Maputo Mensah

Master of African Performance Arts

If you can walk, you
can dance; if you can
talk, you can sing!
—Zimbabwean proverb

For me, drumming, dancing, singing, and storytelling are far more than entertainment. From my earliest childhood in Ghana, they were how I and my family learned values, spoke our joy and sorrow, and connected with family and community. They both formed our souls and helped us express them.

When we were happy, we would dance. When we were sad, we would dance. If there was no food, dancing, drumming, and singing would take our minds off our hunger. And through everything life has to offer, these arts have helped us create strong bonds with others. That is why I have spent my life perfecting and sharing the African arts, and why I never lose my joy in performing. I know the power of the artistic language of Africa, and having lived this long, I know how much the world needs it.

So join me, please, and discover new ways to heal and new
paths to peace and joy.