Mandara Music

“If you've ever had the split-second opportunity to spy Naranjo in action when SNL cuts to a commercial break, you've witnesses a blur of energy behind a fortress of percussion.”
—Andy Doershuk, DRUM! Magazine, May 2005

NEW CURRENT EVENTS

September 28 - Friday
8 PM Mandara in Concert St. Mary's Episcopal Church 521 West 126th Street (just west of Amsterdam Avenue) part of the series Famosos Desconicidos (Famous Unknowns) $10
contact The Taller Latinoamericano www.tallerlatino.org 212-665-9460

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

September 29 - Saturday
NBC/SNL season opener (Valerie's 12th)

October 16
8PM Tribute Concert to celebrate the life of Kakraba Lobi Ghanaian Gyil (solo marimba) master
Valerie, Barry, and others The Nuyorican Poet's Cafe 236 East 3rd Street, Manhattan, part of the "Women Take the Bandstand" Series $10 contact Jessica Valiente 973-759-1678

October 17- 26
Barry with Spanish Harlem Orchestra in Indonesia and Singapore

October 26 - 27 - Friday and Saturday
Valerie performs at the "Alaska Day of Percussion" University of Alaska at Anchorage
contact John Damberg johnd@cravin-records.com

November 7 - Wednesday
8PM Barry with Syotos at Williams College Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall - Williamstown, MA

November 19 - 20
Valerie and Barry at Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL

November 19 - Monday
8PM Northern Illinois University Latin Jazz Ensemble Concert, feat. Barry Olsen and Valerie Naranjo

November 20 - Tuesday
- 11AM School of Music All School Convocation Duo lecture/performance
- 3PM Masterclass on Gyil, etc.
- 8PM Northern Illinois University Percussion Ensemble Concert, feat. Valerie Naranjo and Barry Olsen

Concerts and Convocation are all being held in the NIU School of Music Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. The Tuesday masterclass will be held in School of Music Room 153. For more information, contact Greg Beyer gbeyer@niu.edu

Valerie Wins 2005 Drummie for Best World Percussionist

drummie logo Drum! August 2005 Best of the Best! The 2005 Drummies! Readers poll awards.
Who is the Drummer of the Year? We asked for your opinions. You told us what and who you liked most in the drumming universe in the past year. We heard you, and tallied up the ballots you sent, which literally flooded the DRUM! magazine offices. So here's what we learned about your tastes in drumming.

Worldbeat percussionist of the year: Valerie Naranjo.

NEW CDs

Mandara releases debut CD

Described as an "African imbued jazz percussion ensemble." and 'a fascinating assemblage of instrumentalists and vocalists from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds.' This all-star quintet celebrates the link from African and Native American chamber music (on traditional instruments), to its grandchildren - the jazz and popular dance music of the Americas.

Barry Olsen releases a piano trio recording with Boris Kozlov on bass and Vince Cherico on drums. Although to the average listener it may not sound Latin per se, our playing on much of this recording owes as much to the Cuban and West African rhythmic tradition of "clave"as it does to straight ahead jazz.

NEW ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS WITH VALERIE

Check out the new articles and interviews from DRUM! magazine and World Percussion Rhythm magazine and interview here.

ABOUT BARRY AND VALERIE

Barry and Valerie have been performing together since 1982. With the kind assistance of Nobuco "Cobi" Narita (The Universal Jazz Coalition) and countless others, they went from local libraries, parks, museums, and New York City Public schools to the international stage, where, in 1996, they performed in the Kobine Festival of Traditional Music in Lawra, Ghana, where they were honored as the first non-West Africans to be awarded a first prize.

As a duo, they have performed at festivals worldwide including The Percussive Arts Society International Conference (1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001); The New Music Festival (Leon, Mexico); Semana Internacional de Percusiones (Mexcio City); El Primer Festival Internacional de Marimbistas (Chiapas, Mexico); The Bath Festival (Bath,England); and Arts Alive (Johannesburg, South Africa). In July 2005, they were performers and clinicians at the 25th Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, and have been invited to return in 2006.

They co-direct the multi-instrumental/vocal quintet Mandara, which has performed at such venues as the Kaisuka Festival (Japan), Lincoln Center, and The Kennedy Center. (Please see "about Mandara").

About Mandara

Valerie Dee Naranjo is a marimbist, percussionist, vocalist, and composer who is exploring, in her work, the relationships between indigenous music in West Africa and popular music in America.

Barry Olsen is a trombonist, pianist, percussionist and composer who is extensively involved in exploring, performing and recording the musics of Africa and the Americas, especially Latin Jazz and Latin dance music.

Mandara is a quintet of multi-instrumentalists/vocalists that performs music of West and southern Africa and the diaspora, and original works on instruments from many countries.

Mandara Music Publications provides printed materials for the pedagogy and performance on the African Gyil.
MANDARA MUSIC RECORDINGS highlights Valerie's three solo CDs, as well as the work of Ghanian gyil masters Kakraba Lobi and Bernard Woma in collaboration with Valerie and Barry.

The Gyil is an ancient marimba that requires great mastery to play. It is the national instrument of the Dagara and Lobi nations of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte D'ivoire.

Writings features extensive written works by Valerie about the Gyil and other percussion, as well as her studies and explorations of African musics.

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