Tonight, Penn State students will get a rare chance to see a legendary, internationally recognized musician -- free of charge.
Ghanaian master drummer and percussionist Okyerema Asante will be performing at 8 tonight at Esber Recital Hall. The show acquired multi-sponsorship from the Penn State Jazz Club, the Integrative Arts department, the School of Music and the Equal Opportunity Planning Commission. The University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) provided the free admission.
Asante is an accomplished percussionist whose music has been on many recordings. He said his performance would provide students with an introduction into his work.
"It's all about a journey into the world of percussion," Asante said. "African musical styles applied to Western music."
The group that will be performing with Asante also features keyboardist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer/keyboardist/vocalist Ronnie Burrage.
Burrage said concert attendees could expect to see a blend of musical styles, including jazz fusion, that are all grounded in percussion and rhythm.
Chris Byrne, a Penn State mathematics professor and adviser for the Jazz Club, said students might unknowingly be familiar with Asante's work because he was featured on Paul Simon's Graceland album and has toured with Fleetwood Mac and Little Feat.
Asante's performance is part of a series of scheduled concerts organized by Burrage, who is providing the concerts as a supplement to the newly created INART 297E (World's Closer) class he teaches. There are monthly concerts planned for the duration of the school year.
"My course deals with the art, music and literature of the world," Burrage said. "Learning diplomacy to build a global community by observing the differing art forms of the world."
Byrne said the supplementary concerts would give students a firsthand understanding of the goals of the course.
"The shows will feature performers from all over the world so as to not be pigeonholed in one style of jazz," Byrne said. "New cultures come from blending cultures and that's what we're featuring with this series."
Asante was a guest lecturer in Burrage's class Thursday. He said his lecture focused on what musicians in Africa must go through in the pursuit of their art, the methods they use to craft their instruments and how drums were used as a means of communication.
The concert will act as a kind of demonstration of the concepts he covered in Thursday's class while exposing students to new music, Asante said.
"They'll go home very happy and entertained, while learning something different," Asante said.
Byrne said the education and entertainment provided by the music would go hand-in-hand.
"Students are going to really love the music," Byrne said. "It's a real treat. It will expand their mind and expand their awareness of what they like."
