Meet Evette Minns and Mel Bridges of Kawambe Omowale in Downtown Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evette Minns and Mel Bridges.

Evette and Mel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Kawambe-Omowale African Drum and Dance Theatre was founded in 1995 as a second generation performing arts company presenting folk arts of West Africa and the African Diaspora in music, dance, song and storytelling. The original company, Kawambe Drum and Dance Ensemble, was founded in 1984 with eight members—two drummers, five dancers and one storyteller. Over its 34-year history, the company has had as many as 15 artists on its roster. Kawambe-Omowale’s current core membership consists of four drummers and six dancers.

According to founding members, the name Kawambe (pronounced Kah-wom-bay) is a Swahili euphemism that loosely translates to “beautiful music.” Omowale (pronounced Oh-moe-wah-lay) is a Yoruba word that means “the child (who) has returned home,” and it conveys the desire of our members to learn and share the traditional music, dance and story of our African ancestry.

Kawambe-Omowale is proud to foster awareness in West African culture and perpetuate the continuation of our cultural heritage. We promote cultural diversity showcasing live music with traditional instruments, culturally costumed artists, and the energetic intertwining of West African folk arts. Members have traveled to Senegal and The Gambia West Africa to study the music, dance and traditions of the Mande cultures and have also studied in the U.S. with master artists from a variety of West African countries, the Caribbean and Cuba.

Through our teaching residencies, our aim is for students, teachers, parents and audiences to be aware of the essential and complex make-up and interdependence of West African folk arts and realize important distinctions in the music and dance styles between and within West African countries. Our aim is to ignite an appreciation for and valuing of differing cultural aesthetics. To achieve this objective an important task is to foster a curiosity to explore the artistic components of West African cultural heritage as well as the study of Africa people through other curriculum disciplines.

One of the driving forces behind Kawambe-Omowale’s longevity and development was Mark Sunkett, one of the original founding members and a major source of research, knowledge and training for Kawambe-Omowale. Mark held a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh, and from 1976 until his death in 2010, worked as a professor of percussion music and performance at Arizona State University where he taught a West African drum class and served as principal investigator for the Drums of Senegal Project, a project that studied and documented the rhythms, history and performance practices of the various ethnic groups of Senegal. Kawambe-Omowale’s training and development benefited greatly from Mark’s skills, intellect and extensive network of resources in the U.S. and abroad.

Kawambe-Omowale performs and instructs throughout the state of Arizona in public and private venues for numerous occasions such as festivals, concert series, cultural programs, fundraisers, school- and community-based residencies, after school programs, corporate functions, leadership retreats, conferences, classroom lecture demonstrations, award ceremonies, Black History Month programs, diversity and multi-cultural programs, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Kwanzaa and Juneteenth celebrations, retirement center events, family reunions, wedding ceremonies and receptions, and private gatherings. We also performed at the Festival of Cultures in Duluth, Minnesota in 2007, and at the Native American Heritage Center Multicultural Festival in Anchorage, Alaska in 2010.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of our biggest challenges is the structure of our company. Kawambe-Omowale African Drum and Dance Theatre is comprised of working professionals who continue to commit time and effort to preserve and extend the folk art that we value tremendously. We are not a full-time arts organization, so members must juggle family and other educational and artistic pursuits to fulfill our performance obligations and conduct our weekly community class.

We struggle to learn – desiring to know and represent the cultural arts we are sharing as authentically as possible. We’ve used our personal funds and company funds to seek artists with which to train. Several members have been able to travel to Senegal & the Gambia multiple times to do this, as well as traveling to classes, conferences in the US to do so, and contracting with artists to come to Phoenix for master classes/training with us.

We struggle to expand our company, to find others with an interest in and/or love of African music and dance who are willing to invest their time and make the sacrifices participation asks of us.

We struggle to maintain a rehearsal space. Initially, we met three days a week to rehearse for 2 ½ – 3 hours. That was reduced to two days and is now down to one day a week. Our community class and rehearsal home since 1989 has been Eastlake Park Community Center in downtown Phoenix. The location is ideal and a great venue for our rehearsals and community class; however, the center’s evolving needs and economic strains sometimes place us in a precarious position.

Income generated from performances does not support the livelihoods for any of our members. We do this because we love to do it. Our community class was free for 20 years. In 2007, we started charging a nominal fee ($5 per month) as mandated by the city.

Other challenges:

Not having a dedicated fundraiser/staff to research and pursue funding opportunities.

When the US economy struggles, arts funding is the first item to be cut from budgets.

On rare occasions, during our peak times, we must decline bookings due to the availability and full schedules of our company members.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kawambe Omowale African Drum and Dance Theatre – what should we know?
Kawambe-Omowale has conducted a community dance and drum class for more than 25 years (it was free for 17 years). The class which is open to the public allows us to expose a diverse population of residents to West African culture and music.

Our members have always been personally invested in their pursuit of authentic knowledge and skills. Many members traveled with Dr. Sunkett (on one of his many trips) to train in Senegal and the Gambia. Members have also traveled to classes and dance conferences in Atlanta, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and other cities to continue their professional development.

We design and construct all of our costumes (one of our members is a professional costume designer), and some of our jewelry and accessories.

We have always developed our own choreography and staging—and still do.

We believe we are one of Phoenix’s best kept secrets. We have survived in a city where African Americans make up less than 4% of the 1.6 million population. And we have managed to survive in a city that only recently has had a thriving arts community.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We are proud and honored to have many long-time supporters throughout the Valley of Sun including Eastlake Park (Phoenix), Phoenix Councilman Calvin Goode, the Consortium of Black Artists (C.O.B.A.), the late Dr. Eugene Grigsby, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the Phoenix Art Museum, ASU and ASU West, Maricopa Community Colleges and the loyal students of our community class at Eastlake Park Community Center. Also, the greater Phoenix African American community and its leaders who hire us to perform at events such as MLK Jr. ceremonies, Juneteenth celebrations, Kwanzaa celebrations and Black history month recognitions; the teachers and administrators at the many school districts, community colleges, universities and libraries in Phoenix, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe who recognize our contributions to furthering inclusion and awareness.

Pricing:

• Join the community class at Eastlake Park – Adults – $20 for an annual park card + $5 for an 8/week session, discount rate for children. Slightly higher rate for non-city residents

Contact Info:

• Address: Community Class:
  Eastlake Park
  1549 E. Jefferson
  Phoenix, AZ
  Saturdays from 9:00am to 10:30am
• Website: www.kawambeomowale.com
• Phone: 602-252-6204
• Email: info@kawambeomowal.com

Image Credit:
Mark Goldstein, Christine Hupman

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