Thursday, June 16, 2011
11th Annual Maafa - Coming Together for Healing Through Art and Culture
COMING TOGETHER FOR HEALING THROUGH ART AND CULTURE
NEW ORLEANS – Ashé Cultural Arts Center, in partnership with New Orleans Dance Festival-Tulane University and Kid’s Play NOLA, The Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), and the Old U.S. Mint, presents the 11th Annual Maafa Commemoration on Saturday, July 2, 2011, at 6:30 a.m., at Congo Square in Armstrong Park.
Maafa is a Kiswahili word that means “great tragedy” or “horrific tragedy,” referring to the period called the Middle Passage or Transatlantic Slave Trade. During that time, millions of captives from Africa were brought to the Americas where they were used as a labor force, persecuted, beaten, and many, separated from their families forever.
For the first time, this sacred event brings together in New Orleans, the cross-cultural efforts of Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, the United States of America and others, reaching across racial lines and borders to include all ethnicities. We are collectively coming together for a healing through art and culture.
At sunrise, on July 2, 2011, hundreds of people attired in white clothing will gather to pay tribute to African ancestors who died during the Middle Passage.
The Maafa Commemoration offers an opportunity for the whole community to pause and reflect on this great transgression against humanity and to personally, as a community, agree to distance ourselves institutionally in word and deed from that transgression, its legacy and the evolved practice of racism in our civic, social, spiritual and personal lives.
In the year 2000, Ashé Cultural Arts Center’s founders Carol Bebelle and Douglas Redd, engaged by Leia Lewis who coordinated the first Maafa celebration, joined with other similar celebrations around the country. The vision for the Maafa Commemoration continues to grow. It was influenced by the work of St. Paul Baptist Church in Brooklyn, which was then led by New Orleans-born Rev. Johnnie Ray Youngblood, where annually a month-long series of activities form the Maafa remembrance.
This year, the Spirit of FiYiYi, along with drummers and musicians from the Congo, Haiti, Cuba, Senegal, New Orleans and other cities around the United States, will lead a procession from Congo Square through historic Tremé, with a brief stop at St. Augustine Catholic Church, the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Slave. From there, the procession continues through the French Quarter, with pauses at Café Maspero and the Royal Orleans Hotel, where slave auctions regularly took place and slave masters transacted business.
Then, aboard the Canal Street Ferry, amid high spirits, drumming, dancing, singing and praying, ancestors will be honored by name—not just those affected by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, but also individuals who were victims of such events as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the levee breaches and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Upon exiting the Canal Street Ferry in Algiers, the Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indian Gang will greet the procession and lead members into The Village at King’s Plantation in Algiers Point. This historic African village on the west bank of the Mississippi River, once owned by the Company of the Indies in 1700s, was a site where enslaved Africans, fresh off slave ships, were held until they were sold at auction.
The Maafa Commemoration continues with breakfast and entertainment at 12:00 noon at Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in Central City New Orleans. The day’s activities include a show entitled “Parade Traditions,” showcasing the work of Kid’s Play NOLA and instructor Seguenon Kone, West African singer, drummer and balafon player from the Ivory Coast; and performances by Haitian master drummer Damas “FanFan” Louis, and from Cuba’s Danys “La Mora” Perez and Roman Diaz.
Other events related to the commemoration include an exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art entitled “Ancestors of Congo Square” which runs through July 17, 2011 (www.noma.org/exhibitions.html); Xavier University’s Institute of Black Catholic Studies’ Ancestor Commemoration and Reception on July 8, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at the Xavier University Center Building (Bldg. #17, Room 308A); and “Race: Are we so different?” at the Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Avenue, which runs through September 2011 (http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/mintex.htm).
Community support for the Maafa includes sponsorship from Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Tulane University, Kid’s Play NOLA, The City of New Orleans, The Consulate of Venezuela in New Orleans, The Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, New Orleans Museum of Art, and The Village in Algiers (the Ovah Da River Folklife Village). The Maafa is partially funded by The Kellogg Foundation (America Healing), The Ford Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation.
MAAFA - SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
June 23, 2011 FANFAN HAITIAN DANCE & DRUM CLASSES
6:00-8:00 P.M. Master Haitian drummer Damas “Fan Fan” Louis, David Braswell (drummer), and Michelle Martin (Haitian dancer)
Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070.
Free and Open to the Public
June 26, 2011 LEGENDARY CONGOLESE DRUMMER TITOS SOMPA
2:00-4:00 P.M. with Congolese Drummers Mampouya and Massengo
Congo Square, Armstrong Park
Free and Open to the Public
June 27, 2011 BRAZILIAN & CONGOLESE DANCE & DRUM CLASSES
6:00 P.M. Roseangela Silvestre (Brazilian dancer)
7:30 P.M. Titos Sompa (legendary Congolese drummer)
Classes held at Tulane University.
Call (504) 314-7742 for more information about the festival.
Admission: $10 per class
June 30, 2011 DRUM WORKSOP
6:00-8:00 P.M. MASTER CUBAN DRUMMER ROMAN DIAZ
Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Free and Open to the Public
July 2, 2011 MAAFA COMMEMORATION
6:30 a.m. Event starts at Congo Square, Armstrong Park.
Featured artists: Morikeba Kouyate, a kora (African harp) master from Senegal; Michaela Harrison, Zion Trinity, N’fungola Sibo West African Dance Troupe, Kid’s Play NOLA Culminating Show—“Parade Traditions”, Titos Sompa, founder and artistic director of Mbongi Dance Theater Project (Congolese); The Spirit of FiYiYi, Mohawk Hunters, SGI New Orleans Jazz Taiko Drummers, dancers and drummers from the Congo, Cuba, Haiti and the USA.
Participants are asked to wear white.
Call (504) 569-9070 for more information.
Free and Open to the Public
July 2, 2011 DANCE CONCERT: “FROM CUBA TO NEW ORLEANS”
7:00 p.m. Oyu Oro featuring Danys “LaMora” Perez (Santiago de Cuba); and master percussionist Roman Diaz (Havana, Cuba), Francisco Mora, Abraham "Abe" Rodriguez Jr.; singer Sandra Harper; and dancers Maya Louisa Harris, Liethis Hechavarria Perez, Deadra Renee Nelson Mason, Isabel Carolina Estrada Jamison, and Natalie Pardo.
Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, (504) 569-9070.
Admission: $10
July 8, 2011 ANCESTOR COMMEMORATION AND RECEPTION
6:30 p.m. Traditional white West African attire recommended, but not required.
Xavier University Center Building, (Bldg. #17), Room 308A
Free and Open to the Public
Visiting drummers and dancers appear as part of the 15th Annual New Orleans Dance Festival, “A Celebration of the Dance & Musical Traditions of the Congo, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, and New Orleans. The artistic director is Beverly Trask, Newcomb Dance Program, Tulane University Department of Theater & Dance. The festival is scheduled for June 25 through July 2, 2011. For more information call (504) 314-7742 or write to btrask@tulane.edu. Website: nodancefestival.org.
For information about Kid’s Play NOLA’s free summer camp, contact Dana Reed, project director at (504) 899-1931 or write to kidsplaynola@gmail.com. Website: www.kidsplayinfo.org.
Labels: ancestors, arts, cuba, culture, drummers, festival, haiti, maafa
Thursday, June 9, 2011
JUNE 2011 EVENTS AT ASHÉ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
June 17, 2011, 5:00 p.m.
FAVORITE FATHERS 2011 AWARDS CELEBRATION
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070
Free and open to the public. Photos at 6:00 p.m.
The New Orleans Fatherhood Consortium and Ashé Cultural Arts Center are proud co-sponsors of this year's Favorite Fathers of New Orleans 2011. A Reception and Recognition Ceremony will take place at Ashé Cultural Arts Center on Friday, June 17, 2011, from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Despite father absence in families being a problem, there are countless numbers of men who have dignified themselves by being great fathers to their children. Often, these men go unrecognized for the good things they do. The Favorite Fathers of New Orleans Ceremony will showcase role-model fathers who are making vital contributions as parents and men in the community. Nominees for the 2011 Favorite Father Awards of New Orleans came from children, parents, churches, schools, friends and other organizations.
June 18, 2011, 8:00 p.m.
A VISIT TO AFRICA - CULU CHILDREN'S DANCE CONCERT
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
General Admission: Adults- $15, Children - $10
The Culu Children's Traditional African Dance Company will perform a concert entitled "A Visit to Africa" as part of its Conference for Children. The concert culminates a four-day event and includes a Meet and Greet on June 16, 7-9 p.m. at the Community Book Center, 2523 Bayou Road; Drum and Dance Classes for children only on June 16-19, 6:30 p.m. at Batiste School of the Arts located on Live Oak Campus, 3128 Constance Street, $10 per class. For more information call Mariami Curry at (504) 284-2901.
June 21, 2011, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
A COMMUNITY SINGS
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Free and Open to the Public | (504) 569-9070
Like to sing? Let loose at Ashé's monthly community sing. Led by songbird and actress Michaela Harrison, you just never know what the theme might be--movie and television series theme songs, favorite western songs, childhood songs, etc. No singing experience necessary. Just come prepared to sing.
June 22, 2011
BOOK SIGNING - KATRINA'S SECRETS: STORMS AFTER THE STORM BY C. RAY NAGIN
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070
Free and open to the public.
Former Mayor C. Ray Nagin's long-awaited account, Katrina's Secrets: Storms after the Storm, lays out the days leading up to and following the storm. At once stirringly elegiac and disarmingly candid, this spellbinding reckoning delivers exacting detail, while boldly exposing secrets that, until now, have been glossed over or spun out. Each hour, Nagin navigated tumultuous political channels, all while survivors clung to rooftops and begged for drinking water. ...Clear and compassionate, the author illuminates the unparalleled complexity of the city's immediate and far-reaching response. He charts the magnitude of the efforts undertaken in response to the lives that hung in the balance and the actions taken to restore New Orleans to its rightful luster. Katrina's Secrets also provides crucial context of race and class to shed new and unnerving light on how the events played out.
June 23, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
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| Damas "Fan Fan" Louis |
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070
Free and open to the public.
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| Michelle Martin |
Haitian master drummer Damas "Fan Fan" Louis, drummer David Braswell and Haitian dancer Michelle Martin bring an evening of excitement to Ashé. Fan Fan has worked with the Katherine Dunham Company, and Michelle Martin specialized in dance and visual arts with Oakland Park and Recreation Department for 13 years. Put on your dance attire and join us.
June 28, 2011, 5:00-8:00 p.m.
1ST BI-ANNUAL BUSH MAN COMPETITION 2011 - SIGN UP AND TRY OUT
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
(504) 569-9070
Eco-Lifestyles, L3C presents the First Bi-Annual Bush Man Competition 2011, promoting and supporting the evolution of a creative eco-fly class of men. This is an eco-project with the purpose of creatively addressing the stereotyping ills operating in our urban communities that adversely affect a large population of black males who wear their hair natural in dreadlocks, braids, plaits, cornrows or a bush hairstyle. The competition is intended for men ages 21-35, and includes a series of qualifying activities and events. Visit www.bman2011.com for details, qualifying criteria, and prizes.
June 30, 2011, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
WORKPLACE WELLNESS LUNCHEON
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
(504) 569-9070
Free and open to the public.
(Both Men and Women are Invited)
This month's Community Partners Wellness Luncheon is held in honor of Fathers. We celebrate not only biological fathers, but also those who embrace the role of "father," be it in the home, school, church or neighborhood. The theme this month is "relaxation." Call (504) 569-9070 for additional information. Please RSVP no later than noon, Wednesday, June 29, to let us know you're coming.
June 30, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
DRUM WORKSHOP WITH MASTER CUBAN DRUMMER ROMAN DIAZ
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504)
569-9070
Free and open to the public.
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| Roman Diaz |
Roman Diaz is a master percussionist from Havana, where elders in the fine arts of classic Afro-Cuban musical traditions trained him. In the USA, he organized a performance ensemble called "Omi Odara," a Lukumi phrase meaning "pure water," or "water that blesses" because "there is nothing more pure than water." Diaz's ensemble is distinguished for respecting these traditions through artful and passionate performances based on deep ritual knowledge. They entertain while they educate.
Mondays and Thursdays
SISTAH'S MAKING A CHANGE
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070
Free
Get fit with the "sistahs" as you exercise and dance your way to wellness. The program is directed by Jamilah Peters Muhammad, a registered nurse and professional dancer, who handles all aspects of programming, such as dance, educational films, nutrition, and health and wellness. Classes are taught by professional dancer and choreographer Giselle Nakhid and other guest instructors. A nutritious meal is served after each class.
This month's programming features seminars on hair and skin care with Swyleta and instruction in Chi Jong with Ivan B. Watkins. Special guests, courtesy of Tulane University's 15th Annual New Orleans Dance Festival and artistic director Beverly Trask will infuse the cultures of Haiti and Cuba through dance. The following classes will be held at Ashé Cultural Arts Center. The public is invited and classes are free of charge. No dance experience required.
Thursday, June 23, 2011; 6-8 p.m.
HAITIAN DRUM & DANCE CLASSES with Haitian master drummer Damas "Fan Fan" Louis, David Braswell & Haitian dancer Michelle Martin.
Thursday, June 30, 2011; 6-8 p.m.
DRUM WORKSHOP taught by Master Cuban Drummer ROMAN DIAZ.
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OFF SITE:
Sunday, June 26, 2011; 2-4 p.m.
Legendary Congolese drummer Titos Sompa joins the drum circle in Congo Square from 2-4 p.m.
Free and open to the public.
Monday, June 27, 2011; 6-8:30 p.m.
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| Titos Sompa |
Monday, June 27, 2011; 6-8:30 p.m.
Sistah's will attend dance workshops on June 27 at Tulane University, featuring Brazilian dancer Roseangela Silvestre at 6 p.m., and master Congolese drummer
Titos Sompa at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 per classFriday, June 3, 2011
EARLY JUNE AT ASHÉ
June 4, 2011, 3:00 p.m.
KUUMBA INSTITUTE PARENT ORIENTATION & CULMINATING ACTIVITY
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Free and Open to the Public
Kuumba Institute invites you to its culminating activity. Come out and see what the kids have been up to on Saturdays. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
In addition, parents of kids who are registered for the summer program should attend the parent orientation that is scheduled to follow the culminating activity. For more information call (504) 569-9070.
June 6, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
KUUMBA INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM BEGINS
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
(504) 569-9070
The Kuumba Institute’s 7-week summer program begins June 6 and runs through July 22. Kuumba services students ages 6-16, divided into six age groups. Students receive specialized training in Visual Arts, Dance, Martial Arts, Voice, Costume Design, Photography, Poetry, Arts & Crafts, Theater and African Drumming. Students are provided with breakfast, lunch and a snack, daily. In addition to providing our students with various means of artistic expressions in classroom setting, we also expose them to outside field trip and performance experiences. The registration fee is $35 per child. Tuition fees are: $250 for one child; $350 for a family of two children; $450 for a family of three children. After-care is available at an additional cost. Classes are held at Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in New Orleans. For information, call (504) 569-9070 or come by and fill out an application.
June 10, 2011, 7:00 p.m. (note time change)
NEW ORLEANS LOVING FILM FESTIVAL
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
Free
"ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY" – After a realization at a family reunion, half Japanese-Canadian filmmaker, Jeff Chiba Stearns, embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find out why everyone in his Japanese-Canadian family married interracially after his grandparents’ generation. This feature live action and animated documentary explores why almost 100% of all Japanese-Canadians are marrying interracially, the highest out of any other ethnicity in Canada, and how their mixed children perceive their unique multiracial identities. (85 minutes) A short discussion with award winning filmmaker, Jeff Chiba Stearns, will follow the screening.
Also Screening: "SOMETHING OTHER THAN OTHER" -- Filmmakers Jerry Henry and Andrea Chia started to film a video diary on the day they found out that she was pregnant. As the parents of a multiracial child they examine racial identity in this experimental personal documentary. They filmed Quin‚s birth in an unconventional way - instead of using video, they decided to shoot it on Super 8mm and to shoot it frame-by-frame, like an animation. New parents Jerry and Andrea have endured their own share of discrimination growing up. They hope their newborn son can grow up identifying as something other than "other." (7 minutes)
Co-presented by Charitable Film Network, Press Street / Antenna, the New Orleans Film Society, and Ashé Cultural Arts Center.
June 11, 2011, 4:30 p.m.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ARTISTS
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Regular meeting of the organization. Open to members only.
June 13, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
FREEDOM PREPARATORY ACADEMY
Ashé Cultural Arts Center | 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Dinner and Show.
By invitation.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
ON STAGE: TRYING TO FIND MY WAY BACK HOME
Junebug Productions, in partnership with Ashé Cultural Arts Center, brings to the stage:
TRYING TO FIND MY WAY BACK HOME - (A Work in Progress)
June 2 - 4, 2011, 8:00 p.m. – June 5, 2011, 3:00 p.m. matinee
Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Suggested donation: $10
In “Trying to Find My Way Back Home," Junebug Jabbo Jones narrates the story of Po Tatum. We follow Po Tatum from his boyhood in Pike County, MS to his last desperate hours in a Westside Chicago building. It is clear that Po is a symbol of the many black youths who move from their rural Southern homes to hard Northern cities. His is a tale that is told with humor and turn-of-phrase wisdom that in the end offers the audience serious and thought-provoking issues. For more information visit junebugproductions.org, or call (504) 569-9070.
TRYING TO FIND MY WAY BACK HOME - (A Work in Progress)
June 2 - 4, 2011, 8:00 p.m. – June 5, 2011, 3:00 p.m. matinee
Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Suggested donation: $10
