Asadata Dafora

Who was Asadata Dafora?

Austin Dafora Horton widely known as Asadata Dafora was a Sierra Leonean multidisciplinary musician. He was one of the first Africans to introduce African drumming music to the United States, beginning in the early 1930s. His artistic endeavors spanned multiple disciplines, but he is best remembered for his work in dance and music.

Dafora was a multifaceted artist, talented in opera and concert singing, dancing, choreographing and composing. In 1934, Dafora created Kykunkor, a successful musical/drama production utilizing authentic African music and dance and is considered one of the pioneers of black dance in America.