Asadata Dafora

Asadata Dafora (1890-1965) arrived in New York in 1929 after having studied and danced for many years in Europe and in Sierra Leone, his country of birth. He began working with Africans who are associated with the National Counsel of the African Union and created Shogola Oloba, a troupe of African artists. In 1934, he created Kykunkor, a work that ushered in an innovative new genre labeled indigenous African Opera. Kykunkor tells the story of a spouse haunted by the curses of an upset lover.