Members of the Fairbanks community celebrated diversity and cultural awareness with a variety of artistic events during the International Education Week.

“Learning about culture is important in the development of your character,” said Kayla Hill, student activities student supervisor. “I hope that it made students more open to experience new things, exposed them to social issues and were provided with great entertainment.”

Activities last week included foreign documentary films in the Margaret Mead Film Festival, cuisine from all around the world, a multi-cultural fashion show and special performances and classes taught by Maputo and Mawuenyega Mensah.

The Mensah brothers came to UAF to share the history and culture of their country through African music and movements. “I believe multi-cultural education is essential for our time,” said Judy Kreith, UAF dance instructor and one of the driving forces in bringing the brothers to Fairbanks.

Maputo and Mawuenyega took their knowledge of drumming, singing and dancing from their hometown roots of Ghana, West Africa and have dedicated themselves to the teaching of traditional African song and dance. “I will do this until I am no longer living,” Mawuenyega said.

 We don’t only play this music for certain occasions like weddings or funerals, the brothers said. “We play this music 24/7.”

“We’ve been drumming since we were in our mother’s womb,” Maputo said after his dancing and drumming performance left children banging their hands on the chairs at the Wood Center Multi-Level Lounge.

 “Some people think we are making noise,” he said. When someone is mowing their lawn or doing construction nobody complains, but when people hear the drum, they think bad thoughts. “That’s a real struggle and challenge for us,” said the drummer.

The differences between American and African music are significant, according the Maputo. Teaching an American African drumming in terms of technique is difficult because, “He learns it from a book, and we learn it mechanically…from our heart and from our feet.”

“We want students to do something they’ve never tried before,” said Maputo. “African dance is not only for Africans.”

Maputo performs and teaches traditional West African dancing, drumming and singing in Boulder, Colo. He is the artistic director, choreographer and master dancer of the music and dance ensemble, Logo Ligo, which means tickle, for, “It is how you feel when you play the drums,” the musician said. Maputo also teaches at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Naropa University, Bantaba World Dance and Music Studio and Mosaic Movement Arts.

Mawuenyega also lives in Boulder where he performs and teaches traditional and social African drumming and singing. He is the musical director and master drummer of Logo Ligi and teaches at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Naropa University and Bantaba World Dance and Music Studio.