Mwenso and The Shakes, a Harlem-based group of performers, is traveling to State College to spread its unique combination of culture and artistry.

On Tuesday, January 17, Mwenso will hold an ancestral listening session at 3 Dots Downtown. Through recorded music, Mwenso will discuss the ways in which Black music connects directly to the Black experience and how we can actively listen to that music. This event begins at 6 p.m.

The week of events will continue with a free public concert in Heritage Hall in the HUB. The concert, “Night Time is the Right Time”, will begin at 9 p.m. on Thursday, January 19.

To wrap up the week, Mwenso and The Shakes will return to 3 Dots for a community jam session at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 20. This event is open to the public, and anyone who would like to join is invited to bring an instrument.

Mwenso and The Shakes has performed in Eisenhower Auditorium several times before, most recently in 2021.

“Your depth of community has filled our hearts,” Frontman Michael Mwenso said about the State College community. “Your passion for the arts has made us feel at home.”