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Akeem African Drumming
Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
FREE at Santa Fe Library Southside, 6599 Jaguar Dr., Santa Fe, NM 87507. Bring the kids!
Akeem is a 9th-generation Nigerian drummer whose mission is to keep alive traditional Yoruba stories, rituals and mythology through drumming, storytelling and dance. He leads an engaging, interactive African drumming program that engages both kids and adults in conversation about the continent of Africa, framed within his own personal story about growing up as a drummer in Nigeria. In addition to stories and song, he demonstrates the traditional talking drum, ashiko, djembe and bata drums, which folks have the opportunity to play and experience.
More on Akeem Ayanniyi: The “Ayan” prefix of Ayanniyi indicates that he descends from a family lineage that can be traced back 700 years to the Yoruba deity of drumming, Ayan Agalu. Akeem is from the western Nigerian town of Erin Oshun near the historic art center of Oshogbo. He has been performing since the age of five and has, as a performer and teacher, toured much of Africa as well as Germany, Brazil, Sweden and the United States.