MusicUnitesUS

Spring 2023

The members of Jomion & the Uklos perform onstage

Jomion and the Uklos: Reimagining Benin's Vòdún Heritage

March 13 – 18, 2023

At the crossroads of Benin’s traditional Vodoun (Voodoo) rhythms, Caribbean styles and jazz, Jomion & the Uklos make festive, colorful music. These three blood-brothers from the coastal West African city of Cotonou amaze audiences at home and abroad with their furious rhythms and mystical harmonies. They joyfully flirt with reggae, salsa and jazz, while drawing on their vast knowledge of traditional Vodoun music and culture to create vibrant, relaxed dance music. Their voices blend in melodious harmony, delivering messages of hope, faith and traditional wisdom. Their music is simultaneously complex, profound and simple. Their songs connect to the depths of human experience while lightening the heart with joy.

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Residency Schedule

This schedule is subject to change. Please direct any questions to MusicUnitesUS Interim Director Ben Paulding.

Monday, March 13

2:30 – 3:50 p.m. | ANTH 122B – We Are All Ears: The Power, Politics, and Ethics of Storytelling | Professor Emily Ibrahim | Slosberg Room 212

5:40 – 7 p.m. | MUS 87B – Music and Dance from Ghana | Professor Ben Paulding | Slosberg Recital Hall

Tuesday, March 14

9:35 – 10:55 a.m. | MUS 3B – Global Soundscapes: Performing Musical Tradition Across Time and Place | Professor Bradford Garvey | Slosberg Recital Hall

11:05 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. | MUS 206B – Music, Identity, and Activism | Professor Taylor Ackley | Slosberg Room 234

12:45 – 2:05 p.m. | MUS 82B – University Chorus | Professor Robert Duff | Slosberg Recital Hall

3:50 – 5:10 p.m. | CAST 110B – Dance and Migration | Professor Toni Shapiro-Phim | Slosberg Room 212

7:15 – 8:45 p.m. | MUS 86B – Improv Collective | Professor Tom Hall | Slosberg Recital Hall

Wednesday, March 15

12 – 1 p.m. | Music at Mandel: Informal Discussion and Performance | Mandel Center for the Humanities Atrium

2:30 – 3:50 p.m. | MATH/MUS 121B – Math and Music | Professors Erin Gee and Jonathan Touboul | Slosberg Recital Hall

5:40 – 7 p.m. | MUS 87B – Music and Dance from Ghana | Professor Ben Paulding | Slosberg Recital Hall

Thursday, March 16

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Waltham School Presentation | Waltham High School Theater

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Brandeis African Students Association presents: Rice Wars Worldwide | Shapiro Campus Center Atrium

Friday, March 17

9:35 – 10:55 a.m. | AAAS 128B – Contemporary Africa | Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso | Slosberg Room 212

12:45 – 2:05 p.m. | MUS 82B – University Chorus | Professor Robert Duff | Slosberg Recital Hall

2:20 – 3:50 p.m. | CA 125A – Provocative Art | Professor William Chalmus | Merrick Theater, Spingold Theater Center

Saturday, March 18

8 p.m. (preconcert talk, 7 p.m.) | Global Currents Concert | Slosberg Recital Hall

Concert

Saturday, March 18, 2023

8 p.m. | Preconcert talk, 7 p.m.
Slosberg Music Center | Brandeis University

As the culmination of their weeklong residency, Jomion & the Uklos share their impeccable harmonies and unique approach to integrating traditional Beninese and contemporary sounds with audience members, who will be transported to West Africa by the end of this unforgettable performance.

Tickets are $20 (General Admission), $15 (Seniors and Brandeis Community), $5 (Non-Brandeis Students) and FREE (with Brandeis Student ID).

Advance sales will begin two weeks prior to performances online; via phone: 781-736-3400; and in person: Shapiro Campus Center Box Office. Pending availability, tickets will also be available at the door for purchase starting 30 minutes before the concert.

About the Artists

The members of Jomion & the Uklos pose in front of a fountain

Jomion & the Uklos is a family band from Benin, West Africa, led by Samuel "Jomion" Gnonlonfoun. With his brothers JB and Mathieu, and his daughter Rose, Jomion combines traditional rhythms and songs from his country culture with reggae, salsa and jazz to create vibrant, relaxed dance music, he named Whedo-jazz. From 2007 to 2012, the band toured every summer in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and more performing in festivals. In 2013, they were invited by the prestigious Harvard University to give a workshop about Beninese traditional music to PHD students in the Ethnomusicology Department. They are based in Brooklyn, NYC and are currently teaching West African Drumming at Stonybrook University (Long Island). Their openness to other cultures earned them a collaboration coming in spring 2022 with the Brazilian Ensemble of University of Florida. They performed on Lincoln Center Out Doors, La Casita, BBKing in Times Square, Bric TV Show, Music Time in Africa (Voice of America Radio Show) and recorded with the icon of music Bobby McFerrin.