Ngoma: Drum, Dance, S. Africa

4.0 credits

Throughout much of Southern Africa, the word "ngoma" means drum. It also refers to specific musical styles that combine drumming, dance, and song. Finally, there is often a ritual dimension to ngoma, which is used in ceremonies focused around individual and social healing. In this class, students will bring ngoma alive by learning to perform various Zimbabwean ngoma genres, with the option of specializing in either drumming or dance. Through video clips, audio recordings, photos, and articles, we will also learn to understand ngoma within a larger cultural framework.