New York City, USA - On April 29-30, 2005, New York City will play host to the African Xylophone Festival (AXF), the first-ever American festival of xylophone music from across the African continent. The AXF will feature an amazing variety of xylophones, from the spider-webbed gyil of Ghana, and the clarion balafon of Guinea, to the enormous embaire of Uganda. This giant 21-key instrument, which takes 6 musicians to play, will be making an historic first concert appearance in the Big Apple on April 30.

The African Xylophone Festival will be presented by Jumbie Records with the Columbia University Arts Initiative and the Center for Ethnomusicology at Columbia University. The festival will span two nights of concerts at Satalla and two days of workshops at Columbia University. Admission to the Satalla shows is $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Passes to the whole festival, including admission to both evening concerts and day-time workshops, are available online at: www.JumbieRecords.com.

"There's been a surge of interest in traditional African instruments like the xylophone," says Aaron Fox, Director of The Center for Ethnomusicology at Columbia University. "But many world music lovers have no idea that there are dozens of completely different xylophone traditions across the African continent, each with distinct constructions, tunings, and musical styles. This will be a unique opportunity for American audiences to get a sampling of the amazing depth of this music."

Leading international and U.S. artists will present traditional African music originally created for funerals, ceremonies and village festivals, as well as innovative new compositions utilizing these instruments. Highlights will include:

* The Bernard Woma Trio-traditional and modern compositions for gyil by the solo xylophonist of Ghana's National Dance Company

* The St. Ann's African Xylophone Ensemble of Brooklyn-New York's youngest African xylophone ensemble, of 2nd and 3rd graders

* A first-ever collaboration between African artists Bernard Woma and Famoro Dioubate

* Dallam-Dougou-innovative music finding common ground between Hungarian folk music and the xylophone aesthetic of Guinea

* Famoro Dioubate's "Kakande"-classical balafon repertoire of the Mande peoples of West Africa given a New York flavor with flute, bass, cello and congas

* Imaginary Homeland-a jazz quartet of African xylophone, strings, and saxophone, that slips easily across national boundaries to find a wholly original, global sound

* Southpaw Isle Embaire Ensemble-North America's only ensemble performing the giant 21-key embaire xylophone of Uganda and traditional music of the Busoga people

* World premiere of a new African xylophone composition commissioned by the AXF, bringing together Ugandan embaire xylophone ensemble with modern jazz quartet

* Lecture/demonstration at Columbia University introducing audiences to the range and diversity of African xylophone music
* Workshops for children and adults, covering three different African xylophone traditions

While the AXF takes place in New York, its sponsor Jumbie Records will also be working to support xylophone traditions back in Africa. For the third year, Jumbie Records will sponsor the Fielmuo Dance & Xylophone Festival in northwest Ghana, which provides competitions and training for the next generation of gyil players. The festival is organized by the chiefs and subchiefs of Fielmuo and its surrounding villages and run by the Fielmuo Area Development Association (FADA).

Jumbie Records is honored to be contributing an electric generator to the Kouyate family of Niagasolla to provide electricity for the protection and preservation of the historic "Sosso-Bala." This 800-year-old instrument is the world's first balafon. It has been preserved and protected by the Kouyate family-along with the tradition of balafon music itself-since the days of the great emperor Sundiata in the 14th Century. The Sosso-Balla was recently designated a world historic treasure by UNESCO. Jumbie Records is honored to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the Kouyate family in preserving the balafon tradition.

For a complete schedule of festival events and more information on participating artists, visit: http://www.jumbierecords.com/AXF

Satalla is located at 37 West 26th Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway.212.576.1155.

[Famoro Dioubate photo by Angel Romero © 2002].