by Michele Markarian

“Drumfolk”, by Step Afrika!  Directed by Jakari Sherman.  Stephen M. Allen, Composer. Presented by Arts Emerson, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston through October 16.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Drumfolk”, having never been to a Step Afrika! Production, other than it must have something to do with drums, as the title suggests. What I got instead was a complete narrative experience of a period in history using dance, song, storytelling, and yes, drumming, not just with drums, but with the rhythm in the performers’ bodies. This rhythm, born when drums were forbidden to enslaved Africans, gave birth to the subsequent percussive movement known as “stepping”. 

Read more ““Drumfolk” a Powerful Testimony to the Triumph of Spirit and Community”