Dancer, choreographer, percussionist and comic actor Samuel Maama Marquaye joined Shidaa Projects in the fall of 2023. Former Artistic Director for the award winning Shidaa Cultural Troupe in Africa, Maama arrived in Vermont with a mission to not only grow his own experiences and performance style but to join Artistic Director Jordan Mensah in taking Shidaa to the next level.
In the time that Maama has been with Shidaa Projects, there has been a marked evolution in performances, workshops, and collaborations in a variety of ways. Maama has taught at Lost Nation Theater’s Fractured Fables summer camps, as well as Shidaa’s own Cultural Camp. He has taught community drumming and dance classes as well as acting as a supporting drummer for other local dance classes. As well as teaching with Lost Nation, Maama has performed with them to welcome 3 New Years. Over the last year Shidaa Projects also performed at the Vermont State House for Farmer’s Night, with pianists Arthur Zorn and Michael Arnowitz and with the Montpelier Gospel Choir, with Maama’s dance often taking center stage. Maama’s contributions have expanded the audiences for our annual Celebration of Community, as well as Eat, Drum, Dance a celebration of Ghanaian Independence Day. Recently he received an award from Lost Nation, acknowledging his cultural contributions to our local arts scene.
Maama has traveled outside Central Vermont to perform regularly with Akwaaba Ensemble in New York and New England as well as collaborating with other artists and partnering with Jordan to present a workshop and performance at The Crane School of Music in New York State. Representing Shidaa, Maama has also performed in Oregon, California and Virginia.
In light of this expansion and increased visibility, Shidaa has been awarded an unrestricted Walking Together: Investing in Folklife in Communities of Color grant by The US Regional Arts Organizations. This grant presents an opportunity for Maama, with Jordan’s artistic input, to create and choreograph a collective project in partnership with other artists, performers and those embracing the contributions of African culture and folk life in our community.
Learn more about Maama’s recent research trip to Ghana here.