To celebrate Black History Month, College of the Desert hosted an interactive African drumming performance on Feb. 25 led by DJ Oneko Arika, giving students and faculty the opportunity to experience and participate in traditional rhythms.

Oneko Arika, a music teacher and DJ, has performed at festivals and events worldwide for more than 25 years. He incorporates a variety of percussion styles, combining live drumming with interactive audience participation. Arika also provides music instruction and DJ services, sharing his knowledge of rhythm-based music with communities.

During the campus event, Arika set up a variety of percussion instruments for participants to borrow while he played live. As he created rhythms on large drum barrels, audience members followed along using the instruments provided. Students sat together and joined the performance, creating a shared musical experience. Some attendees participated for the first time, while others returned after attending the event in previous years.

The performance was organized into several interactive sessions. It began with Arika leading the group by playing rhythms while the audience followed along. Later, individual participants were invited to create their own beats for the crowd to repeat. As the session progressed, Arika divided the audience into smaller groups, each playing different rhythms simultaneously. The layered sounds combined to create an orchestral-style performance made entirely by the audience.

Percussion instruments often do not require professional training or years of practice to play. The interactive performance allowed students and faculty to experience African drumming traditions in a hands-on way. By encouraging audience participation throughout the session, Arika turned the performance into both a learning opportunity and a shared musical experience. For many attendees, the event provided a way to explore rhythm, culture and collaboration while celebrating Black History Month.