Archive for January, 2009
L’Adou Festival
Back in October, I went to a few days of the Adou Festival— a hip-hop festival in the Parisian suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne. Coordinated by choreographer, dancer, and singer Khady Fofana and her organization, Association Nubian Soul, Adou celebrated hip-hop culture with a week of exciting events. Opening with a “kid-friendly” cocktail reception (i.e. juice and soda) and photography exhibition, the festival also included a music concert with local artists, a dance battle, film screenings, dance lessons and it closed with a dance performance featuring young people from the community dancing alongside professional dancers from several companies including Ms. Fofana’s Compagnie Khady Fofana.
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The Big Night
The violin section of the Mariachi workshop at La Casa de la Música Mexicana prepare for the annual Christmas Concert.
Here are some photos and audio I gathered at the Concierto Navideño, the annual school-wide Christmas concert at La Casa de la Música Mexicana in Mexico City, which took place on December 15, 2008.
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That’s My President Too!
One of the reasons I began my Fulbright grant in November instead of August or September like many of my peers, is that I wanted to vote in the U.S. election. “But you can vote by absentee ballot!” some
people told me. “No, not in this election, I want to vote in person and be there for the results, this is history in the making” I would reply.
The Daily Monitor, a local Ugandan Newspaper, has Obama's inauguration on its front page
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WE CAN ALL BE HIP HOP
The war in northern Uganda is the longest running war in Africa. It is characterized by brutality, mass suffering, and apathy. Despite the scale and horrific nature of this conflict, you rarely hear about it in the international media. Even in Uganda, there is a certain level of unawareness and apathy about what is happening in the northern part of the country. While the north has suffered massive displacement, violence, and extreme poverty, the south has enjoyed relative peace, prosperity, and development.
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Christmas Carols & Costume Changes
Our two big Christmas concerts (Carols and School-Wide) totally rocked and went off without a hitch. However, no show is complete without a little wardrobe malfunction; and at the Carols Concert that supreme honor was mine.
My classmates and I gathered at the Casa de la Cultura IV República on a Sunday morning to warm up for a widely-advertised hour of Mexican Carols. The venue is located on the northern border of Mexico City’s historic downtown, sandwiched between two bustling outdoor markets spanning several blocks. Thus we anticipated a large crowd of parents, grandparents, and taco vendors.
Warming up, and some of us still waking up, before the Carols Concert
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Up to four awards will be available to pursue projects around an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression. Preference will be given to creative projects that are conveyed in a dynamic fashion and are accompanied by a feasible plan. In addition to presenting unique projects on music as a global force for mutual understanding. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2012.