Evento

An Evening of West African Dance & Drum by Group Khindia and special guests

The night will start off with a potluck picnic under the redwoods in the Gualala Arts Center picnic area, followed by an hour long performance by Group Khindia and special guests. This local West African dance & drum group will perform on the outdoor amphitheater stage. The show will consist of live drumming alongside high-energy dance performances. Soft drinks will be available for sale, and attendees can also bring their own refreshments.

Group Khindia is from the Mendocino coast and is inspired by the rhythms and traditions of West Africa. The director, Maria Kostick, studied traditional West African dance in West Africa in 1999. Since then she has studied West African dance intensely.

When Aly Diabate, originally from Guinea, West Africa, moved to the area, Maria & Aly jointly started Group Khindia on the coast. Maria teaches dance classes on the Mendocino coast and has been excited by the warm response she has received from the community. The dancers in Group Khindia come from these local dance classes.

The performers are joyously committed to the study of traditional rhythms, primarily from Guinea, Mali & Senegal in West Africa. This group regularly brings West African artists to the Mendocino area to teach dance and drum classes and to conduct various workshops with the performance group. They perform all over Northern California, including events such as the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Beneficial Reggae, CasparFest, Great Day in Elk and Mendocino in Motion. They are very excited for the opportunity to share their passion with their community. They also want to express gratitude to all of their teachers who have shared their culture with them.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $5 more on the day of the performance. Youth 7 to 17 are admitted free. To purchase in person, visit the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin Gallery in Gualala.