Jabali Afrika headlines Back to My Roots V

The African Students Association and University Center Programming Council will present the fifth annual Back to My Roots event featuring Jabali Afrika, a musical group, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the UC C.J. Davidson Center.


According to Dezaray Johnson, graduate assistant for UCPC, ASA started the event and asked UCPC to participate a couple of years ago.


“We’re working with [ASA] again and hopefully will get to continue in the future,” Johnson said. “It’s great to take a look into the culture, and it’s really a unique event that ASU hosts.”

Jabali Afrika’s presentation is part of a celebration of Africa’s heritage known as Back to My Roots, which will also feature ASA members showcasing their talents in singing, dancing, and skits.


Jabali Afrika originated in Kenya, where members would gather on a large rock to plan and dream about their musical future. The quartet combines traditional African beats and percussions with today’s modern rock-reggae arrangements.

Jabali is Kiswahili for “rock.”


In 2008, Jabali Afrika’s single “People’s Voice” was banned in Kenya due to a call for democracy and justice to prevail over corruption during the election violence.


Jabali Afrika is giving a pre-show workshop from 3-4 in the C.J. Davidson Center.


Students will get to play instruments and learn dances native to Africa from Jabali Afrika before the show.


President and secretary of the ASA Joseph Wezuobu says the event is not just for entertainment.


“It’s also an informative event,” Wezuobu said. “We always focus on a specific theme to inform the crowd on and this year it’s Egypt and “Remember the Time,” based on Michael Jackson’s ‘Remember the Time’ video.”


Junior Morgan Capps says she plans on going to watch the performance.


“I saw some of the videos on YouTube [about Jabali Afrika] and it looked really interesting and fun the way they perform,” Capps said.