Gansango African Dance Company - Introduction to African Instruments

Etienne Cakpo, Artistic Director of Gansango African Dance Company, introduces a variety of common African instruments and demonstrates how they are played. The video is appropriate for all ages, but specifically may be useful for school-age youth who are learning about rhythm and gaining exposure to international instruments.

This video was produced with support from 4Culture during the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order.

Gansango Music & Dance presents traditional and contemporary dance and music from West Africa – drawing on the stunning talent of multicultural dancers and musicians. Gansango is directed by Etienne Cakpo, originally from Benin and now a choreographer and teacher based in Seattle, Washington. Gansango company collaborating artists perform regularly in the Seattle area, nationally and internationally for audiences of all ages. The company performances fuse music and movement from across the African continent, drawing heavily from the dance and music traditions of Benin, Ghana and Togo, among other countries.

More information about Gansango Music and Dance is available at https://gansango.com or contact [email protected]