By Gail Siegel, WSU Performing Arts
PULLMAN, Wash. – Fusing the rock outfit of drums-bass-guitar with the traditional sounds of Malawi’s marimba, thumb piano and percussion, Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement will bring a modern African sound to Jones Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Washington State University.
Mawanga’s music is simultaneously inspirational, introspective, spiritual and socially conscious. Singing in both his mother tongue, Chichewa, and more widely spoken languages, he uses poignant songs with strong messages as a voice for the voiceless.
Tickets cost $16 adults, $13 seniors (60+) and $8 non-WSU students and youth. WSU student tickets are free and available in advance only at the Beasley Coliseum ticket office with valid WSU ID. A discount on adult/senior ticket prices is available for groups of eight or more.
Reserved seating is available through TicketsWest outlets, including online at http://TicketsWest.com, by phone at 800-325-SEAT (7328) and in person at Beasley Coliseum (open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday) and Rosauers in Lewiston, Idaho. Same-day tickets will be available at the Daggy Hall box office beginning two hours before the performance.
As an Afrovibes and ethno music artist, Mawanga blends traditional Malawian rhythms, composition and vocal arrangements with modern instrumentation. In recent years, he has expanded his Nyanja sound with the Amaravi Movement, musicians who play traditional instruments like marimba and Chisekese, a Malawian shaker.
“Traditional Malawian rhythms are the backbone of my music,” said Mawanga (http://www.petermawanga.com). “Indigenous music is not something you can sample in a studio; it has to be performed live.”
Mawanga was featured on the BBC’s “Africa Beats” (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22440966) following the launch of his collaboration with Irish American fiddler Andrew Finn Magill on the album “Mau A Malawi: Stories of AIDS” (http://www.storiesofaids.com/).
Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement have performed alongside many African musical luminaries, including Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi, Malawi’s Wambali Mkandawire and South African diva KT. Performing at live music venues around the world and at festivals such as the Lake of Stars, Mawanga has garnered respect in the global music industry.
For more information about the 2015-2016 WSU Performing Arts season, including ticket prices and packages and a Jones Theatre seating chart, visit http://performingarts.wsu.edu.
Contact:
Gail Siegel, WSU Performing Arts, 509-335-8522, gsiegel@wsu.edu