The music of highly acclaimed guitarist and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo, from Guinea in West Africa, rings out with irrepressible enthusiasm, and audiences cannot help but move in response. This is why this dance-style event has been planned for the McCullough Student Center. Diallo has earned a matchless international reputation for the excellence of his musicianship and the excitement of his shows—whether performing solo or with his band, Bafing. On his latest album Djama, which means “The People” in Fulah, Diallo has taken his art to new heights. Diallo’s musical inheritance is something he always builds upon. While ensuring that his performances and albums make use of the very latest advances in music technology, he never strays far from his roots.
In preparation for the performance, Alpha Yaya Diallo also leads a percussion and dance demonstration as part of a discussion about African history, rhythm, and multicultural musical influences. Attendees are encouraged to visit the museum exhibition, Resonance from the Past: African Sculpture from the New Orleans Museum of Art following the demonstration. Lunch is provided.
Diallo’s residency is funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the national Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program, the six New England state arts agencies, and the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund. Middlebury College sponsors include the Department of Music, Performing Arts Series, the Mahaney Center for the Arts, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.
Lecture/Demonstration: African Percussion and Dance by Alpha Yaya Diallo
Wednesday, October 31, at 12:30 p.m., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre. Free
Dance-style Performance by Alpha Yaya Diallo and the Bafing Riders
Thursday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m., in the McCullough Student Center. Tickets: $15/12/5. 802-443-MIDD (6433) or https://cat.middlebury.edu/forms/cfa/obo/obo.php