The Annenberg Center Presents The World Premiere Of Kulu Mele's OGUN & THE PEOPLE; Second Show Added!

Traditional West African dance and drumming take center stage at the Annenberg Center as Philadelphia's Kulu Mele celebrates its 50th anniversary with the world premiere of Ogun & the People, an Annenberg Center co-commission. This timely multi-media work explores the Afro-Cuban/Yoruba parable of the deity Ogun, a warrior and protector who abandons the other gods, wreaking terrible violence and famine on the world. It was specially created by Kulu Mele artistic director Dorothy Wilkie as her gift to the community (and the world), in commemoration of Kulu Mele's 50th anniversary. Major support for Ogun & the People has been provided to Kulu Mele by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Visit AnnenbergCenter.org for tickets.

Ogun & the People incorporates live music, dance, film, storytelling, set elements, and more. Its world-premiere performance at the Annenberg Center features a cast of 23 professional performing artists, as well as children. Dorothy Wilkie's Ogun uses elements of traditional ritual, dance and culture to explore contemporary concerns in Philadelphia and around the world. Her Ogun is rooted in authentic folkloric traditions including Afro-Cuba, Haitian and Oriente (Eastern Cuban) Yoruba culture, and contemporary Yoruba culture as practiced in Philadelphia, as part of the Yoruba Diaspora. Ogun & the People was developed in part through a residency in Santiago de Cuba with Ballet Folklorico Cutumba.

Inspired by the voices of its ancestors, it is the mission of Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble to preserve, present and perpetuate the traditional dance and music of West Africa and the African

Diaspora, and to celebrate contemporary African American culture. Kulu Mele was founded in 1969 by the late Robert "Baba" Crowder (1930-1982). Kulu Mele is the oldest continually performing African dance and drum ensemble in the United States. Kulu Mele draws on the African musical and movement genres of Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana, and the Senegambia region; the Afro-Caribbean traditions of Cuba and Haiti; and more, including Afro-Brazilian and other cultures. In addition to presenting the dance and music of Africa and the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia-based ensemble also performs contemporary American music and dance including hip-hop, the Bop, Cha-Cha and the Slop, blending West African ancestral traditions with African American creativity. Kulu Mele currently performs year-round throughout Philadelphia and tours nationally and internationally. The ensemble has appeared at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM), Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Hall at The Los Angeles Music Center. In September 2015, Kulu Mele traveled to Santiago de Cuba, for an intensive cultural immersion and eight-day residency with Ballet Folklorico Cutumba, as part of the company's artistic development process for Ogun & the People. In addition to performances, Kulu Mele's extensive arts education program serves thousands of Philadelphia children and adults annually, in both school and community settings. Kulu Mele's in-school programs also exclusively serve economically disadvantaged families.

Visit AnnenbergCenter.org for ticket information.