Newton Sussex County Community College will present Master Drummer, Maxwell Kofi Donkor, on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 10:50 a.m., in the Cafeteria. Admission for this program is $3. Kofi is an outstanding, award-winning sculptor and educator, but it is drumming that inspires him. He often says that he benefits from drumming more than his students do. “Drumming is part of me. I love it. I leave strengthened by the spirit of the drum.” His music creates an atmosphere of an indigenous African village, where everyone gets involved. It celebrates daily life, marriage, initiation, birth of a baby, first sprouts of corn, harvest, the community welcoming of guests, even death. His songs and rhythms are truly indigenous, passed on from generation to generation in an unwritten form. Kofi did not study them. He grew up with them and they have become part of him. Kofi first learned the skills essential to a drummer at his grandfather’s knee, in his native village, Otumi, located in Ghana, West Africa. As a teenager he was commissioned like many Ghanaian youths, to carry on the traditions of his ancestors and performed for a number of years with the Folklore Ensemble of Ghana. He has been drumming and performing for over 30 years now, and has played with such nationally known drummers as Babatunde Olatunji, and his Drums of Passion, Mickey Hart, Sikiru and Camara. Since his arrival in the United States, Kofi has formed a significant number of drum circles in the tri-state region. The type of drumming that Kofi does not only “penetrates the body, mind, soul, and spirit, but also brings a balance into a person; it is, in fact, the heartbeat of humanity, balancing the negative and positive energies of the everyday hectic life in the community.” His drum circles are a place of understanding, support, and growth for people of all ages and all levels of drumming. For more information call 973-300-2232.