Drums & Voices of Africa!
Featuring drummer Kenya Ajanaku
Celebrating African Music, Traditions & Culture through Storytelling
This exciting program, which played to standing ovations at the Smithsonian Institution, takes you on a journey to Africa through folktales and music.
This dynamic two-person performance captivates audiences of all ages, bringing to life the rich & colorful Ashanti culture of Ghana, West Africa through songs, audience participation and stories. Bobby explores this fascinating area of the world with stories, poetry, and prose. He demonstrates oral traditions with songs and chants, and teaches African greetings in Swahili such as Asante’ Sana and Fanga Alafia through call and response.
Kenya Ajanaku enhances the show with a rhythmic musical setting, showing off his personal collection of African instruments, some of which audience members get a chance to try out, as he shares his knowledge of native instruments including The Djembe Drums, The Talking Drum, Shakere’, Agogo Bells, Kalimba (thumb piano) and claves (wooden sticks.)
Bobby also offers a version of this program as a one man show, in which he both tells the stories and provides the musical setting.
Ideal for Black History Month, African Festivals, Cultural Diversity Days, Music-Based School Programs, and Special Community Events. Sample of stories:
- Anansi the Spider and His Six Sons
- Anansi and the Whipping Cord
- African Instrument Demonstration
