Black History Month Concert Features Steelpan, Music of the Caribbean

The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 24) in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free and open to the public.

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Teague has earned worldwide recognition for his artistry and scholarship, including the Ansa McAL Caribbean Award for Excellence, presented by his home country in recognition of his global impact on the arts. He will be joined by his son, Jaden Teague-Núñez, who began studying the steel drum when he was 8.

"Both the steelpan and the Teagues are from Trinidad and Tobago, giving the department the opportunity to present music from the Caribbean," said George W.K. Dor, UM professor of music and founder-director of the Ole Miss African Drum and Dance Ensemble.

The performance by Teague-Núñez is intended to inspire high school students considering careers in music, as his success as rising talent serves as a powerful example for Oxford students, Dor said.

The concert, titled "Sublime Artistic Creativity Transcends Boundaries," also features the UM Steel Orchestra, directed by Ricky Burkhead; the UM Gospel Choir, directed by Honesty Shaw; and the Ole Miss Drum and Dance Ensemble.

This year's theme was chosen to spotlight the brilliance of virtuosic performers while reinforcing that musical talent transcends geographic and cultural boundaries, Dor said.

Top: Jaden Teague-Núñez (left) will join his father, Liam Teague, as the headline act for the university's 2026 Black History Month Concert, set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 24) in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The concert also features UM Steel Orchestra, the UM Gospel Choir and the Ole Miss Drum and Dance Ensemble. Submitted photo