From the Brazilian samba to Caribbean reggae, West Virginia Universitys World Music Showcase Concert on Thursday (April 9) will take the audience through a variety of diverse musical styles.

The concertfeaturing the African Music and Dance Ensemble, Brazilian Ensemble and Steel Bandbegins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the WVU Creative Arts Center. It is directed by Michael Vercelli and graduate assistants Adam Wolf and Ryan Frost.

There will be special collaborations between the African and Brazilian ensembles and the Brazilian Ensemble and Steel Band. Selections includeMaracatu,taught in part by visiting exchange students from Brazil; Shelly IrvinesSamba el Gato,featuring the Steel Band backed by the Brazilian batucada percussion section; and original compositions and arrangements by students Daniel Bain and Josh Garrett.

The audience will enjoy music from the north and south of Ghana; samba, baiao, xote and forro from Brazil; and calypso, soca and reggae from Trinidad and the Caribbean.

The WVU African Music and Dance Ensemblean experiential ensembleperforms traditional and contemporary music of Africa and the Diaspora. The music is taught primarily through oral tradition, allowing the members to experience the learning process without written music. While the focus of the group is musical, the cultural contexts relevant to the music give participants a deeper understanding of its meaning. The goals of the ensemble include fostering a growing community interested in the African arts.

The WVU Steel Band program offers students an opportunity to explore the traditions of Trinidadian steel band music, as well as classical and popular arrangements and transcriptions.

The WVU Brazilian Ensemblealso an experiential ensembleprovides an opportunity for students to explore the rich musical traditions of Brazil, including traditional, folk and popular arrangements and transcriptions.

All ensembles consist of both undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines across the WVU campus.

Tickets for the WVU World Music Showcase Concert may be purchased at the Mountainlair or CAC Box Office or by calling 304-293-SHOW.

For more information about the College of Creative Arts, go to http://www.ccarts.wvu.edu/ or check out the colleges page in Facebook.