The APPlause! K-12 Performing Arts series prioritizes K-12 students and teachers.

To the sound of the n’goni, djembe, derbouka, and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover Africa, the Middle East, and India through rhythm, song, and dance! From African rap and desert dance to trance Sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance, Kattam never fails to entertain his audience. Join us as Kattam leads the way on an incredible adventure!

Run Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Recommended for: Grades K-6

Travel is Kattam’s chief source of inspiration. From East to West, he has drawn on inexhaustible and ever-evolving traditions to nourish his world view. Be it to experience what is sacred or to celebrate, music is the instrument he uses as his passport to discover different cultures. Guided by his passion for percussion as well as for dance and theatre, Kattam is constantly setting a course for new horizons that bring out the depth of the human experience. Among the music groups with whom he works, Kattam strives to strike a balance between technical and intuitive styles, inspired by the masters under whom he has trained. While staying true to the respective traditions of the instruments he plays, he also blends styles and genres, in keeping with the 21st century trend toward genre-bending. In his youth projects, Kattam acts as both a transmitter and a communicator. His original pieces place children front and center. Watch, listen, and, above all, participate! His aim is to foster a taste for music, discovery and self-expression among these children, to partake in celebrations specific to different cultures, and to make both popular and spiritual music accessible — ultimately in order to teach children that beyond cultural differences lies a shared humanity. For Kattam, the stage, first and foremost, is a way to share this enthusiasm and the life force that drives him.

Questions? Contact chenauskyc@appstate.edu | 828.262.2948 View workshops