BYU Showcases Global Ensemble Fusing Tradition, Storytelling and Modern Sound
Amidst Homecoming Week celebrations, students will have the chance to experience music that blends centuries-old tradition with modern energy. Senegalese percussionist Aba Diop and his global ensemble will perform a concert that celebrates rhythm, history and storytelling.
His percussion-forward ensemble combines West African and Western instruments, creating a dialogue between tradition and modernity, acoustic and electric. The result is music that interweaves storytelling with the sounds of jazz and rock.
“This group is a fascinating East-meets-West combination of instruments, styles and influences all brought together by griot Aba Diop,” said Lyndsay Keith, producer and presenter of the concert. “A ‘Griot’ (pronounced GREE-oh) is a hereditary West African position responsible for keeping an oral history of their people. They do this through music, including traditional songs and new compositions that chronicle current events. You’ll hear West African drums and polyrhythms mixed with Western jazz and rock influences for exciting, uplifting, dance-worthy sounds!”
The program highlights the power of music and storytelling to preserve cultural memory while engaging audiences in new ways. As part of BYU’s Homecoming Week, the event also connects with the theme “Light the Way Forward,” emphasizing how stories from the past can inspire the future.
This event is an invitation to experience a cultural tradition carried for over a thousand years while enjoying the joy and energy of live music.
Tickets and Show Details
When: October 17th at 7:30 PM
Where: Music Building Concert Hall
Price: $12-42
Tickets: Available online at BYU tickets