Artistic Narrative
Ujima Ilu Lo'Jo is an African based drum and dance ensemble striving to promote a healthy understanding of the African contribution to American and world cultures. Our members are both teachers and performers who actively pass on the knowledge of their crafts through in school lecture demonstrations, residency's, concert performances and the classes that they teach. It is the positive response of Ujima's multiracial audience that makes us committed to researching, preserving, promoting, extrapolating on and perpetuating the cultural expressions of the African Diaspora. Further, it is Ujima's goat to show the connection between traditional African cultures and contemporary Western cultures.
Our name is derived from two cultural traditions in Africa. The groups legal name is Ujima Ogbon/ Ujima Ilu Lo'Jo. Ujima is a Ksawali word that means cooperative effort. Ksawali is the language coming out of the east African cities (Mogadisu, Mombasa, and many others) of Zanj. Ogbon is a Yoruba, West African word that means art. The phrase, Hu Lo'Jo is Yoruba for drum and dance. Therefore the groups name is the cooperative art of drumming and dancing. Our name speaks of a West African work ethic that calls for cooperation for work to ! be done. Ujima's work is executed in much the same way that West African crops are planted and harvested, in a cooperative effort. Nothing in Africa is done without a helping cooperative hand. And although Ujima is a culturally specific organization we believe that a cooperative spirit has brought about the culture of the United States.
Ujima's Educational Approach, is derived from it's well-studied members who are performers and teachers who have traveled to Guinea, Nigeria, Cuba and many American universities in their individual studies of the African Diaspora's culture. In their application, Ujima combines the educational approaches of traditional African cultures with modern Western cultures to bring students to a full and healthy understanding of the materials Ujima teaches. Nommo, the power of the word, an African concept that exemplifies how the word manifest itself in everyday life and the arts is the driving force behind Ujima's work. Ujima brings African folk tales to life with mimetic dances(dances with literal meanings) and music to illustrate traditional ways of living and contemporary concerns. In this way Ujima's audiences learn far more about the cultures they are being exposed to then if dance or music were the only art form being presented. This format is likened to a West African festival in which the word through stories, mimetic dance, music and drama are presented. Ujima prides itself on being able to teach ethic's, social studies, history, musicality, dance, coordination, abstract thinking and discipline in it's work with children. Fun as well as entertainmen is encouraged in Ujima's educational endeavors.
In teaching African performing arts in schools Uima, is also teaching students to think abstractly in terms of discipline and accomplishment. Once having worked with Ujima students will have a sense of what they can do in other endeavors. We will be instructing students in language, history and geography that they may have only briefly touched on in their busy everyday schooling. This will give students a greater understanding of the global world they are a part of. How numbers relate to music and dance will also be learned by students. Because Ujima's work is word driven students will have an understanding of the power of the word and how words are used in some cases, outside of the Un! ited States. A world of possibilities should be opened up to any student at any grade level who participates in Ujima's residencies.
Ujima's members also have experience with special population groups. Through Point Breeze Performing Arts Center Sidney Johnson, artistic director of Ujima has worked with special populations at Woods Services. The young people who Sidney taught dance and aerobics to were emotionally and neurologically challenged. They were between the ages of 10 and 17. Angela Watson, Ujima's director has a master's degree in movement therapy from Hahnemann University. Angela has also worked with older populations at the Belmont Center for Geriatric Care.
Who is Ujima?
Ujima's current members are, Sidney Johnson, founder and artistic director of Ujima attended Temple University. He danced professionally with Arthur Halt, Paute Turner, and is currently dancing with Charles Anderson. Sidney has studied African dance with Yousouf Koumbassa and has taught a great deal. Angela Watson, director of Ujima attend Howard University. She is a certified movement therapist and has studied Guinea, West African dance with Papa Ladji Camara for many years. As a Fulbright scholar Angela study African dance for a year in Papa Ladji's home village. She has danced professionally with KutuMule and taught at Muhtenberg College. Osuibi Craig, a drummer and the musical director of Ujima studied music at Florida A and M University. He is the artistic director of Drumatata Philadelphia. Osuibi has worked with Prophecy Dance Works, Urban Bush Women and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Osuibi is also a teacher. Richard Robinson, assistant director and drummer for Ujima is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University. He is also the executive director of Dzifa Dance Theater. Richard also teaches a great deal.
