Despite the recent sunshine and warm weather, Hanover is, unfortunately, still located in New Hampshire and not in the balmy Caribbean. The World Music Percussion Ensemble, however, promises to transport its audience to the islands in a concert tomorrow.
The concert, "Festival Cruise," is the fifth of six concerts in the Moon Over Rhythm series.
The theme Moon Over Rhythm indicates that most rhythmic activities-storytelling, dancing, listening to music-occur at night, after the day's work is done.
"The whole idea is that most of the ritual music in the Caribbean and Africa takes place in the evening, and so the title "Moon Over Rhythm" is apropos. The kind of music we are playing comes from those countries," said Hafiz Shabazz, director of the WMPE.
The series has focused most often on African, Latin American or Caribbean music, but "Festival Cruise" will specifically highlight the music of Haiti, Trinidad and Cuba.
As the name "Festival Cruise" implies, a vacation theme was chosen to showcase Caribbean music.
"In the spring we normally have a carnival or a festival-themed concert. The whole idea is to have a lot of fun, and to be on the water," Shabazz said. "One of the last numbers is going to be the limbo." The audience will be invited to dance under a limbo pole on stage while the band plays.
Shabazz is also the faculty advisor for concert-openers Dartmouth Steel, directed by Matt Kuhn '01.
"I thought it would be wonderful for them to open the concert for us," Shabazz said, "because their musical style would contribute to the concert's combination of Caribbean music."
Dartmouth Steel is comprised of eight members playing seven different steel pan and steel drum instruments. Kuhn said the band will perform two songs at the opening of the performance including a calypso, a musical form that originated in Trinidad.
The WMPE is a percussion ensemble founded in 1980 comprised of Dartmouth students and a few members from the community.
The WMPE musicians will play a variety of instruments, including timbales (Cuban drums), percussion bells, a six-piece band and three horns. Vocals will be performed by the ensemble.
In the past, the ensemble has featured guest artists from Africa, the Caribbean and India. While no single artist will be spotlighted at tomorrow's concert, there are several professional musicians who will be playing with the WMPE, including Ronald Smith on saxophone, Greg Palmer on trumpet, guitarist Rafael Flores, bassist Bill Craig, Gabriel Jarrett on trap drums and Barbary Coast Director Don Glasgo.
The World Music Percussion Ensemble performs tomorrow, May 13 at 8 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. Tickets are available at the Hopkins Center Box Office.
