Universal African Dance and Drum
Ensemble
(UAD)
founded in 1984 and were blessed by learning traditional and
authentic dance, drum, song, language and instruments from African and
African-Americans teachers since 1984. Two of our African master
teachers, historians and scholars were from the best African Dance &
Drum Troupes in the WORLD, out of
West Africa (Guinea),
Moussa
Diabate, and
Tenenfig Dioubate.
Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble have been learning from Moussa
and Tenenfig since 1998.
While in Guinea, West Africa in 2005,
for almost one month everyday for 14 hours a day, Universal African
Dance and Drum Ensemble founders and directors Robert, Wanda, Nasir and
Jamal Dickerson were blessed with the best teachers from
Les Ballet Africain,
Les Percussions De Guinee,
The Amazones Woman Drummers and other Guinea
Dance & Drum Ballets.
They learned more of the Djembe Family of Drums, Balaphon,
and Kora from: MITO CAMARA, MAMADY MANSARE, PAPA HIDARA,
SEKOU DIABATE, JUDEE, and OUSMAN.
Other great teachers from Les Ballet and
other Ballets of Guinea, Africa, were also responsible for teaching
Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble the Guinea style of
drumming such as KOLIPE, JULEA,
MAMADOUBA "MOHAMED" CAMARA,
M' BEMBA BANGOURA,
YOUSSOUF KOUMBASSA and others.
UAD
also received teachings from MALAY from Mali, Africa and
was blessed to learn songs, drum and dance from
THULA SIZWE,
a dynamic group from South
Africa,
while they were touring America.
UAD
has also learned the art and craftsmanship on how to skin,
and string the drums, the Balaphon, the Kora and other authentic
instruments, to ballet performance quality from these great teachers in
Africa and America.
We must give love and appreciation to our
African Family of Teachers first, however we must stress the importance
of African-American teachers born and raised in America who have also
learned and studied from the best Africans in Africa.
Many African-American teachers understand the
importance of teaching our African culture to our community
and bridging the respect and love of Africa to America.
Since 1968 as a teenager I, Robert Dickerson was introduced to
the importance of our African culture, history and the African
Diaspora. My wife Wanda was also introduced to the culture while
dancing in Junior and Senior High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and later became a member of the
Arthur Hall (ILE IFE
Dance Company) in 1979-1982 and Kofi
Asante (Chicku Dance Company 1982-1986). In 1984 Wanda and
I, started our own Dance Company (Universal African Dance and Drum
Ensemble) and was blessed with many African-American teachers,
colleagues and friends. We will list some of the major ones such as,
Alfred (Bro. Saladin) Williams, Andre Forrest a.k.a.
(Spunky), Lawrence Clark a.k.a. (Big Mike),
Arthur Driscoll a.k.a. (Kofi Gyemerah), Paul Lucus
and Jerome Williams a.ka. (Bro. Rome). We always
admired and received profound information and inspiration from Kofi
Asante,
Daryl Burgee a.k.a (Kwasi),
Nana Korantema Ayeboafo
and of course one of the greatest elders out of Philadelphia,
Pa., representing the beauty of African Culture through dance, drum and
the performing arts, Baba Robert Crowder
(THE FAMILY OF
KULU MELE)
and many others.
Thank you
Robert H. Dickerson
INOU
WALI,
THANK YOU
/ INOU WALI, THANK YOU / INOU WALI
THANK YOU
