PULLMAN – ‘Manding Jata’ – the Sanjata Epic -will be performed at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 18th in the Beasely Coliseum. The performance will be presented by Festival Dance & Performing Arts and supported by WSU’s Visual Performing Literary Arts Community (VPLAC). ‘Manding Jata’ is translated ‘the Lion of Mali’ in the Mande languages of West Africa. The show is a uniquely individual production combining deeply traditional music and dance repertoire with various circus arts, mime and theatre elements, lighting and optional magic illusions. The performance is delivered by the exceptional artists of Manding Jata, as well as musicians, singers and traditional “jali” dancers from an 800 year lineage as musical historians.
This distinguished group of artists come from the Mande region of West Africa – Mali, The Gambia, Guinea and Senegal. Most of the artists have held principal roles with the pre-eminent state sponsored companies of their respective countries.
The group was founded in 1996 to tour the music and dance theatre production, The Sunjata Epic. The original market for this show was primarily youth festivals and U.S. venues programming a youth component or series.
Within five years, The Sunjata Epic had been featured at most of the world’s major events for young people, receiving accolades from presenters and rave reviews from the global press.
In 2001, ‘Manding Jata’ was invited to headline the African Renaissance Festival of Dance in Barbados by the Office of the President and the Commission for Pan African Affairs. The group presented a two week residency which included dance workshops for over 100 professional dancers, educational programming for thousands of young people and two sold out public performances at the National Theatre in Bridgetown. The tour included a national press conference, extensive media coverage and reviews in both national newspapers.
After turning down several requests to perform in New York City, the group accepted an offer from the Brooklyn Center at Brooklyn College. This event provided the necessary profile for the desired impact, with media saturation, including the New Yorker magazine, New York Times and a live interview and performance on WBAI radio.
WSU Students are admitted to the event free of charge. The price is $22, and $14 for students. Tickets can be purchased at all TicketsWest outlets, (800) 325-7328 or Festival Dance (208) 883-3267.
Click here for a video preview.
For more information visit www.festivaldance.org or www.mandingjata.com or call (208) 883-3267 or email Cindy@FestivalDance.org.