The Philadelphia-based African dance and drum ensemble, Kulu Mele ("the mother whose children are the fish"), will perform at the Chestnut Hill Library at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The nation's longest-enduring African dance company delivered one of its most memorable performances in November 2019 at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in University City, celebrating its 50th anniversary with the world premiere of "Ogun & the People."
The show featured twirling bodies, colorful outfits and percussive, soul-rending Afro-Cuban dance that dramatized the Yoruba story of Ogun. The tale follows an imposing laborer, warrior and protector of his people who is an Orisha, or deity. After a difficult journey, he comes home after being away for years, like Ulysses, but his appearance has changed so much that his people fail to recognize him. The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo.
Embarrassed and humiliated, Ogun runs away into a forest and takes his people's tools with him. His friends and family members cannot protect themselves against potential invaders and cannot farm their lands and produce food. His adherents turn to other deities for assistance to help them survive. Just when conditions are at their most desperate, the people turn to Oshun, goddess of love and sexuality, who persuades Ogun to return to his people, helping to secure their survival.
The founder of Kulu Mele, Robert "Baba" Crowder (1930-2012), grew up in North Philadelphia, where he began drumming on wooden crates, cheese boxes and other found objects as a child. He eventually was inspired by drummers from many African countries and the Caribbean, and he wound up performing with many giants in the jazz world, including saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist McCoy Tyner. He also played behind the legendary actor/opera singer Paul Robeson and with the world-renowned Nigerian drummer, Babatunde Olatunji.
Every year Crowder would perform at Odunde ("Happy New Year" in the Yoruba language), the largest African American street festival in the country, which takes place every June at Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street. African and Caribbean vendors gather to sell food and merchandise while percussionists get everyone moving. Crowder was known for making sparks fly at the outdoor celebration. Lois Fernandez, founder of Odunde, said several years ago, "Many drummers learned from Baba Crowder. He was always humble, in my view. His drum was his voice."
He learned the African, Brazilian and Haitian drum traditions from native artists. Crowder was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian drummer Acquaye, who came to Philadelphia to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
In 1969, Crowder founded the Kulu Mele African Dance and Drum Ensemble in Philadelphia. That ensemble, which still performs frequently in the Greater Philadelphia area, is where many Philadelphians learned African dance and drum traditions under Crowder's tutelage. Thanks to Crowder, the ensemble became a major part of the foundation of Philadelphia's Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Countless dancers and drummers were trained by Crowder and his assistants at his longtime headquarters in West Philadelphia's Lee Cultural Center.
Crowder was known by the title of "Baba," which means "father" in the Yoruba culture. "Kulu Mele is the grandmother of traditional African dance in Philadelphia," Dr. Benita Binta Brown, former Kulu Mele dancer and scholar, has said.
A documentary film, "The Ancestors Live," traces the origins and history of Kulu Mele. It also follows the group on a trip to Cuba to develop "Ogun & the People." The ensemble has also produced a coloring book for all ages entitled "The Story of Ogun & the People," illustrated by artist Damali Beatty, based on photographs of a trip by Kulu Mele to Cuba.
Kulu Mele has done more than just bring African dance to Philadelphia audiences. They have elevated the profile of African culture to mainstream audiences. Ira Bond, lead percussionist with Kulu Mele and staff member at Ursinus College, has said, "It wasn't always favorable to associate with Africa. In the landscape of Philadelphia, Kulu Mele has been a cultural custodian for new generations. It feels good to be able to dispel myths and to help people think about the complexities of other cultures."
Dorothy Wilkie, who took over as artistic director of the group in 1982 and has worked alongside her husband, John, in the early days would take three buses to get to rehearsals three times a week. All five of their children have also been involved in the company. "I feel proud at where we are today and at how rich our culture is," she said.
For more information, visit kulumele.org or call 215-685-9290. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com
