Juneteenth 2021 Celebrations
Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day. The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
Juneteenth was originally celebrated in Texas, on June 19, 1866. It marked the first anniversary of the day that African Americans there first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was initially issued. The holiday was originally celebrated with prayer meetings and by singing spirituals and wearing new clothes to represent newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans were celebrating Juneteenth in other states, making it an annual tradition. Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.

Drum making workshop
Free program, the Youth Apprenticeship: African Drum Making Workshop  program is sponsored by the Mayor's  Office of Cultural Affairs.

In Africa, the tradition of making drums was passed on from generation to generation. African artisans have learned to create drums by carving the trunks of trees.

The program was virtual and free.  Drum making kits were pre-packaged and available to participatant for pick-up. The designated pick-up location was Manga's administrative office. The objectifs which were for 
participants to gain knowledge of traditional African drum-making and  expose participants to the porcess of building a drum were reached.  The participants were very interested in learning the process of making the drum, and worked diligently to build their own drum under the well versed explanation of the Instructor Harun Black . They enjoyed learning how to play some rhythms Ibrahima Dioubate.  Performances by participants and Manga ended the program beautifully.

Date: March 1- March 31, 2021
Class meetings: Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays
Time:  4 to 6 p.m
Grades: K - 12th grades and adults

Planned schedule. 
Week one: Participants will join a drum-making demonstration to observe, and then will be guided to create a found-object drum using recycled materials.

Week two: Participants will fabricate an authentic African drum as instructed by Master drum-makers
 
Week three: Participants will work with Manga dance members and instructional percussionists to learn traditional African music and dance.

Week four: Participants and Company members will perform.

  International concert
with 
800 East Studios
FREE streaming
March 12 @ 5pm

Manga performed on March 12, and  will be scheduled to present various shows in the coming weeks. . Follow us to stay updated. Sign up and enjoy Manga and the other artists, and SUPPORT Manga.





 

 Remembering Martin Luther King 

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 “We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.”

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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

FFrom a professor from Morehouse College

Exploring West African dance and drumming

In partnership with Brown Middle School.
The program is supported  by the  Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts received support from its partner agency the National Endownment for the Arts. GCA FY21 AE with Brown Middle School.
Exploring West African Dance and Drumming is  a program that provided classroom instruction,  exhibitions, and dance performance for the students. African dance and music promote artistic excellence, innovation, and creativity, enabling Manga to achieve our goals of presenting unique, culturally enriching programs that would otherwise be inaccessible to the general public. Many thanks to the Georgia Council for the Arts.
 
 
 
 
 
The curtains have closed on the program. From January 21 to February 5, Manga interacted with the students teaching the dance Madiani originated from Mali West African drum. Manga closed the doors on the program with a performance and Q/A.

VirtuaL African Harvest Celebration and Dance Experience program

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Funded by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners  under the COVID-19 Virtual Arts Initiative, the African harvest celebration and dance experience program took place from October 1 to October 29, 2020. Tailored to seniors and open to the public, the African harvest celebration and dance experience program brought to the community dance workshops, a live trip to the African market,  and a live cooking class of a Nigerian dish: the Efro Riro.

Following in its mission to preserve, to educate, and to promote African indigenous cultures, Manga provided a profound cultural background to the dances and to the cooking demonstration. The attendees learned the harvest dance and the cultural meaning of all steps. Participants who responded to the survey about the class thanked Manga for offering such an excellent cultural experience and dance instruction and for providing such therapeutic activities during the pandemic.Their enthusiastic reactions, along with their participation and interaction with the instructors, motivate Manga to continue this program.

A big thumbs up to our participant's support of Manga's service to the community. Many thanks to director, Ramatu Sabbatt and to dance teacher Praise Ekeng for leading this program. Manga would also like to thank the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and acknowledge the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta and the Georgia Council for the Arts for their continued support.

Taste of Nigeria event

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Manga performed on October 17 to support the community and to promote African culture throught a fashion show. Here with Peggy Simmons, owner of Arispop company, sponsor of the event. 

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