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Mali Dance and Music
August 20, 2023 @ 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm
$10 – $20
Kono Gnaga Holds Second Triangle Event to Raise Awareness
About the Importance and History of African Dance
Durham, NC – On Sunday, August 20, join Malian dancer Souleymane Solo Sana (Solo), Africa Unplugged, and Living Arts Collective for a great day of music and traditional Malian dance workshops for kids and adults as they raise money for work with schools in Mali.
This family event, presented by US nonprofit Kono Gnaga, starts at 3 pm with a dynamic performance from Africa Unplugged. This band uses traditional percussion instruments from West Africa in combination with guitars and bass to play traditional rhythms while drawing from influences across the world. Their creativity results in a funky, soulful blues and dance music that keeps you moving as they tell stories from the old world and the new. Also on the agenda is a presentation about the important work Kono Gnaga is doing to promote its mission, a kids dance class, and a traditional Malian Dance Class with Solo leading.
Solo Sana, a traditional dancer from Mali, West Africa, started Kono Gnaga with a mission to preserve the living heritage of Malian traditional dance and music through arts education to keep it alive for generations to come Kono Gnaga works with partner schools in Mali to establish traditional dance programs in the schools and produce community festivals that help promote social cohesion and heritage-based development.
The day starts at 3pm at the Living Arts Collective at 410 West Geer Street, Durham, North Carolina. The Africa Unplugged performance begins at 3:00pm, 4:00 pm hosts a presentation on Kono Gnaga and its work. The Kids Dance Class is from 4:30 – 5 pm, with the day finishing up with a 5:15 Traditional Malian Dance Class led by Solo.
Admission for adults and children 13 and up is $ 25 in advance, $30 at the door. Children 12 and under are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door.
If you are unable to attend, please consider a donation or sponsoring a spot for someone in the community to attend. Donations include one event ticket, which can be utilized or donated. Sponsorship start at $50 for a KG Fan Sponsor, $100 for a KG Family Sponsor, and $500 for a KG Superstar Sponsor. Although donations with a ticket start at $50, any amount is appreciated as even the smallest donation helps further the mission. You can purchase tickets online via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mali-dance-and-music-tickets-675511030677
Learn more about the nonprofit Kono Gnaga at its website: www.konognaga.org ; and more about Solo’s unique preservation work at his website: www.solosana.com. Learn more about our event partners at their websites. You can find Africa Unplugged at https://africaunpluggedmusic.com/ and the Living Arts Collective at https://www.livingartscollective.com/