iFest: Sankofa Drum & Dance Ensemble

A couple weeks ago, Huntsville had it's 5th annual International Festival at UAH. You may have seen my earlier post of The Crackerjacks. After them came a group from Tennessee in traditional West African gear.

For their half-hour time slot Sankofa Drum & Dance Ensemble owned the stage. Families of drummers pounded out rhythms that made the dancers take to the wind.

 A huge crowd gathered around the tent, standing room only, drawn by the drums and held captive by the emotion. And the dancers danced and the drummers drummed.

"Sankofa" means "return and retrieve." The speakers talked about capturing the past, seeking to learn where they came from and then using it to learn where they were going.

 

And the dancers danced and the drummers drummed.

And the dancers danced and the drummers drummed.

Too many great photo to choose from, so here's some more. As always, click on any of the photos on this post for larger view.

iFest - The Crackerjacks

I stopped by the International Festival for a few hours this last weekend. iFest tries to contain so much they can't help but have space problems. They acquired more space than last year, but this year parking was brutal. Still, it's worth it.

I always enjoy the dancing and international musical performances, which are hard to find in Huntsville on any other day. (Can we change that?) However, the US also has some good music to offer, including The Crackerjacks, playing very American rockabilly music. This bluesy swingfest of a band were tight, talented, and enjoyable to watch.


Visually distinctly is the sight of Jonathan straddling his upright bass. The sounds coming from the bass are not your normal indie mush either.

Andy is one of those rare guitarists that makes it sound as though three guitars are playing instead of one.

Ever since I was young and discovered The Monkees, I've had a soft spot for drummers that can sing. Along with filling the rhythm section, James does a great Johnny Cash.


I look forward to hearing them again!


As always, click on any of these photos for a larger view.



 



















Next blog post, we'll check out the absolutely fabulous Sankofa Drum & Dance Ensemble from Tennessee during their visit to iFest.