The Natal University African Music Ensemble and the University of Natal African Music and Dance students will present a varied repertoire of music and dance in a free lunch-hour concert on October 9 at 12h15 in Howard College Theatre.

In addition to playing the umakhweyana single-string gourd bow of the Zulu, the students will perform songs and dances from Congo, Ghana, Botswana, and South Africa. Also on the programme are exhilarating renditions of gumboot and ngoma dances and a drum medley arranged by Elie Kihonia and Brice Wassy, recent artists-in-residence in the UND music school.

The groups are under the artistic direction of Patricia Achieng Opondo, director of the African Music Project. This year the ensemble has received a number of invitations to international events. In June they performed to an ecstatic audience at the Hannover World EXPO 2000 in Germany and in August took part in the Pan African Society for Music Educators conference in Harare. In October, some of the members will participate in a schools tour of Sweden giving workshops and concerts on gumboot dance.

Izinkehle is a new female ensemble comprised of workers on the Durban campus under the leadership of Danisile Chonco. Danisile assisted in training the ensemble Amaqhikiza for their performance at the World EXPO in Germany earlier this year. During the Monday concert they will present a variety of Zulu women's music.

More details from concert organiser Sharon Legassick on (031) 260-3353.