On Sunday Feb. 7, Dartmouth’s World Music Percussion Ensemble performed “Joy to the World,” a collection of songs from various cultures focused on sacredness and secularity.
World music combines elements of music from various cultures across the globe. In addition to the varying cultures of origin, the music also differed in tempo, ranging from mellow to upbeat, but it was all united by the theme of joy.
Master drummer and World Music Percussion Ensemble director Hafiz Shabazz said that “sometimes [the different styles] merge and sometimes they intersect with one another and sometimes they stand alone.”
Shabazz said that the cross-cultural nature of world music makes it interesting because though cultures can be very different, they often have similar ideas and objectives. In this way, music can bring people together because it is not controversial or divisive.
In this concert, the World Music Percussion Ensemble combined many different styles of music that were both sacred and secular. Ska, klezmer and santeria were all incorporated and demonstrate the wide variety of cultures that the ensemble represents in its music. Ska originated in Jamaica and preceded reggae. Klezmer is a Yiddish style of music that is happy and upbeat and sometimes referred to as “Jewish jazz,” Shabazz said. Santeria originated from Afro-Cuban culture and honors Catholic saints.
Andrew Nalani ’16, a member of the World Music Percussion Ensemble, said that drumming allowed him to express his emotions in different ways, and that was certainly true of yesterday’s concert.
“All of these songs evoke a sense of celebration and joy,” Nalani said.
This theme could not only be heard in the music, but also seen in the expressions of the musicians. They were all smiling and interacting with each other while passionately playing their instruments.
The group opened with the theme from James Bond which was followed by another upbeat rock song. Shabazz said that the music was fun to dance to and the audience clearly agreed with him, since many people, children and adults, were out of their seats and dancing.
“The music connected with my soul,” audience member Rachel Collins said, “it really inspired me to move.”
A band accompanied the ensemble during each number to add body to the music; however, some songs were more clearly focused on the percussionists. In this concert, Shabazz and Nalani sang “Yemanya” and “Orisha Chango” in order to add melody to the rhythm.
After these two songs, the band rejoined the percussionists for the remainder of the show. The ensemble finished with the song “Oh Happy Day,” emphasizing the eponymous “Joy to the World” theme.
Throughout the concert, each musical piece was accompanied by a work of art created by Si Jie Loo ’12. Loo, a studio art major and former member of the World Music Percussion Ensemble, now works as a professional artist in California. These works were meant to evoke the spirit of each piece.
“I liked [the artwork] because it gave me a better sense of the feeling of each song,” Collins said.
Much of the art corresponded to the song it accompanied, such as a swirling mix of black, gray and red for the James Bond theme, and a green figure whose extended arms evoked a sense of euphoria for “The Happy Nigun.” However, not all of the artworks corresponded to the music literally. A piece whose bright colors reminiscent of flowers accompanied “Orisha Chango,” a song about the god of lightning. Despite not always matching up with the music, the artwork still added an interesting element to the performance as a whole, and it enabled the audience to experience the music visually as well as auditorily.
Although Loo has graduated, Shabazz continues to support her by using her artwork for the ensemble’s shows. This support is an example of Shabazz’s overall approach as director, Nalani said.
“Professor Shabazz was very welcoming,” Nalani said. “He meets people where they are and works with their talent.”
Nalani said that he did not know how to drum before coming to Dartmouth, but he had tried it at camp and was inspired to continue.
“I knew there was something that brought me alive in the drum,” Nalani said.
Nalani joined the World Music Percussion ensemble because of this feeling; however, he said a large reason why he stayed with the group is the support he received from Shabazz. Nalani continues to enjoy being in the ensemble because he finds it to be a creative outlet that allows him to take a break from academics, he said.
Sunday’s show was certainly a creative outlet for all the performers, and they were visibly enjoying themselves on stage. The energy of the songs was infectious and the spirited performers made the performance an engaging visual and auditory experience.
