Where’s the 1? Productions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 4TH, 2003

DOLSI-NAA ABUBAKARI LUNNA,
DRUMMING CHIEF OF DAGBON,
PREMIERES AFRICAN MUSIC SERIES AT CORNELIA ST. CAFÉ
SATURDAY APRIL 5th, 2003

"Extraordinary and exuberant drumming." -- Dr. Paul Berliner, professor at Northwestern University and author of The Soul of Mbira

Dolsi-naa Abubakari Lunna’s upcoming appearance at Cornelia St. Café will bring to New York City talking drum sounds from Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people of Northern Ghana. He will be joined by the Agbekor Society of Boston, led by Professor David Locke from Tufts University. This performance will kick off an exciting new monthly series dedicated to African music and musicians, produced by Where’s the 1? Productions.

The title "Dolsi-naa" signifies that Abubakari Lunna is a drumming chief. He is a luna (plural: lunsi), a member of a hereditary lineage of drummers who are keepers of Dagomba history, experts on cultural values and customs, and advisors to political chiefs. He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable of the lunsi.

Dolsi-naa comes to Cornelia St. Café with an extensive performance background in Africa and the United States. He was the lead Dagomba drummer of the Ghana National Folkloric Company from the 1960s to the 1980s. He has made appearances at dozens of universities and clubs in the United States, including the Berklee Performance Center and the Regatta Bar. In 2001, he held the prestigious title of Artist-in-Residence at Tufts University.

The drum that Dolsi-naa plays is also called luna. It has a wooden body carved into an hourglass shape and two goatskin heads that are connected by leather cords. In the expert arm of a drummer like Dolsi-naa, the squeeze-and-release of the luna ropes artfully controls the drum’s pitch and resonance, replicating spoken language. A master like Dolsi-naa could drum for an entire evening and narrate just a small portion of the story of the people of Dagbon. At Cornelia St. Café, he and the Agbekor Society will perform from three categories of Dagomba music: Festival Dances, Praise Name Dances, and Group Dances, providing energetic grooves rich in the history of Northern Ghana.

The Agbekor Society is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Locke in 1979 that facilitates the study and performance of traditional African performing arts and culture. They have backed Dolsi-naa and other African master musicians such as Godwin Agbeli in numerous performances.

The series will continue in early May with the renowned kora player Balla Tounkara, and will feature a different musician one night every month thereafter. Where’s the 1? Productions is pleased to present such a revered and formidable musician as Dolsi-naa. Given his virtuosity, charisma, and knowledge, and the experience of the Agbekor Society, this event is sure to be a monumental way to premier this series!