Doundounba Festival

Remote access available for Friday night's Film Festival and Community Forum. A Zoom Link will be sent with your registration confirmation. Registrants can attend in-person or on-line.

Doundounba is a traditional West African rhythm and dance known as the dance of the strong man. It is a dance that showcases the heritage and culture of Africans and African Americans, and the values of strength, agility, vitality, community, communication, creativity, and wholistic health. This dance was known to be used as a way to resolve conflict and disagreements in the village or with neighboring tribes in the Great Mali Empire of West Africa. Activities in The Doundounba Festival include film screenings, community discussions with artists and scholars, classes, and a showcase.

This highly significant rhythm and dance has been practiced for many centuries and represents multiple social and cultural values of various ethnic groups in the western region of Africa. The Doundounba is also an event that brings the community together to showcase the artists, and create awareness of its values and tradition. For the individual it represents one's creativity, agility, vitality, and strength. Culturally, it represents a rich heritage filled with pride, identity and power. The inherent West African traditions and values are expressed to the world through its intricate rhythms, song and dance.

Sponsorship:

UCR Department of Dance, UCR Department of Theater Film and Digital Production, UCR African Studies Committee, UCR Center for Ideas and Society, WE 3 PRODUCTIONS, “We The People” Cultural Consortium,

Alseny Soumah will be teaching the master workshop on Saturday. Based in Okland, The Alseny Soumah Lahydi Collective is dedicated to sustaining the cultural integrity and legacy of Guinea, West Africa through education, advocacy, community programs and partnerships. We aim to bring West African Dance, Drum & Culture to enthusiasts who seek to learn, experience, & perpetuate the magnificence of Africa. We invest & nurture future generations to evolve in the arts & culture.

Additional Guest Participants:

Dr. S. Ama Wray - Creator of Embodiology® Dr S. Ama Wray is also a TEDx Speaker and Professor of Dance at the University of California, Irvine. Self-styled as a Performance Architect for over 30 years she has been performing, teaching, researching, speaking, choreographing and collaborating across three continents.

Linda Johnson - Bay Area Culture Bearer, a legendary educator in East Oakland since the ‘80s. At her school which is known as Umoja House, she has taught generations of students who have grown up to be productive members of their communities.

Nzingha Camara - The Southern California monarch and pioneer of traditional West African Dance who specializes in the dances of Senegal, Guinea and Mali and has her own company, Le Ballet de Kouman Kele. Her studio "The Dance Collective" was a prime location for community engagement with premire practitioners of African dance accross the diaspora.

Fode Sissoko - A grandson of Soundiolou Cissokho, king of the kora. Sissoko was chosen to perform with the National Ballet, Bugadabu. With over three decades of global touring experience, he has shared his culture, performing, teaching and collaborating with other pioneers in Traditional West African Drum and Dance for almost 40 years.

Bara M'Boup - A master drummer from Senegal, West Africa. Bara has shared the stage with Tina Turner and the Rolling Stones and recorded with Peter Gabriel playing djembe, sabar and dundun. He performed for decades with the Ballet Bougarabou, a primer West African Dance Company from Senegal, and continues to perform with and record with many world renowned artists.

Will Gordon - Accompaniment Musician for the West African Dance classes at the University of California, Riverside. He has also participated in departmental and campus events as Guest Artist.

Joy Martin -Founder, Artistic Director, and choreographer for Caribbean Joy Dance Company specilizing in Afri-caribbean styles including limbo, fire eating and glass dances of Barbados.

Saliou M'Boup -Accompaniment Musician for the West African Dance classes at UCR.

Makeda Kumasi - Festival Host and Continuing Lecture in the UCR Department of Dance. Makeda has toured with two prominent Southern California based performance companies, Abalaye African Drum and Dance Ensemble, and Niancho Eniyaley African Dance Performers. Makeda holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Education from the University of Phoenix. She teaches West African movement classes in the community and at the University of California, Riverside.

*Friday, May 27 - INTS 1128 / Zoom link available

Documentary screenings w/ Q&A

6:30 p.m.: Doors open

6:40 p.m.: Film: "12 Days in Senegal; An Artist's Journey Doc-Journal" by Makeda Kumasi

7:15 p.m.: Film: "Momma, I can't Breathe" by Kouman Kele

7:25 p.m.: Film: "Collaborative Conversations on the Continent" by Dr. S. Ama Wray

8:15 p.m.: Community Forum with Ms. Linda Faye Johnson, Bay Area Culture Bearer, Dr. S. Ama Wray, UC Irvine Department of Dance, Ms. Nzingha Camara of Kouman Kele African Dance and Drum Ensemble (remote participation).

*Saturday, May 28 - ARTS 100 (outside / ARTS building courtyard)

8:30 a.m.: Registration

9:00 - 10:50 a.m.: Djembe / Doun Drum Workshop - Bara Mboup & Will Gordon

11:00 - 11:30 a.m.: Dance warm up

11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.: Master Dance Workshop - Alseny Soumah of the Lahydi Collective

1:00 - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

1:30 - 2:00 p.m.: Demonstration Lecture - Joy Martin of Caribbean Joy Dance Company

2:10 - 3:00 p.m.: Community Doundounba

*Free Parking

Host or Publisher WE 3 PRODUCTIONS