Article by: Soob Soobitsky
On October 3, a traditional African drum and dance ensemble came to New England College to perform live on the Simon Lawn.
This band group came from around the United States including New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. But the drums they used came from places in Africa.
“The drums are from Ghana and some of them are also from Guinea, West Africa,” said the band leader Theo Martey.
The band has been playing instruments for 17 years individually, but as a band, they have been together for 12 years. The Akwaaba Ensemble plays the drums to show others a snippet of their culture.
“We grew up in the culture where music or drumming is kind of a way to bring everybody together, and it is a culture that is very unique,” said Martey.
This is not the first time Martey and the band have been to NEC, they returned to continue to share their culture. The group also taught the crowd how to do a traditional African dance while playing music and then did the dance twice with the crowd.
This event was held by The Diversity and Inclusion program, and they have been welcomed back for next year. Dr. Erika Sigauke, the Director of the Diversity and Inclusion program, gave some insight as to why they chose to bring this event back to campus.
“It is very important for our community to learn about the power of cultures and the power of diversity and inclusion, especially when we are talking about making people feel a sense of belonging.” said Sigauke.
When looking for a band to play, Sigauke speaks about why she chose this one specifically.
“I was looking for something that is really authentic, that can educate people about where they’re coming from, and what values they carry with them.” Said Sigauke.
Diversity and Inclusion holds many events on campus promoting different cultures throughout the whole school year. Pay attention to emails from diversity@nec.edu for future events.
