DSC presents OGYA World Band

Published 1:15 pm Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dalton State College will welcome the OGYA World Band to its stage in the Goodroe Auditorium of Memorial Hall on Friday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.

Known for its capability of performing any genre of music, the OGYA World Music Band delights listeners with a repertoire that includes reggae, calypso, Latin, jazz, funk, rock ‘n roll, African traditional and contemporary, blues, bluegrass and country.

“OGYA, which is pronounced ‘oh jah’ and means ‘fire’ in the Ewe language of Ghana, is a spirited regional eight-member band that travels throughout the Southeast and beyond,” according to Jane Taylor, director of public relations at Dalton State. “Their goal is to make people happy and to bring joy to the world. People who attend their concerts have been enthusiastic about their performances and find their concerts to be filled with happy, inspiring music.”

OGYA was formed by Kofi and Rebekah Mawuko in 2004 and had its official debut during the 2006 Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga where concert-goers were overheard commenting, “I couldn’t stop smiling,” “This is happy, inspiring music,” and “I’ve never danced like that before.”

The band members have played with world renowned musicians and are known for producing a high-energy sound that concert-goers enjoy dancing to, Taylor said.

“Their ‘sound’ combines traditional African beats with other world music, and the lyrics are positive, powerful and truly uplifting to the heart, mind and soul,” she added.

In addition to performing with OGYA, the band’s founders, the Mawukos, have formed Chattanooga-based Mawre & Co., dedicated to raising awareness of the world’s cultures and to bringing about a peaceful society through the arts.

Mawre & Co. is a member of the Southern Arts Federation, the Tennessee Arts Commission and Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga. The company seeks to increase its exposure to society by developing affiliations with museums and art galleries, interacting with local businesses and government officials, and utilizing associations with local professional artists to promote community art.

For more information about the concert please call (706) 272-4469.