Fowler Center Series presents Jigu! Thunder Drums of China, March 25

March 18, 2008 -- Jigu! Thunder Drums of China will be the featured performance in the seventh event of Arkansas State University’s 2007-2008 Fowler Center Series. Jigu! Thunder Drums of China will perform Tuesday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro.

Jigu! Thunder Drums of China is a world-renowned company of 28 drummers, percussionists, and musicians hailing from Shanxi Province, China, and their performances are deeply rooted in folk origins, blended with many modern musical elements. The exuberant troupe will make their first Arkansas appearance in Jonesboro. Winners of China’s prestigious National Star Awards Gold Medals in 1992, 2000, 2001, and 2004, their performances have been described as “colorful and exciting,” and “dramatic and heart-stopping,” but Jigu! also promises sheer family fun. The Jigu! ensemble was founded in 1988, and it has performed in many countries including Denmark, Morocco, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with its first U.S. appearance in 2007.

In Chinese, “jigu” means “to beat or touch a drum.” Ancient Chinese drumming and percussive traditions date back thousands of years and are representational in nature; each passage in the ensemble’s performance tells a story or imparts emotions that transcend mere drum music. Each passage is capable of conveying many meanings. The selections reveal the pageantry of epic sagas depicting ancient battles, vignettes about mythical characters in exotic locales, legendary fables, and the beauty of nature, including Shanxi Province’s Yellow River, extremely important in the daily lives of the province’s people.

 “Hear The Tiger and The Dragon Roar!” is the ensemble’s spectacular opening, and the beginning of the audience’s introduction to thousands of years of rich and ancient cultural tradition being shared through the ensemble’s majestic, yet exuberant, musical expressions.

The program continues with passages like “Yellow Ground Music,” “Yellow River Music,” “A Mouse-Fairy Wedding,” “The Bull and the Tiger,” and “Lady Warriors of the Yang Family,” a passionate and romantic story of a generation of female heroes. Nature’s many gifts are celebrated in the music of Jigu! as well, with passages like “An Autumn Ode,” and “Springtime Paradise,” in the second half of the program.

Tickets for all Fowler Center Series events may be purchased by calling 870-972-2781 or 1-888-278-3267. Purchase tickets online at http://tickets.astate.edu. On performance evenings, the box office in Fowler Center opens one hour prior to the event.

Ticket prices are $30 and $20 for adults; $23 and $15 for ASU faculty and staff, senior adults, and K-12 students; and $10 and $6 for ASU students. For more information, call Fowler Center at (870) 972-3471.
           

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