World Music and Movement Festival showcases array of cultures

Within the span of six hours, an array of dancers and musicians brought an unlikely mixture of objects to the Bruin Plaza stage.

Some performers wore ghungroos – Indian anklets covered with metallic bells – and some wore cowboy hats. Some musicians played fiddles and some played the Chinese erhu,also known as the Chinese violin. Thai dancers scattered red and white rose petals, while an Indian dancer placed an idol of Lord Jagannath upon the stage.

At the second World Music and Movement Festival Saturday, this diverse array of musical and dance artists provided people walking to and from their daily business with a refreshing distraction from the heat.

Ethnomusicology alumna Natsha Siri formed the World Music and Movement Festival Organization as her capstone project in early 2013, said Ryan Vig, a third-year ethnomusicology student and current director of the festival. The festival was intended as a large-scale variety show that showcases all different types of world music.

Vig said the first World Music and Movement Festival took place in fall quarter and was a smaller-scale version of the one that took place Saturday. For the 2014-2015 school year, the organization will again plan a fall festival and a spring festival, along with other events.

This year, performances ranged from a solo Chinese dance to a traditional Thai dance performed by the Ram Thai Troupe, and from American bluegrass band L.A. BlueGrassHoppers to R&B; soul group The Primaries.

One of the earlier performances of the day was a set of musical pieces performed with traditional Chinese instruments by the ensemble Music of China. The group prepared a set of contemporary Chinese pieces including “Horse Racing,” a popular, fast-paced erhu piece that can also be played in an ensemble.

Katy Pu, a second-year ethnomusicology student and member ofMusic of China, said the group comprises of diverse and dedicated musicians who have acquired a passion for Chinese music through different channels.

Some are international students with a background in Chinese music. Others, like Pu, grew up in the U.S. but acquired interest in Chinese instruments later on. One member of the group, Allison Hernandez, a first-year ethnomusicology student, began playing the erhu after falling in love with Chinese music.

“It’s my passion. I want to make it into my career someday,” Hernandez said.

Elijjah McCullar, a third-year philosophy student and member of a band that performs Cajun folk music, also performed Saturday. He said that he hopes to one day do work involving ethnomusicology, while not necessarily making music his career.

During a performance of the American traditional song “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” McCullar’s band incorporated the 8-clap, causing the enthusiastic crowd to join in.

Shreya Gollamudi, a first-year undeclared student, performed a solo Odissi dance – a form of traditional Indian dance. Gollamudi does not plan to involve dance in her future career. However, she said that she will keep up with it for the rest of her life.

“Dance is a way to communicate without words, and to share joy and grace with the audience,” Gollamudi said.

One member of the audience, Jacquelynne Vaughan, a fourth-year physics student, said she appreciates the World Music and Movement Festival because it showcases music from a variety of cultures, including jazz and R&B.; She said overall, the festival is a good way for passersby to discover new things without having to make a large effort.

Each performer at the World Music and Movement Festival played a part in spreading awareness of their art, whether or not they intend to pursue a career in the arts in the future.

“All the music I play is cultural,” McCullar said. “It’s a form of cultural preservation.”