January 6, 2003

AFRICAN DRUMMERS AND DANCERS INSPIRE GLOBAL AUDIENCES

LA CROSSE, Wis.— The La Crosse community is about to get a taste of a unique entertainment group that has people jumping out of their seat, pounding their feet, and dancing to a unique rhythm. Les Percussions de Guinée, a 15-member company that performs traditional African drumming and dance will set the stage on fire with their skills on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre.

Formed by the Republic of Guinea’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1987, the group is comprised of the country’s best percussionists and includes seven drummers, six dancers, and balaphone, kora, and flute players.

Drawn from the motions of work and play, dance is a strong part of community life in Guinea. Together with the rhythmically thrilling music from native instruments like the djembe, balafon, kora, kenkeni, dunumba, and siko, Les Percussions de Guinée express the most admired qualities of its homeland. Through drums, like the sacred djembe, and through dance, the group also seeks to spread its message of peace and friendship that is central to Guinean culture and our world today and to tell of its country’s rich history, and its people’s traditional values and spiritual energy.

Les Percussions de Guinée is sponsored by Franciscan Skemp Healthcare and supported, in part, by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.

Tickets are $22. For more information, contact the Viterbo University Box Office at 608-796-3100