World Rhythms Takes The Stage
By Michael Ganci – Syntax NY
The Middle Country Public Library presents the famous World Rhythms concert on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. at their Selden location.
Founded by Tony Vacca in 1993, the vision behind World Rhythms is to demonstrate the global nature of music combining local, regional and internationally known performers. Together they form a consortium of musicians whose collective skills and insights create a wide range of concert performances.
Tony is an American-born percussionist, composer, and educator who plays West African balafon, djembe, talking drum and an orchestra of gongs, among other percussion instruments. His music combines elements from dynamic traditions resulting in an innovative hybrid of ancient and contemporary sounds. Tony incorporates original spoken word into his performances to create a link from the traditions of rap and hip-hop to their origins among the soothsayers and griots of West Africa.
Featured performer Massamba Diop is one of Senegal’s most well known musicians, known as the Doctor of the tama drum. He is a champion of Senegalese culture, and an example to the youth of his nation demonstrating that practicing and supporting cultural and musical traditions can be a viable career.
As a performance poet and published author, Tantra-zawadi supports the rights of women through creative expression. Tantra-zawadi has performed to standing-room audiences from South Africa and London to Germany and Canada and has performed original works in several off-Broadway productions.
The music and dancing of these and the other World Rhythms performers will be a hard-hitting fusion of Jazz and World Music that confirms the powerful common ground that music provides us all.
This program is made possible by a grant from Huntington Arts Council. Register through the Middle Country Public Library website at, http://www.mcpl.lib.ny.us/.