Ngoma Afrika launched their first CD
An official media statement by Frikkie Kotzé

Ngoma Afrika based at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University is an African percussion music group of eleven musicians. This group launched their first CD at a function held at the University earlier this week. The word “Ngoma” is Swahili (East-Africa and Central Africa) as well as Xhosa and Zulu (South African), and means music, song, drum(s), dance, and rhythm.  ‘Ngoma Afrika’ would therefore, in the context of the group, mean the making of music through African drums, dance, songs and rhythms.

“This is what we intend would make us uniquely different from other student organization on Campus, in the University and in the broader community,” Mr. Peter Okeno Ong’are, an international student from Kenya, said who started the group. He started the group under the mentorship of Horst Bütow, head of the Cultural Department on the Potchefstroom Campus.

In the interest of group efficiency and maximized benefit to more than ten Ngoma Afrika members, the group however autonomous, has an interdependent and symbiotic relationship with Potchefstroom Campus Serenaders Choir.  This is manifested in both groups sharing an office and many of their programmes and projects.  By the same token, Ngoma Afrika looks forward to collaborating with all other student organization on Campus and in the University.  Ngoma Afrika offers workshops, seminars, recordings, concerts and drumming lessons and they perform at various functions per invitation.

Ngoma Afrika support the students by creating an avenue for social interaction among students and the community at large.  The group create a platform for the students to nurture their artistic talents and subsequently display it skillfully. It also provide a platform for students from diverse backgrounds to collectively experience and express their Africanness through the beauty of the rhythm.  They provide audiences with a skillful, professional and “addictive” percussion ensemble and a diversity of African percussion instruments in concert to produce the best music and dance.

To help the members of the group know and express themselves better as individuals as well find their meaningful place in society through exploiting the wealth and wisdom inherent in the culture of African percussion music.

PHOTO: The leader of the group Peter Okeno (middle) with two of the members of the group Anita Feitsma and Miliswa Thompson.