RUMBA GLOBAL, A GLOBAL RUMBA Miriam Makeba 'MAMA AFRICA' Memorial Series

Sunday, December 18th at The Brecht Forum

Films and Speakers, Q&A, 4:00 - 5:30 pm, ("Rumba: Zero Tolerance by Berta Jottar and other films); GUEST SPEAKER: Yesenia Selier from Cuba, dancer/scholar. Music and Dance, 5:30 - 8: 0 pm, featuring: YAKAR ROOTS with Alioune Faye, Ngor Jallow and Mar Gueye from Senegal; SEKOUBA, BALOMBE STYLEE from Ivory Coast; ABRAHAM RODRIGUEZ Y LOS INOLVIDABLES from Puerto Rico; BABA OLAJAGUN from Nigeria; GENE GOLDEN master Afro-Cuban Percussionist and GRUPO QUINTOMAYOR, classical rumba; IBIONO PROJECT from Cuba; LOUIS KING and SOUTH BANKS from California via Philadelphia (hip-hop reggae, rock) & more! RUMBON (Descarga) 8:00 - 10:00 pm.

Made possible in part with public funds from The Fund for Creative Communities, supported by NYSCA and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, which are administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

ZEYBRAH, a nonprofit culture organization producing annual cultural festivals in NYC since 1984 is proud to present the 12th annual Moment In Time Festival - Miriam Zenzile Makeba Memorial Series.

Our theme for this year's explosive musical extravaganza is: RUMBA GLOBAL

The festival will be held on Sunday, December 18th @ Brecht Forum
Located at 451 West Street, near 14th St. between Jane and Bethune, in Manhattan.

The event runs from 4 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, but a $5 donation will be greatly appreciated.

'Global Rumba' begins with classical Cuban rumba and tells the story of its expansion across oceans and through the ages. Our line-up of outstanding guest artists will demonstrate how traditional rumba from Cuba traveled and evolved on the African continent, the US and the Caribbean. The program explodes into a breath-taking spectacle of music, song, dance and spoken word with master artists from Africa, the Caribbean and the US.

Rumba in its global forms will be on display, performed by master musicians from Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and South Africa, in Cuban modalities including Hip-hop, Salsa, Reggae and Rap, culminating in a rumbón (descarga or musical jam session). Master Percussionist Gene Golden, representing traditional rumba, will perform with his premier rumba ensemble, Grupo Quintomayor, and master rumberos from the NYC area.

At 4 p.m., Rumba Global will open its program with film screenings and discussions. Two outstanding rumba scholars will present their work and respond to questions and comments.

(Q&A.) Guest speaker Yesenia Selier, dance scholar and dancer with a BA from the University of Havana, will speak about 'global rumba' as a musical vehicle for social change and evolution through art. She will also present selections from her Ibiono Project performing Salsarumba, an homage to the famed Cuban rumbero - transplanted to New York - the late Felix Pupi Insua. Berta Jottar, obtained her PhD at the Department of Performance Studies (NYU) with her award winning dissertation "Rumba in Exile." (2005) She will present her documentary "Rumba: Zero Tolerance" (35 min.

Rumba as it developed in Africa will be performed by Yakar Roots and Rhythms from Senegal, featuring master drummers Mar Guey and Guido Alioune Faye; Sekouba and Balombee Stylee from Ivory Coast, featuring Sekouba Joe Black;- with Master 'griot' Baba Olajagun from Nigeria with his talking (dundun) drums; Abraham Rodriguez and his Afro-Cuban group, Los Inolvidable, a fusion of both traditional Afro-Cuban chants and Afro-Cuban traditional salsa music and rhythmic forms; South Banks, a fresh unique formula of rock/reggae/funk fused with the conscious hip-hop delivery of Louis King, the 'California Dream."

Members of each group will then converge to play a fusion tribute to Miriam Makeba, The finale of the evening will be a scintillating "global rumba. "

A portion of the proceeds have been designated for the Makeba Centre for Girls in South Africa, founded by Miriam Makeba (www.makebacentre.org.za/).

Many recognize Miriam Makeba as one of the greatest singers of all time. She used her celebrity as a platform to denounce the injustices of the former South African apartheid government. Though exiled from her country, she was applauded worldwide for her courageous work. Ms. Makeba received passports and invitations to live in over twenty countries. She performed for many heads of state, including President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana. She received over 30 awards for her singing and humanitarian work, plus honorary doctorates and peace prizes.

The Moment in Time Festival is a cultural celebration produced by ZEYBRAH (Zest for Youth Brings Rhythm Arts and Humanities). ZEYBRAH, a nonprofit culture organization has been producing annual cultural festivals in NYC since 1984. Previous honorees of The Moment In Time Festival are: Orlando 'Puntilla' Rios (Cuban born Father of the Bata Drum in America; Fela Anakulapo Kuti and Fumilayo Anakulapo Kuti (political and cultural heroes of Nigeria, mother and son); the Obalesu of Nigeria; famed drummers/stilt walkers: Baba Kwame Ishangi and Baba Olukose Wiles of the US; Mongo Santamaria (Afro-Cuban percussion/jazz innovator); Papa Ladji Camara (Father of the Djembe drum in America); and Leopold Senghor, (poet-president of Senegal).

Contact: ZEYBRAH@aol.com