Makeda Kumasi

About the Artist

Makeda Kumasi (MFA / M.Ed) is the founder of WE 3 PRODUCTIONS, as well as the co-founder and artistic director of The Umoja Ensemble of the Inland Empire. Along with being a featured performer on stage and T.V., Kumasi has danced for two prominent Southern California based African dance ensembles, Abalaye African Dancers; an Orange County Arts Group, and Niancho Eniyaley African Performers. Kumasi is a University of California, Riverside Continuing lecturer in the Department of Dance.

In Summer of 2021 she released her first wide release album, A Spoken Word Experience, including music videos for the tracks Maat and Electricity. Kumasi is expanding the tour of her multimedia show, Urban Djali Tour which is based on the album. The Urban Djali Tour show features various dance genres, original video, photography and paintings, as well as music from West African instruments that Kumasi plays, including a 21 string Malian instrument called the kora.

For 15 years Kumasi has been a beacon of Pan-African Arts and education for all ages in the Inland Empire. She works extensively with the youth through various performing arts programs including “The Sesh Project”, as well as receives grants to produce cultural events including, Inland Empire’s Ultimate Doundounba Festival in Riverside.

Furthermore, Kumasi is an author of two books, 12 Days in Senegal; An Artist’s Journey, Xlibris, 2016
and I See Hip Hop Afrika, Xlibris, 2015, as well as contributing author to the dance anthology, Dance Adventures: True Stories About Dancing Abroad, Megan Morrison, Mtm Coaching and Consulting, December 2020