Traditional Zulu Song, Dance + Stories

Nomsa Burkhardt

Nomsa Burkhardt and her fellow musicians perform traditional Zulu drumming, songs, and dance, intertwined with stories of the rich Zulu heritage and culture.

Born in Soweto, Nomsa Burkhardt is an extraordinary South African musician and dancer. She spent her formative years in KwaZulu Natal, a region famous for its rich Zulu heritage and culture. There, she studied various traditional dance styles with master dancers, such as Indlamu, ukuQhobosha, and ukuSina. After immigrating to Philadelphia, she co-founded the African dance troupe HIMOSHA. Her artistic skills and passion for dance quickly propelled her into serving as both the director and lead choreographer for the troupe for seven years. She collaborated with well-known, Philadelphia-based South African multi-instrumentalist and artist Mogauwane Mahloele at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center, and at many universities and schools. She also performed and conducted workshops annually at the Philly Dance Africa Project.

In 2000 she returned to South Africa to study with the accomplished ethnomusicologist Prof. Meki Nzewi at the University of Pretoria. Upon her return to the USA in 2004, she joined the Grammy-nominated South African band Sharon Katz & The Peace Train. As part of the Peace Train Project at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, Nomsa was instrumental in developing a teacher-training program that focused on South African history and conducted a series of educational performances. Nomsa has toured throughout the USA, South Africa, Israel, Italy, and Germany. She is the co-founder of IZINDE, an Afro-fusion band composed of performing artists from around the world.

CONCERT DETAILS:

This program will be an intimate mini-concert, providing the audience opportunity to interact with the artist.

6:30pm – Doors open. Casual reception prior to performance.
7:00pm – Performance begins.

This is a casual BYOB event. Feel free to bring refreshments for yourself and your friends.

TICKETS $20/$15 Kalabash Students