UMOJA African Arts Company w 601 Wood Street, Suite 9 w Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-471-11221 w Fax: 412-232-3262 w www.umojacompany.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: LaVette Malloy Smith
UMOJA African Arts Company
Phone: 412-471-1121
Fax: 412-232-3262
www.umojacompany.com
UMOJA African Arts Company to Host Second Annual African Arts in the Park Festival
Pittsburgh, PA, June 20, 2005 – UMOJA African Arts Company is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual African Arts in the Park festival taking place July 2 – 3 at Schenley Park in Oakland. The festival is open from 11AM – 7PM each day and includes a food, retail and fine arts marketplace, the Children’s Village, main stage entertainment and special events through out the weekend.
The festival is free and open to the public. A main stage schedule and selected artists profiles are included at the end of this press release.
Special activities include a showcase of African birds from the Pittsburgh Aviary and workshops in African archery, the Swahili language and steel drum making.
The Children’s Village includes the McDonald’s Bounce House, storytelling, face painting, mask making and cookie decorating with Eat’n Park.
Main stage entertainment consists of reggae, jazz, African dance and drumming, spoken word artists, rhythm & blues, steel drumming, gospel choirs and more.
Attendees will also have a chance to win a trip to Ghana.
The 2nd Annual African Arts in the Park is made possible by the generous support of the following: McDonald’s; The Soul Pitt; Palace Travel; PPG Industries; PNC Bank; Coca-Cola; Pittsburgh Community TV (PCTV); and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
About UMOJA
The name of UMOJA African Arts Company is synonymous with the explosive beats, insistent rhythms and haunting melodies African music, drumming and dance. UMOJA African Arts Company was formed in 1989 to promote the indigenous culture of Africa in the United States.
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Consistent with its mission, to bridge and unify diverse cultures through educational and artistic presentations of African art, culture and heritage, UMOJA provides programming in African dance, drumming, storytelling, and creative arts. UMOJA African Arts Company is the unifying source to raise awareness, increase appreciation, facilitate integration and encourage the preservation and presentation of the rich art, culture and heritage of Africa.
UMOJA’s 2004 – 2005 season receives financial support from the following: Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD); The Heinz Endowments; Alcoa; McDonald’s; Mount Ararat Baptist Church; the Multicultural Arts Initiative (MCAI); the National Endowment for the Arts; Mellon and PACE.
2nd Annual African Arts in the Park Main Stage Schedule
Saturday, July 2
Noon Emage Modeling
1:00 Dance Expressions
1:30 Khafif Dance Troupe (Bellydancing)
2:00 Soma Mestizo
3:00 The Flow Band (R&B, Reggae)
4:30 UMOJA
5:00 Mish (R&B)
6:00 Fyah Fyah and The Universal Band (R&B)
Sunday, July 3
12:30 Jiz Rock (Consciousness Rapper)
1:00 Dance Expressions
1:30 J. Moore and Perfect Gentlemen (R&B)
3:00 Stellarmonics (R&B)
4:00 Afro-American Institute (Jazz)
5:00 UMOJA
5:30 The Joyce Ellis Dancers (Christian Hip-Hop)
6:00 Gods Favor
6:30 Crave (R&B)
Selected Artists for the 2nd Annual African Arts in the Park
Soma Mestizo
Soma Mestizo defies easy classification but some have tried, calling it “world funk rock” and “fourth world beat voodoo.” The band has released seven CDs and its latest, Nasty Boy, is scheduled for release in July.
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Formed in the unlikely industrial setting of Pittsburgh, Soma Mestizo is comprised of an equally unlikely brethren: A lauded poet, daughter of a jazz man (singer Christiane D.); a master-level T’ai Ch’i enthusiast (didgeridoo player Eric “Boo Boo” Mason); a former professional reggae musician and world-renowned dance-music producer (guitarist Soy Sos); and a reformed thrash drummer turned jazzman, and composer (drummer Richard “Skilah” Gartner). Its membership is black, white, and neither.
For more information: www.somamestizo.com
Khafif Dance Troupe
Khafif was formed in 2001 and is a Pittsburgh-based dance group specializing in a dance form popularly known as belly dancing. Khafif is a Middle Eastern musical term meaning "quickly" or "lively." Khafif performs in a variety of styles. The dance features steps and moves from Africa and parts of Central Asia, as well as from the Middle East. The music is also very diverse: everything from Turkish folk songs to Kurdish line dances to Bulgarian country tunes. Many of the pieces Khafif performs are a combination of choreography and improvisation.
For more information: www.khafif.com
The Flow Band
The Flow Band, heralded as "The premier Reggae band in Pittsburgh" by Pittsburgh's City Paper for several years now, has never stopped its flow. The band has been around for over 19 years with Uzell Finney Jr. leading the group in roots-rock-reggae style. Since 1996, a new Flow configuration has been rocking Pittsburgh, Ohio, Chicago and Maryland.
The band has opened for world-renowned acts like: Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Ziggy Marley & Kymani Marley and Jimmy Buffet just to name a few. The music ranges from roots reggae and reggae jazz to calypso and hip hop dancehall tunes. The Flow band consists of: Uzell Finney Jr., lead vocals, lead guitarist and songwriter, Norman Green, background vocals and bass guitar, Ernest Pollard, drummer and technical advisor, Sanford Barnes, keyboards, Dr. Buster Alston, saxophonist and Deborah Starling-Pollard, lead vocalist and songwriter.
For more information: www.devallproductions.com/Acts/REGGAE/
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