Music from Ghana to Madison

They come from Ghana, Senegal, Mali and Cameroon.

They come for school, for love or for the trees. But wherever they come from, and for whatever reason, African musicians who relocate to Madison say they found a city that welcomes their culture and their music. Several popular bands and dance companies perform regularly around town, and non-African Madison musicians have been eager to collaborate with them.

"The energy is very amazing," says Edi Kwasi Gbordzi, who moved from Ghana to Madison in 2001 and now leads the Atimevu Drum and Dance Ensemble. "I was expecting to see this in places like New York and California, where there are large African communities. But to see in a small town like Madison where there is this energy, I think is very powerful."

To celebrate the African musical community in town, four of those groups will perform together at 8:30 tonight at Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave. Admission is $5 at the door.

The groups performing include: