Join Lawrence Greene, the founder of Ugata: Drum and Dance, for a workshop at Marietta College on Thursday, February 29, at The Gathering Place. The workshop, which runs from 5:30-7:00 p.m., will be centered around traditional West African rhythms played on djembes and djun drums. This event is free and open to the public.
They will play drums, dance, and talk about how West African drumming influenced American music and culture. The first African American artifact was a drum found in the 1740s in Virginia. Soon after that time, these drums became illegal in the United States. Some drums will be provided, so bring a drum if you have one.
Greene is an Artsbridge catalog artist. He has been teaching drumming for over 20 years. Lawrence and his drummers play at festivals like Gallia County's Emancipation Proclamation Celebration, Lily Fest, Serpent Mound gatherings, and several visits to the MOV multicultural festival in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Lawrence hosts drumming groups at retirement homes and schools for people in recovery and people with developmental disabilities. He also offers regular classes in Athens, Vinton, and Washington counties in Ohio and Wood County, West Virginia.