Meet New Assistant Professor Farai Malianga: Videographer, Composer and Musician
Farai Malianga will join FSU’s School of Dance as an assistant professor this Fall.
Farai Malianga, born and raised in Zimbabwe, began his career in African Dance in Colorado with Leticia Williams’ Harambee and Musical Director Judy “Fatu” Henderson.
Upon arriving in New York he began studying dance and drum with pioneers Yousouf Koumbasa, Mbemba Bangoura and Ronald K. Brown.
Malianga performed with the masters Chuck Davis in BAMs ‘Dance Africa’, Reginald Yates and Heritage O.P. for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre for their 40th Anniversary.
He has also worked in theatre, in the Off-Broadway production of “Darker Faces of the Earth” directed by Trezana Beverley and on the Broadway Stage in the musical ‘Fela!’
Malianga has also appeared in Flim, in the International Domestic Violence Series produced by Joe Rodman as well as Kasi Lemmon’s film “Black Nativity”.
In 2021, Malianga took part in Public Theatre, performing for Shakespeare in the Park in a reimagining of “Merry Wives of Windsor” set in Harlem, and consequently he appeared in the HBO documentary “Reopening Night” cataloguing the return to Central Park.
Malianga’s composition credits include commissioned works for Camille Brown, Karen Loves’ Umoja, Christal Browns’ Inspirit Dance Companies and “Jenaguru” An African Creation Myth for the Smithsonian. He recently scored music for the the Dance Documentary “Black Stains” and Kehinde Ishangi’s “Not My Enemy” produced and edited by Tiffany Rhynard.
Farai Malianga is known as a performer, videographer, editor, composer and musician.
As a videographer and editor he recently worked on the archival documentary for “Kumbuka,” the longest active New Orleans-based West African Dance troupe, in collaboration with Cultural Ties, Kelly White and Sulé-Joel Adams. Malianga has also worked as both sound and multimedia designer for “The Power of the Unknown” a collaborative project under the direction of Dr. Darian Parker and Daaimah Taalib-Din.
Farai Malianga is honored to be joining FSU as a tenure track Professor with a focus on music for dance and choreography. This year teaching Rhythmic Analysis, Music for Choreography and Digital Audio Recording while also providing music support for African, Dunham and Contemporary classes.