Join us for an evening of African drumming, dance, song, and art, on Thursday, April 12, at 7:30 pm. Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Charles Lwanga will direct students from his “MP 179: African Drumming and Dance” course in an hour-long performance that examines cross-cultural influences on postcolonial identity. The performance uses Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté’s Métamorphose de papillon (2017), a recent Tang acquisition, as a point of contemplation and inspiration. The artist uses the butterfly, which can be abstractly seen in the Tang’s work (and is referenced in the title, papillon) as a symbol of fragility and transformation—the fragility of African states, post-independence, but also the positive transformations made possible in the postcolonial period. Konaté’s work is inspired by society and nature, social issues, and concerns of the human condition, and in particular, he explores topics related to African culture and religion. The large-scale textile work relates to themes that will emerge during the performance and resonates with the costumes that will be worn, which speak to African culture and values.

Student performers include Maddy Carre, Jack Galardi, Shelby Gmable, Cris Gil, Allison Hands, Reshma Harripersad, Laura Heinlein, Caile Holland, Zoe Islar, Sayeed Joseph, Sindi Mafico, Mandee Mapes, Meaghan McDonald, Alyssa Morales, Patrick Morton, Amanda Muir, Emily O’Connor, Mike Park, Anna Parsons, Ricky Rios, Tim Spenser, Chidubem Udeoji, and Inigo Ugarte.

This event is free and open to the public. Musicking the Collage is supported by Accelerate: Access and Inclusion at the Tang Teaching Museum, a project of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.