Kulu Mele
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"The six delicately lusty female dancers of the Philadelphia-based Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble moved as if possessed by the drumming that accompanied them..." - Jennifer Dunning
"...animated antics and bold moves, some evincing links to today's hip-hop, transmitted an instant current of charged energy." - Janet Anderson
"...their colorful costumes and brilliant bursts of energy all combined to create a program that did just as this years Dance Africa theme..." - Zita Allen
"... a Philadelphia treasure for more than thirty years..." - Brenda Dixon Gottschild
Discography
Awards
- Pew Fellowship in the Arts
- Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship
Grants
- Leeway Foundation
- Independence Foundation
- Dance Advance
- Pennsylvania Council of the Arts
- Philadelphia Cultural Fund
Photos
Bio
Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble has been the driving force behind the African cultural renaissance in Philadelphia for the past 30 years. The company presents dance traditions rooted in the cultures and aesthetic values of the African Diaspora, blending West African ancestral traditions and African American creativity. Kulu Mele draws on the musical and movement forms of Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana, and the Senegambia region, as well as African American vernacular traditions including Hip-hop, Bop, Cha-cha, and Slop. Performances and workshops vividly convey to audiences both the artistic excellence in their midst and the meanings of dancing and drumming in the African and African Diasporan societies from which these traditions come. Vibrant dances are always presented with authentic and compelling costumes; choreography is developed by company members, and by master dancers and choreographers from home countries. Kulu Mele has kept the culture alive.
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