The African Guitar Summit

Talk about your culture clash: Canada’s top African-born guitarists are making their first tour of the United States with an appearance at the Milliken Auditorium this week as part of the Dennos Museum Center’s “Spirits, Relics and Rituals” exhibit of African Art.
Most Canadian music exports tend to be heavy on folk, Celtic and traditional music sounds. But with the African Guitar Summit, the music is all straight from the heart of Africa and its tradition of rapid-fire, single-note Afro-pop.
The African Guitar Summit unites the talents of Canada’s best guitarists of African origin. Kofi Ackah, Theo Boakye, Naby Camara, Pa Joe, Mighty Popo,
Donné Roberts, Madagascar Slim, Adam Solomon and Alpha Ya Ya Diallo are each experts with their individual style, unifying musical traditions from across
the continent.
Todd Fraracci, a producer/engineer and African-music enthusiast, conceptualized the project while working on CBC Radio’s “On Stage” program. The band’s first CD entitled, “African Guitar Summit,” won the 2005 Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for World Music Album of the Year. Their second album, “African Guitar Summit II,” is nominated for a Juno for World Music Album of the Year in 2007.
“I learned about the African Guitar Summit project through my friend and Summit guitarist, Adam Solomon” says Gene Jenneman, director of the Dennos Museum Center. “I heard them on a trip to Toronto in 2005 and since then I have sought an opportunity to bring them to the United States and Traverse City.”
The African Guitar Summit will begin their first tour of the United States with concerts at Lake Superior State University and Northern Michigan University before coming to the Dennos, where Jenneman helped organize the tour.
The concert in Traverse City is the first in a series of three World Music concerts to be presented at the Dennos this spring. The Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble of
Japanese taiko drumming will follow on April 20 and the Bob James/Shanghai Angels concert will conclude the series on April 28. The series is supported in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Michigan Council for the Arts
and Cultural Affairs.
Tickets for the concert are $25 ($20 for Museum members) and can be purchased through the Museum Box Office at
231-995-1553. The ticket price includes the opening reception for the exhibition, “Spirits, Relics and Rituals: The John F. Korachis Collection of African Art,” which will begin at 6:30 p.m. for ticket holders. View On Our Website