Black History Show Brings Students to Their Feet

Students danced to the beat of West African drums Thursday as part of San Clemente High School’s celebration of Black History Month.

During a high-spirited assembly, students clapped, chanted and even performed with the Serakumbili Project, a professional drum and dance collective from Los Angeles.

“People enjoyed it,” said student Jaime Buenviaje, 17. “We got a lot of student involvement.”

The audience exploded with enthusiasm during the final song, when students were invited on stage to dance with the four-member drum and dance group.

The performance ended with the crowd cheering wildly while 20 of their classmates joined the performers.

“It was great,” said Brittany Acosta, 17, the school’s ethnic relations commissioner. “The students really enjoyed the beat and the authenticity of the performance.”

Between songs, members of the Serakumbili Project spoke about West Africa’s culture and music. They introduced students to the instruments used in the performance: djembe and dundun drums from Guinea.

“We want them to learn something and be encouraged by the music,” Serakumbili Project director Phylise Smith said.

The group, which performs with four to 10 members, depending on the venue, organized in 1989 and plays regularly at cultural festivals, schools and special events across California, Smith said.

“We hope students see some movement that we do or something they can relate to that brings the cultures together,” Smith said.

Acosta said the school schedules events year-round to highlight the achievements of various ethnic groups.

“It is important to represent many different groups,” said Acosta, who lived in Peru and Germany before moving to San Clemente in 1994.

“We want to help others recognize and respect other cultures.”