On Tuesday, February 9, Shaka Steel and the Polynesian Drum Ensemble will perform at 7:30 PM in the McKay Auditorium.
Shaka Steel, the university’s popular steel drum band, was formed in 2001. The 15-member ensemble performs the lively, fast-paced music of Latin America and the Caribbean on steel drums or “pans,” native instruments of Trinidad. This unique group creates a tropical ambience with crowd favorites such as the samba, reggae, spicy calypso, and rumba. The band is currently under the direction of Dr. Darren Duerden.
The Polynesian Drum Ensemble is officially called “Ka Pa Kani Koʻele O Lāʻie,” meaning “The Drum Academy of Lāʻie” in Hawaiian. The ensemble was formed in 2001 when Lloyd Chandler from the Polynesian Cultural Center agreed to start a Pacific Islands’ drumming class coordinated by Dr. Duerden. Students in the class learn to play the toʻere (a wooden slit gong) in the Tahitian style, as well as rhythms from elsewhere in the Pacific such as the Cook Islands and Sāmoa. To add energy and excitement in performance, the group often teams up with dancers from the local troupe Oriata, directed by Maeva Anderson.
Admission is free.
