drumming

Tag: drumming

World Music Series welcomes Pedrito Martinez Group

Cuban-born percussionist Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez and his international bandmates bring their unique blend of Latin jazz, timba, gospel, guaguanco, blues and classical music to Lawrence University’s Warch Campus Center Wednesday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in a Lawrence World Music concert.

Tickets, at $10 adults; $5 for seniors/students are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Pedro "Pedrito" MartinezKnown for both his beautiful voice and his exceptional percussion skills, Martinez will be joined by Cuban pianist and vocalist Ariacne Trujillo, Venezuelan-born bassist Alvaro Benavides and Peruvian-born percussionist Jhair Sala. They have performed together since Martinez formed the group in 2005.

Winner of the 2000 Thelonius Monk Award for Afro-Latin hand percussion, Martinez has recorded or performed with such diverse musical luminaries as Wynton Marsailis, Bruce Springsteen, Paquito D’Rivera and Sting.

The group’s self-titled debut album earned a Grammy Award nomination and was among NPR’s “Favorite Album” in 2013. Their second album, 2016’s “Habana Dreams,” was the top choice in NPR’s Jazz Critic Top Jazz Albums that year.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Year of the Rooster: Lawrence celebrates Lunar New Year 

Lawrence University will ring in the 2017 Lunar New Year — the Year of the Rooster — Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. with dance performances and a multicultural expo in the Warch Campus Center. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

A photo of a local Hmong dance group Nkauj Hmoob Ntsias Lias.
Nkauj Hmoob Ntsias Lias, a local Hmong dance group, will be among the performers at Lawrence’s annual Lunar New Year celebration.

Showcasing Eastern culture will be the local Hmong dance group Nkauj Hmoob Ntsias Lias, the Vietnamese hip-hop duo Beast Street, a traditional lion dance by Vovinam Chicago and the Japanese drumming/folk dance group Anaguma Eisa from UW-Madison.

Following the performances, several Lawrence student organizations will host a cultural expo from beginning at 8 p.m., offering a variety of traditional crafts/games, calligraphy, paper fan/lantern decorating and paper fortune cookies. A photo booth will be available and a selection of Asian treats — Vietnamese Bánh mì, Korean potato pancakes, Chinese donuts, spring rolls, crab Rangoons and pot stickers — will be served.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Lawrence Wins International Percussion Ensemble Competition

LUPE-Percussion_competition_newsblog
The Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble won the 2014 Percussive Arts Society’s World Percussion Ensemble Competition and will be a featured performer at the PAS international convention in November.

The Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble (LUPÉ) will be among the featured performers at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention this November in Indianapolis, Ind., after winning the organization’s 2014 International World Percussion Ensemble Competition.

LUPÉ — comprising the Sambistas, a Brazilian drumming corps, Kinkaviwo, a Ghanaian drum and dance group and Tambotoke´, an Afro-Cuban group — was selected the winner from among submitted video tapes. The annual PAS-sponsored World Percussion Competition is open to high school and college/university ensembles performing non-Western percussion-based music. Lawrence’s submission was from its March 2014 concert in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

It is the second time LUPE has won a PAS international competition under the direction of Professor of Music Dane Richeson. LUPE won the 1995 PAS collegiate percussion ensemble competition and performed at its international conference in Phoenix that year.

Dane-Richeson_newsblog
Professor of Music Dane Richeson

“I am so proud of my students and am honored to be recognized by the Percussive Arts Society for the second time,” said Richeson, who has directed Lawrence’s percussion studio since 1984. “Winning the World Percussion Ensemble Competition is a testament to the dedication and hard work our students put into learning these music traditions from Brazil, Ghana and Cuba. Many of the student directors of our ensembles have received grants to travel to these countries and study with master musicians similar to the ones I have had opportunities to study with during my sabbaticals there. It fills me with pride to see our students embrace this music as if it was from their own culture.”

The Percussive Arts Society International Convention is the world’s largest percussion event, featuring more than 120 concerts, clinics, master classes, labs, workshops, panels and presentations. Lawrence will perform at the convention with winners in other categories of PAS-sponsored competitions, including ensembles from the University of Kentucky, Oklahoma State University and Yale University.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.