MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Harbourfront Centre unveils inaugural Habari Africa festival lineup – July 18–20 An unprecedented exploration of contemporary African arts and culture in the heart of Toronto’s waterfront TORONTO, ON (June 17, 2014) – From the African continent to the shores of Lake Ontario, Harbourfront Centre invites Toronto and its visitors to the inaugural Habari Africa festival, a multi- disciplinary music and arts festival that displays the rich and diverse culture of Africa from July 18-20. Habari Africa, which means “Hello Africa” in Swahili, will feature a mix of traditional, fusion and emerging music and dance styles performed by musicians based in Canada, as well as international touring groups. Through presentations and workshops that celebrate the uniqueness, wealth and diversity of African music, arts and culture, the Batuki Music Society will unravel and display an authentically African experience never before seen outside of the world’s second-largest continent. “Like the country’s landscape, African culture is large and diverse in ways that cannot be fully understood or appreciated until an individual has actually submersed oneself within it,” shares Nadine McNulty, artistic director of Batuki Music Society. “By drawing on various modern and ancient expressions of stories used across Africa, our hope is that we bring a truly authentic reflection of modern Africa to Toronto’s waterfront.” Be it the rhythm and variety of African music or the taste of exquisite African-inspired cuisine, the Habari Africa festival is a chance for people of all ages to experience a country and culture that is home to 15 per cent of the world’s population. Join Batuki Music Society and Harbourfront Centre for a weekend of exploration and engagement with the art, sounds and tastes of Africa. Habari Africa – Highlights at a Glance • Music: Born into a life of a child soldier, Emmanuel Jal survived a life of struggle and emerged a world-renowned recording artist known for his unique style of hip-hop, which is infused with messages of peace and reconciliation. • Dance: Founded by Nigerian dance educator, performer and choreographer Sani-Abu Mohammed Allen, Toronto's Ijovudu African Dance Company presents Evolution, a 45- minute non-stop traditional, modern and tribal dance showcase. • Theatre: Kwame Nkrumah’s Rise and Fall – A Stage Play by Kwame Stephens, is the latest play by Kwame Stephens, a Toronto based storyteller of Ghanaian heritage. With a career MEDIA CONTACT Chrissi Forte Office: 416-973-4342 | Cell: 416-523-0018 [email protected] 1 MEDIA RELEASE spanning two-decades, he has been telling stories through poetry, short stories and, most recently, stage plays. For additional information and complete event listings, please visit harbourfrontcentre.com or call the Information Hotline at 416-973-4000. Harbourfront Centre is located at 235 Queens Quay West in the heart of downtown Toronto’s waterfront. For information about visiting Harbourfront Centre during the Queens Quay revitalization, visit harbourfrontcentre.com/gettinghere. ABOUT HARBOURFRONT CENTRE Harbourfront Centre is a Canadian charity operating the 10 prime acres of Toronto’s central waterfront as a free and open public site. We celebrate the multiplicities of cultures that comprise Canada and enliven the city through the creative imaginations of artists from across the country and around the globe. ABOUT BATUKI MUSIC SOCIETY Batuki Music Society is an incorporated non-profit community-based organization that promotes African music and art through performances at music venues throughout the year and culminating into a weekend festival at the end of the programming season. The organization actively seeks out local artists and works with them by helping find performance venues, advice on career development, music recording, touring and management. Batuki Music Society also provides visibility and necessary publicity to artists who hail from minority groups by placing them in concerts and festivals in mainstream venues to help them integrate. -30- MEDIA CONTACTS: Chrissi Forte Harbourfront Centre Office: 416-973-4342 | Cell: 416-704-0774 [email protected] Nadine McNulty Batuki Music Society Office: 416-948-4132 [email protected] www.batukimusic.com HABARI AFRICA LINEUP HIGHLIGHTS: MEDIA CONTACT Chrissi Forte Office: 416-973-4342 | Cell: 416-523-0018 [email protected] 2 MEDIA RELEASE Emmanual Jal (Batuki Music Society) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. – WestJet Stage In the war-torn region of Southern Sudan, Emmanuel Jal was born into the life of a child soldier on an unknown date in the early 1980s. Through unbelievable struggles, Emmanuel managed to survive and emerge as a recording artist, achieving worldwide acclaim for his unique style of hip hop with its message of peace and reconciliation born out of his personal experiences. Evolution (Batuki Music Society) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 9:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. – Redpath Stage In the beginning came movement and the movement became "DANCE". Dance is embedded in African tradition stemming from our cultural heritage and passed down through generations and then shared via migration and technology. This is where traditional movements become part of the contemporary world and our modern life. When life comes full circle, the rhythms from our traditional instruments and ritualistic movements bring praise to our ancestors. Kwame Nkrumah’s Rise and Fall – A Stage Play by Kwame Stephens Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. – Brigantine Room Who was Kwame Nkrumah? What did he stand for? What was his legacy? Kwame Stephens' new one act play "Kwame Nkrumah's Rise and Fall" explores these questions. The play looks at Nkrumah through his own eyes and that of his mother Nyanibah. Part of Kwame Nkrumah's legacy was being black Africa's first president who led the nation to independence on March 6th 1957 at the heart of the cold war era. Many nations would gain political independence after Ghana - a significant part of Pan African history that matters to black people/Africans in the diaspora. Using multimedia and live music this theatrical piece will "edutain" a cross section of audiences. There will be a Q & A with the playwright, Kwame Stephens, immediately following the performance. MUSIC: Deep Fried Africa – DJ Nice T (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Friday, July 18, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Redpath Stage DJ Nice T brings the best of Ndombolo, Rhumba and other Pan-African dance floor sounds to the Redpath Stage as part of DJ Deep Fried Fridays! Wake Up Madagascar (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Friday, July 18, 2014 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – WestJet Stage A magical concert experience with a mission: to end illegal logging in the rainforests of Madagascar. The Wake Up Madagascar tour features Malagasy star Eusebe Jaojoby, supported by an all-star lineup including Razia, Charles Kely and Saramba, creating an uplifting celebration of salegy music. With its heart-pounding rhythms, rippling guitars, lush vocal harmonies, bouncy accordion and hip-shaking dance moves, salegy represents the soul and spirit of the “Red Island”. Amadou Kienou (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Friday July 18, 2014 from 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Redpath Stage MEDIA CONTACT Chrissi Forte Office: 416-973-4342 | Cell: 416-523-0018 [email protected] 3 MEDIA RELEASE Amadou Kienou was born into one of Burkina Faso’s legendary musical families and received his artistic education from his father and grandfather. As a child he showed remarkable talent, quickly developing a distinctive drumming style on the djembe and tama. The varied repertoire of griot and master djembefola Amadou Kienou consists of songs, dances and musical soundings of the Mandingue rhythms, some of which he has adapted for the drum, such as: Senoufo, Senegalese, Peul, childhood songs, love songs and rhythms from the forest. Black Bazar (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Friday July 18, 2014 from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. – WestJet Stage Black Bazar is a musical concept introduced and produced by the writer Alain Mabanckou in 2012 with the support of the label Lusafrica, and managed by Caroline Blache. The first album featured a return to the musical roots of Congolese Rumba. The numerous artists involved in the project were hailed as “the new masters of the African scene in Paris”. Toumkak Drummers (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Redpath Stage The Toumkak Drummers are a high-energy percussion group. They are led by musician/percussionist Njacko Backo of Cameroon. The group blends the rich rhythms and deep spirituality of Central and West Africa into a lively interactive performance with their audience. Donné Roberts (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. – WestJet Stage Donné Roberts is a guitarist, singer and songwriter from Madagascar. Effortlessly combining polyrhythmic African and European folk & groove and blazing North American funk, rock and blues influences, Donné Roberts and his band deliver a remarkably diverse, infectiously joyful and utterly unique live music experience. Tich Maredza Band (Batuki Music Society) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Redpath Stage The Tich Maredza Band’s music is an acoustic guitar-based fusion of Zimbabwean traditional and contemporary rhythms and Afrojazz. Powered by messages of inspiration, hope, love and human issues, The Tich Maredza Band puts smiles on faces and feet on the floor. Mawa J and Rasselas (Batuki Music Society in association with Nouvelle Afrique Musique) Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 5:00 p.m.