Reading 9; Kyukunkor or the With Woman, An African Opera in America, 1934

Flo DiBiase 163 A

I found this article to reveal a lot about Asadata Darfura and his impact on African American dance. Needham travels through a biographical summary of his life and career into a very detailed description of his original African Opera. I found it very interesting that Darfura, someone who is considered to have almost begun African influenced dance in America, did not originally intend to become a dancer. He was more focused on singing and Opera. He certainly did exhibit a passion for all aspects of African culture, running away from home to see festivals. He also traveled the world, seeing and studying in European countries. There are many unknowns in his career, but Needhams bibliography continues into his work with his dance company and his performances of orignial dance, singing, and music. Needham discussed many of the aspects of African dance that we have discussed in class like asymmetry, posture, and complicated rhythms. Criticism towards Darfura was mixed as to be expected with a new style of dance as well as the social conditions of the time period. The main piece discussed in this article, Darfura's African opera was described in great detail. While I found it very informative I found it difficult to stay engaged in this lengthly description. The Witch Doctor definitely was something unseen in the world of opera and as would be predicted confused the American population. Used to typical western opera style, they found it difficult to name Asadata's piece an opera. Nonetheless, this talented artist made a huge impact on African American dance, and paved the way for future artists to succeed and grow.