Ars Nova Workshop presents the legendary drummer Pheeroan akLaff, revisiting the music of his Asian-inspired 1998 album Global Mantras at Solar Myth on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

Drummer/composer Pheeroan akLaff believes that his music is driven by ritual and imagination. He has contributed to creative music and interdisciplinary mediums since 1976, building arts to give thanks and work for change. He has performed and recorded with a voluminous list of artists including Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, Amina Claudine Myers, Henry Threadgill, Sonny Sharrock, Yamashita Yosuke, Jay Hoggard, Liu Sola, Andrew Hill, Mike Nock, James Newton, Anthony Braxton, Don Byron, Marty Ehrlich and Tom Pierson, Rob Reddy, Aska Maret-Kaneko, Ray Anderson and Bobby Zankel, and the list continues. akLaff’s 1998 album Global Mantras wove a web of artistry referencing the cultures of Asia while reflecting on the African-American experience. With this quartet he’ll further his exploration of that music, drawing on traditions from India, Japan, Africa and America.