, and theater. Avo is a musician whose work includes percussion, keyboards, voice, composition and studio production. He received his M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Tufts University in Boston. He

5 African Ensemble May 20, 2017 About African Ensemble has studied and performed Ghanaian drum and dance music, West African Malinke Djembe drumming, Yoruban drumming, Jamaican Reggae, New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian songs, Brazilian Samba Batucada, Afro-Cuban drumming, Jazz, and Funk. Avo has performed in various places including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and in Taiwan s Earth Day Festival. He was awarded a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in Avo also performed with YoYo Ma s Silk Road Ensemble and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2007 at Millennium Park in Chicago. Personnel Kais Ali Krystina Andreoli Sarah Christianson* Malcom Engel* Thomas Farnsworth Charles Jacobs* Alexa Kwasny Chris Moreno* Aaron Stearns* Jeremy Warren Allyson Zeyen * graduating seniors

6 African Ensemble May 20, 2017 Upcoming Events Sunday, May 21 8:00 p.m. Brass Ensemble Monday, May 22 8:00 p.m. Composers Forum Monday, May 22 8:00 p.m. Recital Hall DePaul Jazz Combos Tuesday, May 23 8:00 p.m. Ensemble 20+ Wednesday, May 24 8:00 p.m. Symphony Center 220 S. Michigan Avenue DePaul Symphony Orchestra Thursday, May 25 8:00 p.m. DePaul Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. DePaul Jazz Ensembles Thursday, May 25 8:00 p.m. String Chamber I Showcase Friday, May 26 8:00 p.m. DePaul Wind Ensemble Saturday, May 27 8:00 p.m. DePaul Concert Orchestra and Symphonic Choir Sunday, May 28 2:00 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul Parish 1010 W. Webster Ave. DePaul Concert Orchestra and Symphonic Choir Sunday, May 28 3:00 p.m. Faculty Recital: Ilya Kaler, violin

7 Sunday, May 28 8:00 p.m. Baroque Ensemble African Ensemble May 20, 2017 upcoming events Wednesday, May 31 8:00 p.m. Recital Hall DePaul Jazz Combos Wednesday, May 31 8:00 p.m. String Chamber Showcase II Thursday, June 1 8:00 p.m. Recital Hall DePaul Jazz Combos Friday, June 2 8:00 p.m. DePaul Wind Symphony Saturday, June 3 Vocal Chamber Showcase Sunday, June 4 2:00 p.m. Recital Hall Guitar Ensemble As a courtesy to those around you, please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. Flash photography is not permitted. Thank you. Sign up for DePaul E-Notes! Receive monthly updates in your inbox on performances taking place at the School of Music, as well as special offers and discounts to ticketed events! You can choose to unsubscribe from the list at any time. We have a strict privacy policy and will never sell or trade your address. You can sign up for E-Notes by visiting music.depaul.edu and clicking on Concerts and Events. DePaul University School of Music 800 West Belden Avenue Chicago Recital Hall 804 West Belden Avenue Chicago music.depaul.edu

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