"Ma Gbagbe," a production of African and African Diaspora music, dance and song, will be presented by the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures (WAC) on Feb. 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. in Dance Building Theater 200. Created by artistic director Nzingha Camara in collaboration with various artists from Brazil, Cuba and Haiti, "Ma Gbagbe" (pronounced "Ma Ba bway"), which means "don't forget" in Yoruba, is intended as an homage to the cultural and artistic contributions of West Africa and its diverse manifestations in the Diaspora.
Tickets are $12 for the general public and $10 for students with I.D. To order, call (310) 825-2101. On-campus parking is $5 and is available in Lot 4. (Enter the campus at Sunset and Westwood.) Theater 200 is located on the second floor and is accessible only by staircase. For information or requests for access and accommodation, please call (310) 825-3951 seven days prior to the event.
The journey begins in Africa with a griot/joli (storyteller/historian) telling a story about Mother Africa and her four orphaned daughters who were taken from her during the slave trade. The daughters are represented as Orishas (Yoruba deities) Yemaya, Oshun, Oya and Obatala. Each Orisha represents a country of the Diaspora, including Brazil, Cuba, Haiti and the United States.
The story of their survival and eventual reunion is illustrated through the performance of traditional West African dance and live drumming and their counterparts that have survived in the Diaspora, including capoeira and samba (Brazil), santeria and comparsa (Cuba), and ra ra and vodun (Haiti). The production concludes with the United States manifestations, which include modern hip-hop and a synthesis of all the former styles in the creation of a model for Carnival 2000. The cast is comprised of more than 40 students and featured guest artists from Africa, Brazil, Cuba and the United States.
Nzingha Camara has taught in the Department of World Arts and Cultures for the past five years and has studied extensively in West Africa. This project culminates five years of her work in the department. In addition to her academic work, she has choreographed for television shows and cinematic productions, including "A Different World" and "The Color Purple." A long-standing member of Los Angeles' Afro-American cultural community, she continues her commitment to educating Americans through public classes and workshops at the Dance Collective.
Joining Camara in the creation of this work is WAC faculty member Teresita Domé-Perez, a former member of Afrocuba de Matanzas, the world-renowned Afro-Cuban folkloric troupe from Matanzas, Cuba.
This production is being presented as part of the celebration of the Year of African Music throughout UCLA's School of the Arts and Architecture. Events include presentations by the departments of Ethnomusicology and World Arts and Cultures as well as the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History's exhibition, "Music in the Life of Africa," which runs through July 16. In "Ma Gbagbe," instruments similar to those on display at the Fowler will be played as part of the presentations.
