Move to the Beat of the Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble!

 Youth Theater Northwest presents a lively evening of extraordinary African music. The Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble performs March 25 & 26 at 7:00 pm.  Directed by cultural artist Sheree Seretse, this evening of African marimba is a lively concert crafted to enchant and energize an audience of all ages. 

Description:

Experience the exhilarating music and dynamic culture of Zimbabwe’s Shona people at Youth Theatre Northwest!  The Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble will energize the stage with their uplifting music of ancient beats and percussive rhythms on beautiful handcrafted xylophones.

Shumba weaves intricate polyphonic and polyrhythmic sounds with a passion like no other. At an hour in length, this concert is perfect for young children. This upbeat musical performance will lift your spirits, open your hearts and get your children on their feet!

Performance Schedule and Tickets:

Shumba performs Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26, 2011. Performances are at 7:00 pm. Youth Theater Northwest is located at 8805 S. E. 40th Street, Mercer Island, WA.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for youth and seniors. For tickets and information, call 206-232-4145, ext. 109 or visit youththeatre.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the theatre on day of show.

About Shumba:

Marimbas are finely crafted xylophones made from hardwoods such as vermilion, mahogany and peduk. The keys are finely tuned to reflect resonant tones played in traditional African societies. This ancient cultural instrument originated in Africa centuries ago and was imported to South America in the sixteenth century. Over time, Marimba music has developed a distinct South American flavor as the music was adapted by these cultures. An ensemble of marimba instruments creates music that is uplifting, lively and wonderful for dancing.

Shumba’s youth range in age from 11 to 17. Many have studied with director Sheree Seretse for nearly ten years and have developed a professional understanding of the musical form. Over the years, Shumba has earned national recognition and received admirable accolades. Shumba had the unique opportunity to perform with Grammy Award winning children’s artist Dan Zanes at Seattle’s Moore Theatre. They’ve also performed at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Seattle’s Folklife Festival and many other festivals and venues across the state. In 2004, they performed at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre for Seattle’s Apollo Night. Selected as our region’s winner for Apollo Across America, Shumba went on to perform at the Historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. This performance was broadcast nationally.

Since ancient times, music and dance traditions have been deeply ingrained in Shona culture. Independence in 1980 from British colonization allowed traditional music that had been suppressed to reemerge. Today, traditional and contemporary Shona music is once again an open and vibrant part of Zimbabwean society and is spreading throughout the world and now, to Mercer Island.