Friday, January 22, 1999
Computerized rhythm, dancers unite
MUSIC: Artists fuse West African, Indian cultures for unique
performance
By Michelle Zubiate
Daily Bruin Staff
When mixing ancient culture, new technology, passionate dance
and electronically synthesized music, the result becomes a work of
pride and emotion. In this day, the worlds of music and dance often
combine to create a totally unique experience. Here, under the
rules of true art, the boundaries between old and new no longer
exist.
Believing in this new concept and technique, dancer Taembe
Orismekusa and musician Michael Robinson will give the UCLA
community a production this evening that is described as "a
confluence of Indian raga-inspired music and West Africa-inspired
dance."
The show marks a unique performance in the UCLA arts division
where the dance will be accompanied not by live instruments but by
computer generated ones.
"Many people find my music very expressive and very spiritual,"
Robinson says. "There are always those, however, who are turned off
to it because they know it’s coming from a computer and won’t even
listen to it. I don’t let that deter me, however. I just follow my
instincts."
Although influenced by all varieties of music from Bach to The
Doors, Robinson has found his passion and focus on world music
cultures from places such as India, Africa and South America.
Robinson has produced over 20 CDs of his music thus far, and
currently works as a music archivist for the UCLA Ethnomusicology
Archive.
"It’s been a great experience for me so far," Robinson says. "I
get to listen to old music for hours and then transfer them from
tape to CDs. For instance, I spent a lot of time recently listening
to rare music from Uganda which not many people have ever
heard."
Robinson feels that using the computer as a medium for his music
has been rewarding. He has the opportunity to use many different
instruments while creating something totally original that
expresses our times of technology with talented content and
depth.
In Orismekusa, Robinson found a dancer that could interpret his
music and add a uniquely visual component to the spirituality
Orismekusa puts into this sound.
"It’s funny that Taembe and I just met by chance in the
Kerckhoff Coffee House," Robinson says. "We were both looking for
projects to do at the time and everything fell into place."
Orismekusa is a graduate student of dance and ethnology studies
in the department World Arts and Cultures. Dancing since she was
seven years old, Orismekusa feels that dance is only one form of
art that she loves, among many others.
"I started off dancing when I was little wanting to someday
become a black ballerina," Orismekusa says. "Then I gave all that
up and started getting into solely academics, until I found the
arts again in college."
Since then, Orismekusa has played with different art mediums
from architecture to dancing and new visions of film in her future.
This performance marks her first solo performance at UCLA.
"The dance, I would say, is a structured improv," Orismekusa
says. "Improv to me means that you take a theme but make up
movements as you go along. I practice my dances over and over again
so that they basically have the same structure and idea but can
change a little every time I do it."
Both artists hope tonight’s show will be a success in which they
can convey their personal tastes and passions within a beautifully
cultured theme.
"I’ve been wanting to study Indian dance for awhile," Orismekusa
says. "Robinson’s music brings out in me the Eastern essence and
allows the music and movement to flow out of me."
DANCE: Orismekusa and Robinson will perform tonight at 8 p.m. in
1659 Schoenberg Hall. Admission is free.
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