On June 13th, world musician and teacher Randy Armstrong will lead a free educational workshop with Fatoumata Diawara focusing on West African drumming with students from Portsmouth Middle School as part of West Africa Day in Portsmouth.
Randy is the co-founder of Do’a World Music Ensemble and Unu Mondo, and has performed across the globe. He is the recipient of numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts and has led workshops for thousands of students throughout New England and the U.S. Randy teaches West African drumming at Phillips Exeter Academy and Plymouth State University.
Later that evening at 8pm, Randy and his World Fusion Trio with Jose Duque and Volker Nahrmann will join Fatoumata and her band at The Music Hall for a concert to benefit RAIN’s programs in Niger keeping at-risk girls in school and bringing new opportunity and livelihoods to women. Visit the event webpage for more details.
Fatoumata Diawara is a critically acclaimed singer songwriter incorporating the sounds of traditional Malian music with folk and rock to create her own unique sound enhanced by dance performance radiating passion and energy. She is currently on tour for her latest album Fatou.
Tickets for the 8pm concert are $35/$25 SSM. To order call 603-436-2400 or go online.
Members of the press are cordially invited to attend the workshop. Please contact info@rain4sahara.org or call 603-371-0676 to arrange.
