CU’s West African High Line Ensemble is the only one of its kind in the U.S.

– Yeah, we know Thanksgiving was only yesterday, but if you’re feeling up to it, this Thursday offers a unique, mind-opening music and dance event for anyone looking for more than “The Nutcracker” and that very special Christmas episode of “Friends.” The CU West African Highlife Ensemble, formed in the fall of 2000 when Kwasi Ampene joined the College of Music at CU-Boulder, will celebrate its 7th anniversary with a rare Denver show at the Bluebird Theater.

What is a “highlife ensemble,” you ask? They perform “high energy, tightly-knit traditional, neo-traditional and highlife dance music from Ghana.” And this Thursday’s performance will open the lens even wider, taking a “musical safari” through Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of South Africa and the French Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique)…

The group is the only one of its kind in the country, and has played to more than 30,000 people since forming seven years ago. It includes 30 music and non-music majors from the Boulder campus, and has seen over 200 members in the past. Get your tickets. early, because a recent performance at Mackey Auditorium was sold out. 8 p.m. Thursday, $10, Ticketmaster.