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“I choose to [dance] because I love to do it,” Imoro said. “I love to share it with those people who don’t understand the culture and where I am coming from.”
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Sulley Imoro began learning African drumming and dance from his father when he was 8 years old. His father, also a popular dancer, was known throughout Ghana. Sulley was eager to follow in his father’s footsteps. “Anytime in the village when we didn’t have entertainment, Father would bring the drums out and play,” he said. “Sometimes we didn’t have light in the village, and if the moon was bright, we would come together and play and dance.” Since that time, Sulley has become a renown performer and teacher of traditional Dagomba drum, dance and song. Currently, Sulley (pronounced "soo'-lay") is a dance instructor for the Dagara Music and Arts Center in Medie, Ghana, West Africa. He is the director and founder of the “Mbanba” Cultural Troupe of Tamale and the Degara Bewaa Culture group, and is an instructor for the dance ensemble at the University of Ghana at Legon. In addition, for more than 20 years Sulley has taught African drumming and dance classes in Ghana and at American colleges, and has performed throughout Africa, Europe, and the United States. He is also a featured dancer for the Ghana Dance Ensemble at the National Theater of Accra and the assistant director of the Saakumu Dance Troupe. In Ghana, whenever there is a high-profile visitor, including former United States President Bill Clinton, the Ambassador calls Imoro and his ensemble to dance in front of crowds that can reach into the thousands. |
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| Sulley dancing at the Damba Festival (Tamale, Ghana) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sulley Imoro is available for performances and workshops in Dagomba singing, dancing and drumming (lunga talking drum & gungon). For more information, please contact info@sulleyimoro.org |
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| Sulley performing "Jera" and "Bamaya" in Ghana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sulley dancing at Damba Festival (Tamale, Ghana) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sulley performing "Jera" at CalArts Spring Music Festival | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sulley giving gungon lesson to Nico Spezzacatena | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sulley performing "Bamaya" in Ghana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||