AFRICANHOUSE1 , AFRICANS IN FOREIGN LANDS AND FOREIGNERS IN AFRICA

DanceAfrica 2013 at BAM

admin — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:43:42 +0000

Part of 2013 Winter/Spring Season

Created by Chuck Davis in 1977, DanceAfrica—the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African dance—brings together dance, music, film, and an array of community events for an exhilarating celebration of culture from Africa and its diaspora.

Read more about the history of DanceAfrica.

Patricia Noworol Dance Theater Presents the U.S. Premiere of Culture – a dance theater work feat. Renegade break-dancers

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:32:38 +0000

“Many are gifted, but very few possess that spark of original genius that defines Patricia Noworol.” – Deborah Jowitt

What: Patricia Noworol Dance Theater Premieres Culture

Where: Danspace Project at St. Marks Church, 131 E. 10^th Street, NYC, Train: 6 to Astor, R/W to 8^th St, L to 3^rd Ave, F to 2^nd Ave

When: Thursday 6/13 – Saturday 6/15 at 8:00pm

Tickets: $18 General Admission | $12 Danspace members. To purchase, contact Danspace at 866.811.4111 www.danspaceproject.org

NEW YORK, NY (For Immediate Release) — The Patricia Noworol Dance Theater (PNDT), a NYC-based company committed to the creation of unique dance and physical theater performances that demand life, passion, and physicality, presents the U.S. premiere of Patricia Noworol’s latest work ?Culture over the course of three eveningsJune 13 – 15, 2013. Celebrating its five year anniversary, PNDT is joined by the award-winning Hip Hop troupe,Renegade (Herne, Germany), in this risk-taking, provocative piece that sharply criticizes institutionalized culture and business.

?Culture is an insightful, profoundly personal look into contemporary culture that tears the civic picture of art and cultural funding. It asks how much freedom, opportunity, and risk are left in an artistic work if an explanation is expected in every stage, and thus, together with her dancers, Noworol questions the condition of being an artist (and thereby oneself) in the 21st century. “I don’t want to add to the stifling, standardized traditions of art. Instead, I want to express my frustration with the current art construct through dance,” explains Noworol. “I hope this piece serves as a relevant contribution to the continued evolution of contemporary dance expression.”

In ?Culture, five performers pull gritty, urban culture from the streets and blend it with renowned, educated dance, acting, and break dancing in order to push real human passions into the theater of today. Noworol’s “character” is politically incorrect. The curators and Board of Trustees rejected her project proposal that deals with homosexuality and Hip Hop. But, she refuses to give up and accept it.

She unabashedly shares her anger without being afraid of taboo and stylistic inconsistencies. From an oversized dinosaur costume to Noworol’s screaming escapades while climbing down a fire escape in a pink robe to a beat boxer, ?Culture is a theatrical exploration that blurs the line between theater and real life.

About Patricia Noworol Dance Theater

Originally formed as Patricia Noworol Dance (PND) in 2008, Patricia Noworol Dance Theater (PNDT) is led by choreographer and artistic director Patricia Noworol. With a keen eye for direction and a clear understanding of the ability of the human form to move in space, Noworol pulls on her company of international performers and designers to create original, raw displays of dance, theater, and multimedia that demand life, passion, and physicality. Though each new work and commission for PNDT is cast according to its content, many of PNDT’s performers have worked with Patricia on more than one production. Thus, as a company, PNDT pushes the limits of the human psyche now and igniting the primal instincts.

PNDT has been presented in NYC at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 92nd Street Y, Manhattan Movement Arts Center, Robert Moss Theater, Duo Theater, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Atlas Theater, Dance Now Festival, American Dance Guild Festival, The Gala Benefit & Festival Performances at Dumbo Dance Festival, La MaMa Moves Dance Festival, HATCH, Fete de L’Hurricane, White Wave Dance Festival, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, and NYC Fringe Festival, where Patricia’s work, Circuits, was awarded with the EXCELLENCE AWARD for Outstanding Choreography in 2009. Noworol also is a recipient of the 2002 The Young Artist Award of the Ministry of Arts and Culture in North Rhine – Westphalia / Germany. The RUHR 2010 European Capital of Culture invited PNDT to perform Circuits in many significant venues in Germany — including Schauspielhaus Bochum, Pumpenhaus Munster, Kulturzentrum Herne, as well as at the 6.Urban Street Art Pottporus Festival in North Rhine – Westphalia. PNDT has obtained residencies at The Bessie Alumni Workshop and The DMAC Duo Theater in NYC.www.PNDance.com

About Renegade

Renegade (under the umbrella of the Pottporus Association) realizes free dance theater productions with national and international partners, dancers, choreographers and cultural institutions – with a focus on street art. The hallmark of Renegade Productions is the equal combination of different dance styles and the influence of the artistic elements of street art (graffiti, breakdancing) and takes this principle nationally and internationally acclaimed. Renegade was awarded the main prize at the theater forced NRW 2004, the Herald Angel 2004, the Guardian’s Best Physical Theatre and the Fringe First Award 2004. Recently, Renegade was invited to the Germany Dance Platform 2012 in Dresden, presenting one of the 10 best dance German productions.

Founded in Herne in 2003, Renegade immediately managed to gain a place in the European off-theater scene with its first project, “Rumble,” a Hip Hop interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet”. After much acclaimed victories at NRW Theaterzwang 2004, Germany and the international Fringe Festival 2004 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the crew started touring through Europe, India and the Middle East and joined the Harare Festival in Simbabwe,Africa. As far as directing and choreography are concerned, Renegade regularly works together with young and praised freelance choreographers like Samir Akika, Patricia Noworol, Julio Cesar Iglesias Ungo, Lorca Renoux, and or Malou Airaudo. www.Pottporus.de

Culture

Premiered: The 8^th Pottporus Festival in Germany (2012)

Concept, Direction, Choreography: Patricia Noworol

Performers: Dodzi Dougban, Shawndrick D. Hallman (“Iron Monkey”), Patrick Williams Seebacher (“Twoface”), Sefa Erdik (“Sefa Break”), and Patricia Noworol

Dramaturgy: Martina Gimplinger

Costume Designers: Patricia Noworol and Martina Gimplinger with special thanks to Schauspielhaus Bochum

Lighting Designer: Brian Jones

april@amtpublicrelations.com

Justin Bieber concert followed by elaborate heist in Johannesburg … New York Daily News

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:20:43 +0000

While the pop star entertained South Africans, a sophisticated operation was underway and criminals were getting ready to steal the weekend’s cash earnings.

BY ZAYDA RIVERA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 2:12 PM

The FNB Stadium in Johannesburg is currently under lockdown as officials investigate a heist that took place hours after Bieber's show Sunday.

" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1342638.1368468282!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/0000190590.jpg" alt="SOUTH AFRICA OUT" width="635" height="447" />

FOTO24/GETTY IMAGES

The FNB Stadium in Johannesburg is currently under lockdown as officials investigate a heist that took place hours after Bieber’s show Sunday.

Justin Bieber brought down the house at his concert Sunday in Johannesburg.

But just hours after the 19-year-old pop star’s show at FNB Stadium, criminals made off with the cash earnings from the weekend, according to Eyewitness News.

PHOTOS: BIEBER FEVER

SEBABATSO MOSAMO/EYEWITNESS NEWS

Just a few hours after the Justin Bieber concert held at the FNB Stadium Sunday, criminals staged a sophisticated cash heist at the venue.

The sophisticated heist was something out of an action film. The suspects reportedly used ropes to lower themselves through a hole, which was created by chiseling away a double-thick wall that led into the safe room.

The stadium was on lockdown Monday so that police, forensic experts and security company officials could search for clues as the crooks made off with the money undetected.

FOTO24/GETTY IMAGES

Officials suspect the heist was an inside job and investigators are focused on security that worked the Bieber show as well as the Bon Jovi concert that recently took place there.

But carving out the wall was not an easy task, and officials believe the heist was a carefully planned and executed operation that began several days prior to the robbery.

It is suspected that an inside job took place as recent reports indicated how fake security guard certifications could easily be bought for approximately $850.

PHOTOS: FAVORITE ON-AGAIN-OFF-AGAIN CELEBRITY COUPLES

SEBABATSO MOSAMO/EYEWITNESS NEWS

It’s been reported that fake security guard certifications are easily attainable. ‘This is a concern that we continuously address,’ says Jacques Grobbelaar, the stadium’s manager.

For the stadium’s manager, Jacques Grobbelaar, this is a real concern.

“You could have very good people, and then the last 50 of 300 or 400 guards are simply just bodies,” he said. “This is a concern that we continuously address.”

As the investigation continues officials are focusing on stadium security prior to Bieber’s show as well as the Bon Jovi concert that recently took place there.

There is no indication as to how much money was taken during Sunday’s heist.

zrivera@nydailynews.com

Arise Entertainment 360, Fashion Designer Tina Tangalakis

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:51:27 +0000

Photo Credit RealMix

Fashion Designer Tina Tangalakis discusses her new line of clothes in Urban Outfitters that are made in Africa and with a conscience

Trevor Noah at Culture Project in New York NY from May 15 to 18 th

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:57:22 +0000

Trevor Noah is a stand-up comedian from South Africa who got his start as a radio DJ host and actor before focusing on comedy. Born from Swiss father and South African mother, he infuses his brand of comedy with observations about race and ethnicity, particularly his own mixed-race heritage and experiences during apartheid while growing up in an urban Soweto township in Gauteng, South Africa. After releasing his stand-up special The Daywalker, on DVD, he earned his own television program titled Tonight with Trevor Noah, on MNet, and is the featured subject in David Paul Meyer’s 2012 documentary, You Laugh But It’s True.

From May 15 to 18 th

@ Culture project 45 Bleecker St New York, NY 10012

Buy ticket http://www.trevornoah.com/event/

AIDS WALK May 19, 2013

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:55:47 +0000

Come out to Central Park on Sunday, May 19th
for the 28th
annual AIDS Walk New York! This 10k
walkathon benefits GMHC and more than 40 other AIDS service organizations in the tri-state area.
These organizations rely on the AIDS Walk to help continue their life saving services and prevention
work.
Day-of-Event Information: Enter on 59th
Street and 5th Avenue. Sign-In opens at 8:30 a.m., Opening
Ceremony kicks off at 9:15 a.m., the Walk begins at 10 a.m. Refreshments and snacks will be served
along the way. This is an outpouring of community support that you won’t want to miss! Click here to register and here to donate.
More details:
Date: Sunday, May 19, 2013
Time:
8:30 a.m. Sign-In – turn in funds and pick up your fundraising awards
9:15 a.m. Opening Ceremony Begins: listen as celebrities and AIDS activists address the crowd with messages of
inspiration, encouragement, and determination. Hear the personal testimonies from people with HIV and AIDS
who are directly served by the money your raise.
10:00 a.m. AIDS Walk New York Begins: following the Opening Ceremony, join 45,000 participants in the 6.2 mile
AIDS Walk. Enjoy an assortment of refreshments at each of the three checkpoints along the route
Location: The AIDS Walk will start and end in Central Park. Enter at 59th Street and 5th Avenue.
Length: 10 kilometers/6.2 miles

Click here for maps and more Day-of-Event Information

ALMA NYC’s Giving Africa project event @ May 15 th ,7 PM

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:50:46 +0000

Hello friends!

Welcome to our JustGiving page, thank you for visiting!

Here’s a little bit about what our page is about, In June through July we will be joining a group of dancers embarking on a charity trip to Africa. We will be flying to Nairobi delivering medical supplies to local hospitals, visiting orphanages and schools in the area as well as collaborating with local dancers for a performance of choreographic works. All this before our climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Giving Africa.

Giving Africa is a charity who’s focus is on buliding susatinable education for poverty stricken communities in Burkina Faso. What an amazing cause to be in support of! We are truly thankful to be joining this group and spreading Alma’s ethos along the way. We couldn’t be more excited to be participating in this amazing challenge. For every 1 child who is educated in Burkina Faso, the lives of 12 people are changed for the better, it is such an exciting project to be a part of. Read more

TOUBAB KREWE Barika, Benyoro THU, MAY 9, 2013 DOORS: 6:00 PM / SHOW: 8:00 PM $11 – $13

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:09:48 +0000

TOUBAB KREWE

THU, MAY 9, 2013

DOORS: 6:00 PM / SHOW: 8:00 PM

$11 – $13

Some music cannot be found on a map or within iTunes categories. Some music is so original it seems snatched from the great, invisible substrata that runs below all human activity, a sound aching to be born without a flag or fixed allegiance – free, questing, overflowing with immediate, tangible life. This is the music of Toubab Krewe, the vibrant Asheville, NC-based instrumental powerhouse that creates a sonic Pangaea that lustily swirls together rock, African traditions, jam sensibilities, international folk strains and more. While nearly impossible to put into any box, it takes only a few moments to realize in a very palpable way that one is face-to-face with a true original who recognizes no borders in a march towards a muscular, original, globally switched-on sound.

BARIKA

Two years in the making, Remember is the full-length debut from New England’s Indie/West-African Psychadelic darlings, Barika. A mesmerizing blend of highly danceable polyrhythmic grooves mixed with ethereal dub-scape, Barika (pronounced body-kah) is the brain-child of Kamel N’goni player and Percussionist Craig Myers. The Kamel N’goni, a traditional West African harp from the Wassoulou region of Mali is the driving force on the album, peppered by deep horn, keyboard and bass grooves with uncompromising, sharp hitting drums. From Burlington, Vermont, the seven-piece ensemble features Caleb Bronze (Drums), JP Candelier (Bass), Andric Severence (Keyboards), Craig Myers (Kamel N’goni, Percussion) and a powerhouse of horns with Dave Purcell (Trumpet), Gordon Clark (Trombone) and Deva Racusin (Tenor Sax).Performer Magazine called Barika “wholly rhythmic, captivating audiences with the beautiful, hypnotic way in which they interweave melody and groove to create something that is not only danceable, but incredibly interesting to listen to. Barika creates a soundscape of funk soaked in psychedelic, West African resonance. The outfit stands out because they are multidimensional.”Band leader Craig Myers has studied traditional West African music for the past 13 years, traveling through Mali, the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Guinea and has toured extensively over the past several years with both Rubblebucket and Mike Gordon. Special guest Scott Murawski (Max Creek) with join the band on guitar for several songs.

BENYORO

In the Bambara language of West Africa, Benyoro means meeting place, and that’s exactly what this group is. It’s about the meeting of traditional and modern instruments, African and American musicians, and centuries-old songs and modern arrangements.The band members hail from exotic locales such as Mali, Martinique, and Wisconsin, but what brings them together is a shared love, respect, and understanding of the music of the jelis (praise musicians) of West Africa, as well as a desire to modernize it. Patrice Blanchard and Andy Algire form the core of the band on bass and drums, respectively, and the addition of Idrissa Koné on taman (talking drum) and Luke Quaranta on djembe gives this rhythm section an unstoppable momentum. Kora (West African harp) player Yacouba Sissoko and guitarist Sam Dickey alternate between elegant accompaniments and blistering solos, while vocalist Abdoulaye Diabaté floats over it all with a voice that will literally send chills down your spine.Started in late 2011, Benyoro has since performed at numerous venues in New York City including City Winery, Joe’s Pub, Barbès, Rockwood Music Hall, Cameo Gallery, Sullivan Hall, and Shrine. They also performed at the 2012 Manifestivus in Cabot, VT alongside heavy-hitters such as Toubab Krewe, Zongo Junction, and the legendary Diblo Dibala. They are currently working on their debut album.

In Benyoro’s music, the sonorous, stately melodies of traditional jeliya (praise-singing) are sped up and reconfigured into infectious grooves, but even in the midst of all the movement, the reflective core of the music remains. With this meeting of meditative tradition and raucous dance music, Benyoro is a celebration of the communal and universal nature of West African music.

BAZAAAAAR by Urban Outfitters launch Thursday @ Urban Outfitters 6-9pm at 521 5th Avenue,NY

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:41:18 +0000

Africa comes to LA and NYC in a pop-up with goods by Della, African Lookbook, Fashion Rising and more

by Aaron Kohn in Style on 06 May 2013

Urban Outfitters has been pushing a contemporary global trend this season that started with Burkman Bros’ “Tourist” collaboration, and continues with the pop-up “BAZAAAAAR Street Market” that opened in LA on Friday and launches in New York on Thursday, 9 May 2013. LA designer and Della founder Tina Tangalakis explains that the project has been in the works since July 2012. Her line of fair trade clothing—made in Ghana by women—is going to be in 30 Urban Outfitters stores in North America and online.The idea for BAZAAAAAR comes from Marissa Maximo, a RISD alum and the Director of Special Projects for Urban Outfitters. Last year she put together a surfing pop-up shop in Space 15 Twenty, Urban’s permanent multi-purpose space in Hollywood. That project ended up introducing a number of Australian brands into the company’s family.The BAZAAAAAR is an idea Marissa developed while visiting street markets in Asia, and Tangalakis helped to make the idea a reality. Most of the pieces in Space 15 Twenty and the forthcoming Fifth Avenue location are African, coming from the recently-formed online outpost African Lookbook and the sustainably-minded design collective Fashion Rising.Now Again Records’ own Zamrock collection became a perfect inspiration and accompaniment to the BAZAAAAAR. The label’s revival of Marley-influenced Zambian rock collections coincided with Theophilus London’s appearance on Friday night, who performed with projected footage of the late musician Fela Kuti.Thursday’s opening of the New York BAZAAAAAR in Urban Outfitter’s 5th Avenue store is free and open to the public from 6-9pm at 521 Fifth Avenue.Images by Aaron Kohn

Man swallowed by hippo during African river -Nydaily news

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:50:32 +0000

PAULTEMPLER VIA YOUTUBE

River guide Paul Templer had a bad day at the office some 17 years ago when he was mauled by a hippopotamus.

He was swallowed whole by a hippopotamus — and lived to tell the tale.

The hippo attack, on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, happened 17 years ago, but Paul Templer this week recounted the tale to The Guardian.

“There was no transition at all, no sense of approaching danger,” he recalled of the mauling. “It was as if I had suddenly gone blind and deaf.”

A 27-year-old river guide at the time, Templer had a group of tourists and apprentice tour guides just a half mile from Victoria Falls when the 4,000-pound hippo attacked the kayakers.