Axé Odara Festival: Music, Dance & Food of the African Diaspora

9pm-1am

$20 Advance/$25 Door  (Please note: there is a $2 credit card fee at the door per ticket)

La Peña Cultural Center is proud to present Axé Odara Festival alongside international guest artist and curator, Tulani Masai, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Axé Odara Festival brings together the ancestral power of African roots and the force of the African connection throughout Latin America and the Caribbean’s music, dance and food!

Come experience the cultural connection of the African diaspora, featuring three magnificent live music and dance performances from Brazil, Cuba and Haiti. In addition to the performances, come hungry for the TRADITIONAL FOOD STANDS and CASH BAR serving traditional cocktails, such as Caipirinhas and more!

Brazil, Cuba and Haiti speak different languages (Portuguese, Spanish, and Créole), while sharing many of the same instruments and rhythms (such as the bata drums); a spiritual connection to the ancestors through dance (such as the Orixas /Orishas), and even similar foods.

MUSIC & DANCE PERFORMANCES BY:

AFOXÉ BLACK (Brazil): This Afro-Brazilian group sings in Portuguese and Yorubá – the ancient African language that connects much of the Latin American African diaspora. The project aims to bring everyone the dance, song and touch of Afoxé music. Afoxé Black is the fusion of varied styles of the world music with the foundation of Ijexá – rhythm played in candomblé. The group originally came together as a music project founded by Afro-Brazilian activist and artist Dj Bieta in Bahia, Brazil – the first port of arrival of enslaved Africans, and with them came the Camdomblesista culture and still today in Brazil we worship our ancestors and our African Gods.

CURUMBA (Cuba): Afro-Cuban folkloric drums such as tumbadores, chekeres, cata and bata drums, dances, and songs of rumba. Rumba developed in rural Cuba, with strong influences from African drumming, using tumbadores, chekeres, cata and bata drums,  as well as African call and response vocals.

LAURIE FLEURENTINE (Haiti):  Live drumming and dancing performance of the Haitian traditions by founder of the Haitian folkloric dance company, F.A.L. Folklore Ayisian. The Haitians have a rich history as the first Black Republic in the western world and Laurie Fleurentine wants to share it through the arts, especially dance. She has taught at Alonzo Kings Line Ballet and is currently teaching folkloric Haitian dance at Ashkenaz.

TULANI MASAI (Brazil): is a guest artist and curator of the Axé Odara festival at La Peña Cultural Center. She is an Afro-Brazilian artist and cultural worker, specializing in Afoxé and Danza de Orixåas dance and the frontwoman of Afoxé Black. Until recently she was the artistic director of the Recreational Cultural Association of Afoxé Daughters of Gandhy Rio, Brazil, a group that exalts African matriarchal strength to the sound of drums in the Ìjẹṣà (ijexá) rhythm, invoking peace and joy for the world. She is currently the band leader of the Afro Brazilian music group Afoxé Black!

STAY TUNED FOR THE FOOD VENDOR ANNOUNCEMENTS!