I have thrown away the clothes shown in all three photos. Photos taken by Mr. Benny J. at All Souls Church during the performance held on January 4, 2016.
On January 4, 2016, I had the opportunity to provide my services for an event featuring the Akoma Drummers, which was held at All Souls Church in Washington, DC. The Akoma Drummers are recognized as a prominent West African drum troupe based in the capital, known for their vibrant performances that celebrate cultural heritage and community engagement.
The Akoma Drummers "are a West African drum troupe based in Washington DC."
"KRISTEN ARANT is a percussionist, vocalist, teaching artist and activist living and working in the Washington, DC region. Originally a classically-trained oboe player with a degree in music, she began her drumming career upon moving to Washington DC in 2000, when she helped initiate the activist drumming ensemble Rhythm Workers Union, known for its hand-built drum cart the “MotherDrumShip,” and its legions of drummers who created a spectacle at hundreds of protests, rallies and events through 2007. Enthralled by the healing and unifying power of the Djembe drum, Kristen began to study West African drumming in 2002. She spent time with masters such as Baile McKnight, Mamady Keita and Tammi Hessen. In 2004 she began teaching drumming at DC public schools, and through these experiences discovered how the drum could transform the self esteem of young people and help them to become self-actualized. In 2005 she started a DC non-profit organization, the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project, which enrolled young women ages 12 and up from across DC, taught them how to play West African drums, and guided them through poetry, song-writing, theatre and dance workshops that culminated in final performances. These performance showcases “wowed” communities across DC as they witnessed young women coming of age via drumming – an innovative Rite of Passage."
I have not provided any services for numerous dance companies in over 4 years.