Wula Drum and Dance Ensemble captivated an intimate audience with West African Music in the Weis Center Lobby on Sept. 6. The event was sponsored by the Griot Institute for Africana Studies. 

Wula Drum is a New York City-based company that was founded in 2006. The group believes “that the way to break down barriers of race and class is through education of music and dance, environmental awareness, paying higher wages, and support sustainable incomes in Guinea as well as the USA.”

Wula Drum played West African music on traditional instruments at the Weis Center event. Throughout the performance, Wula Drum introduced the audience to the names and history of some of their instruments. The audience learned that the krin—a type of drum—was used in the past as a means of sending messages. Wula Drum taught the audience that while instruments are used to make music, they also have alternative meanings and purposes. 

Wula Drum kept the audience engaged by encouraging audience members to clap and sing along to the entire performance. The group also brought along two dancers to accompany the music.

After entertaining and teaching the audience for nearly an hour, Wula Drum played one final song and invited the whole crowd to get involved. Wula Drum members pulled audience members up, and soon enough, many members of the crowd were dancing and enjoying the final moments of the performance.