March 4 and 5, 2022

WORKSHOPS: 10 am to 5 pm 

Mythological Pectorals with artist Marianne Sadowski
Create your own creature feature with a pectoral inspired by ancient Nubian jewels and mythology! 

Ancient Amulets with artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario 
Craft an amulet inspired by ancient symbols meant to protect the living and the dead.

Creative Adornment with artist Matti Sand
Make your own Nubian inspired beaded jewelry while you explore the connections between the ancient and modern worlds of fashion in this step-by-step jewelry making workshop.

SITE-SPECIFIC

Snap Yourself! Photo Booth 
10 am to 5 pm

Grab your canteen and journey into the ancient Nubian desert with Snap Yourself!

Visit a Nubian Pyramid
Outdoor Classical Theater
10 am to 5 pm

Drape yourself in oversized Nubian jewelry and take a selfie while you tower next to a reconstructed Nubian pyramid! Marvel at the construction of these fantastic edifices, recreated in cardboard and wood by artist Kiel Johnson.

PERFORMANCES

Tana Yonas 
Outer Peristyle 
11:00 am to 12:00 pm 
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm 
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm 

Take a sonic journey with Tana Yonas as she guides you through dusty bins in foreign record shops, radio songs in bumpy taxi rides, and souvenirs of the everyday from Sudan and beyond. Listen as she delicately weaves together lesser known gems from African folk, jazz, and experimental musical traditions, all with a focus on underrepresented musicians from across the decades.

Mekail Eldaw Bakhit Ensemble
Inner Peristyle 
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm 
4:00 pm to 4:45 pm 

Sudanese multi-instrumentalist and music director Mekail Eldaw Bakhit proudly brings his traditional ensemble to the Getty Villa in a rare performance of music of ancient Nubia. A native of Darfur, Mekail traveled throughout his country playing the oud, accordion, piano, tar (drum) and tambour (a stringed instrument). He produced classic recordings for a who's who of Sudanese popular music legends. It was the most renowned and beloved Nubian vocalist Mohammed Wardi who would hire and work with Mekail for a decade as his principal violinist, band leader and producer starting in the late 1980s.

"Nubians are the Pharaohs of the Sudan," says Mekail.  He will perform royal sounds with an ensemble of local Nubian musicians and dancers. Get ready for an immersive and authentic presentation of ancient melodies and rhythms curated by one of Los Angeles' under-celebrated North African musical treasures.