Hip-hop from Africa performs at Union Theater

In Wolof, a language of Senegal, “Daara J” means “school of life.”

It also means socially conscious political hip-hop in Senegal, thanks to the efforts of the band Daara J. Madison will be able to hear what hip-hop sounds like in Senegal as the trio performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, in the Wisconsin Union Theater.

In a National Public Radio interview last year, Daara J singer Faada Freddy said that hip-hop actually originated in Africa, not the Bronx. Freddy said that the form comes from tasso, rhythmic oral histories traditional in Senegal.

Wisconsin Youth Speaks Spoken Word Finals will precede the concert at 7 p.m. in the theater. A dance party will follow Daara J’s performance.

Tickets for the three events, $18-$30 general/$10 students with ID, are available at the Wisconsin Union Box Office, 262-2201.