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| (c) Collette Fournier Photography |
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Jerry Dzokoto is a Master Drummer/Dancer and the Artistic Director of Chiku Awali. He relocated from West Africa to the States in July, 2008 to join Chiku Awali. He teaches African drumming, dance, and instruments to all ages and levels.
Jerry was born in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. He is an Ewe from Anyako, a small town in the southern part of the Volta Region. Jerry was exposed to African ritualistic traditions and Ghanaian drumming and dance at the age of six by his first master who happened to be his father, the late Anani Dzokoto, a renowned traditionalist, master drummer, seer and herbalist/healer.
Jerry studied with master drummer/dancer, Kofi Gademech from Ghana, in a dance group called Dekornu Dancers of Africa and became the chief drummer in 1996. In 1998 he served as the chief drummer and public relations officer of Afrique Dance Ensemble of Ghana and became the artistic director in 2004. Jerry became the percussionist of the University of Education, Winneba Dance Band from 2005 to 2007.
Over the years, Jerry traveled to the Netherlands, Brazil, Germany and France to hold dance and drumming workshops. He has worked as a percussionist for great musicians in Ghana such as Bob Pinodo Idan, the show master of Africa, and Noble Richard Nketiah, Award Winner of Best Gospel Music in Ghana Music Award 2006.
Jerry's own composing credits include African Concerto "Nyadedefia," a musical composition and "Nyotsere", an arrangement for orchestral performance. Two of his most performed works are the dance dramas "Brave Warriors", and "Lodonu the Prince of Fire". Jerry has a DVD entitled "Music of Africa" that can be purchased here on the website and he will soon be publishing his first book "Musical Interpretation of West African Rhythms".
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