River Valley Drum & Dance & Kotoko Brass Record Release Party

Welcome to a special River Valley Drum and Dance - for the first of the '25-'26 season we have a unique offering - Kotoko Brass will close out the night with a Record Release Party to celebrate the release of their new collaborative album entitled Kalan Pini!

Join us as we gather our energy and spirit to dance, drum, and hold space to create a container of music and movement starting at 7pm followed by the music of Kotoko Brass - a high-energy global music band based in Boston, featuring musicians from Ghana, Antigua, Japan, and the US.

This event is a collaboration brought to you by the HeARTbeat Collective and Liminal Arts Productions.

Location: Montague Retreat Center

Cost: $30 in advance (link to be provided)

Kids come for free

NO ONE IS TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS

Please bring your own water bottles, drums, shakers and noise makers - all percussive instruments are welcome!

Brought to you by the HeARTbeat Collective and Liminal Arts Productions

We strive to create space for movement from rhythm. If there are questions about how you can best help to facilitate this environment please seek the hosts of this event - Jason Cohen and Deb Chesser.

Kotoko Brass returns to the Montague Retreat Center with their brother from Ghana, Mohammed Alidu, to celebrate the release of their new collaborative album entitled Kalan Pini.

Mohammed Alidu is a celebrated singer and percussionist from Tamale, Ghana, born into the Bizung lineage of talking drum chiefs. Kotoko Brass is a high-energy global music band based in Boston, featuring musicians from Ghana, Antigua, Japan, and the US. The two have joined forces to write and record a new album entitled Kalan Pini, a groundbreaking presentation of Dagomba music and culture for new audiences.

As the founder of the Bizung School of Music and Dance in Tamale, Alidu is dedicated to preserving and promoting his Dagomba heritage. His mission manifests itself on Kalan Pini, where he partners with instrumentalists Kotoko Brass to present original compositions born from inspiration in traditional Dagomba proverbs, melodies, and talking drum rhythms. Through this album, Alidu shares his generational Dagomba cultural knowledge in a contemporary format to his people in Dagbon, and simultaneously introduces Dagomba music to listeners worldwide in new audiences.

Kotoko’s show begins with a full set of instrumental dance music by Kotoko Brass, featuring new original songs never before performed live in Western MA. After a short intermission, Mohammed Alidu joins the band on lead vocals and talking drum for a full performance of their new album Kalan Pini, as well as a selection of classics from Alidu’s original discography. The evening will culminate in a live, joyous musical collaboration between drummers, dancers, Mohammed Alidu, and Kotoko Brass.