Won-Ldy Paye is a storyteller, dancer, drummer, and artist from Tapita, Liberia. He was trained by his grandmother to remember and retell the stories of the Dan people of northeastern Liberia, and is a member of the Tlo Ker Mehn, the class of professional Dan entertainers who are keepers of the oral tradition. Paye immigrated to the US in 1990 and lived in Seattle from 1990-2003, telling stories to schoolchildren, collaborating on a series of picture books of Dan folk tales, teaching African drumming and dance at the University of Washington, and performing with African drummers and dancers at regional events. As of 2021, Paye lives and works in Connecticut.

Here, Won-Ldy Paye leads a class of fourth-greaders at McGilvra Elementary School in a performance of African music. Playing the drums in the foreground are students LaToya Mills, left and Rena Lofton. Paye spent two weeks at the school as part of a PTA-funded Black History month program. He taught the students music, dance, and story-telling, culminating in a student performance for parents.

Caption information source: Won-Ldy Paye’s website at https://www.wonldypaye.com/
Caption information source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 20, 1988, p. B1