An 800 year-old tradition is making its way to Pepperdine. On Friday the West African performance troupe Manding Jata will share its culture in the same way it has for centuries – through the art of oration and dance.
“Their society is non-literary so they are oral historians said founder of Manding Jata Rex Chequer, who is from Vancouver, Canada. This Sunjata epic is the cultural storyline that the Manding people have built their society upon.”
The Sunjata story follows the life of Sundiata a son of the first king of Mali who went on to rule the largest empire in African history. The story is told through artistic narratives and includes performers who are in direct relation with the characters themselves.
“One of our performers Balla Kouyate can trace his lineage directly back 800 years to the tutor of Sunjata himself Balla Fasseke Chequer said. The instrument he plays is called the Balla which he is named after. They still have the original Balla that was used during Sundiata’s time – that is how dedicated they are to this story.”
Chequer’s own dedication to the epic began in 1995 when he learned of the purely oral tradition and wrote it down. The group was then formed a year later in 1996. Although he has never been to the land of the story’s origin Chequer explained that his interest in the ancient society has deep personal roots.
“I’ve always had a passion for African culture and it’s been progressive with the fact that I have played the piano and keyboards from a very young age Chequer said. There was always this fascination with the African element and I decided to take a deeper look into that. When I discovered French West Africa it completely resonated.”
As he focused his gaze on the western part of Africa Chequer simultaneously broadened his horizons by looking across the globe for performers. He found some like Kouyate who shared bloodlines with the featured characters and others such as Papa Susso who have unique types of backgrounds.
Before becoming a performer for the troupe Susso was delegated the position of Regents Lecturer in ethnomusicology at the University of California Santa Barbara in 1991.
Now in his 60s Susso has been with the group since its inception and performed for three of the five last presidents of the United States. His son Karamo Susso who is in his early 20s will join him at Pepperdine for Friday’s performance. It is there he will spend his first two months in America with his father both on and off the stage thus continuing the tradition through another generation.
“This story tells the history of our people and the tradition of passing our history down from father to son Susso said. My son is spending his first months here and is very excited about joining me at Pepperdine and eventually all over the world.”
Although the loyalty characteristic seems to run in the lineage of the troupe Chequer said it is the group’s personal history that keeps it together through its worldwide travels.
“Many of our performers have been there since the beginning – we really have a great retention rate Chequer said. There is a lot of chemistry here because we have traveled all over the world together.”
Through all the performances and history behind the story and its tellers the group’s royal inspiration and the importance it holds for its people will remain for generations to come.
“There is so much depth behind the story and the group Chequer said. It’s one of the most inspirational stories in the world quite frankly but for them its critical to their identity as a people.”