woman rise up!/balance - The Element Marketing

WOMAN RISE UP!/BALANCE FEATURED PERFORMER PHOTOS & BIOS Kara Mack, Photo Credit: Jan Salzman Kara Mack, Photo Credit: Kimberly Jones DANCERS: KARA MACK (dancer, singer, choreographer, community organizer): Kara Mack, a true “southern gal” got her start in Columbia, South Carolina, her birthplace, performing for youth ministries, schools and conferences. Since her move to Los Angeles, she has developed into a beautiful, budding artist. As a dancer she has performed in several award shows including the 36th Annual NAACP Image Awards, the 2005 BET Awards, and the 2005 Billboard Music Awards. She has taught West African Dance and Dunham at Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and has assisted on the First & Second Annual African Dance and Music Festival. She was also an Artist-­‐Residence for over 3 years for the renowned Theatre of Hearts Program, a non-­‐profit organization focusing on reaching the at-­‐risk youth in Los Angeles through the arts. Also, for the past two years she has co-­‐produced and directed the Fashion Extravaganza for Jewels, Inc., a South Carolina charitable organization whose mission is to inspire young people through the arts. Placing no limitations on her God given abilities, she also sings with JaJa Productions, and has two albums currently out all over the world, an EP titled Selah, and her debut LP A Negroe’s Spiritual. Kara Mack performs with Canne', an African dance troupe in Los Angeles, Swing Brazil (Afro-­‐Brazilian Dance and Drum Company), and Balandugu Kan, a traditional West African drum and dance troupe where she serves as Artistic Director/Choreographer. She also just recently joined the world-­‐renowned Viver Brasil, a music and dance company featuring Afro-­‐Brazilian and contemporary dance. She continues to work with major choreographers, like Fatima Robinson, for live performances by R. Kelley, and the Clive Davis Pre-­‐Grammy Party, as well as Jonelle Monae on American Idol. Her choreography is currently featured on three music videos distributed worldwide including Ghana's "African Reggae Fever" (Rocky Dawuni), "African Thriller" (Rocky Dawuni), the FIFA World Cup Official Song performed by Shakira "Waka Waka," and Senegal's number 1 song by Pape N'Diaye Rose. Having trained in all African styles with dance masters from Brazil, Cuba, West Africa and Central Africa, her goal is to master all dances of the African Diaspora. Kara Mack is also a successful producer and choreographer who has premiered two sold-­‐out stage performances of “The Essence” on September 29th and 30th, 2012. Choreographed, written, and directed by Kara Mack, The Essence is a unique approach to the retelling of the multiple realities of Africa. For the first time on a Los Angeles stage, dancers and drummers from West Africa, Brazil, Cuba, and the United States united for a single purpose. "The Essence" utilizes traditional African performance genres to convey the historical, cultural, and spiritual connections between the three distinct pieces, appropriately titled "Essence," "Breakthrough," and "Liberation." With her jovial spirit, Kara, through dance and song, expresses her love for the rhythm in music. She embraces and continues to learn more about the different forms of African dance. Kara believes that through her gifts, she can stir up the gifts in young people, renewing hope in their hearts and inspiring them to reach for the impossible. Photo Courtesy of Nagodé Simpson Nagodè Simpson (dancer & singer), a Knoxville, TN native, began dancing at the age of five. Since the age of ten, Nagodè has studied, performed and taught various dance styles including West African, modern, jazz, ballet technique, hip-­‐hop and fusion styles. Nagodè attended Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where she obtained a B.S. in Chemistry with minors in dance and biology. She was a member of MTSU’s Dance Theater Company and MTSU Performing Arts Company. Nagodè has traveled as a dance student and freelance dancer to twenty U.S. states, the Caribbean and parts of Russia. Born into a family of singers in the southern United States, Nagodè’s passion for music was ignited through her mother’s sweet vocal ability and her personal encounters with gospel jazz and soul music. She is currently pursuing a songwriting career here in Los Angeles, California. Nagodè joined Viver Brasil in 2013. Photo Credit: Yolaba Photography Jahanna Blunt, a native of Los Angeles, California, began her dance career as a seven-­‐year-­‐old with Abalaye African Drum and Dance Ensemble. While majoring in acting, she continued to dance throughout her time in high school at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and in college at UCLA's School of Theater Film and Television. Jahanna has taught African Dance courses for the Los Angeles Unified School District and for the University of La Verne, as well as workshops and studio classes. She has choreographed for the University of Southern California's theater department, for the Lower Depth Theater Ensemble, and for the renowned JazzAntiqua Music and Dance Ensemble. Jahanna’s performance credits include Global Soul Night at the Hollywood Bowl, the BET Awards at the Kodak Theater, and various concerts at the Ford Amphitheater. Most recently, she has collaborated with her close friends to create Le Ballet Dembaya, a brand new West African drum and dance company, one of her proudest accomplishments to date. She feels blessed to be able to pursue her passion as a career and looks forward to a bright future. Photo Credit: Amber Tell Amber Tell is a Los Angeles born artist. Her passion for art manifests through dance and music. In 2013, Amber began studying traditional West African drum and dance culture. The spirit—deeply rooted within— guides her upon her artistic journey. Hard work and dedication has allotted her the opportunity to dance and play music with many notable performers including Malian artist Ali Baba. She's also had the experience of performing with multiple West African drum and dance troupes in Southern California. As Amber moves forward along her artistic path, she strives to keep learning, preserving, and honoring the rich culture of her ancestors. Photo Credit: Cliff Warner Lorena Valenzuela was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. At age six she began to study classical piano, swam competitively for 9 years, and during middle school years she studied Folkloric dance. It was at that time that she quickly developed a love for dance. In 2000, after migrating to San Francisco, California, she began to take an Afro Brazilian dance classes, and by 2003 she walked into Rhythm & Motion dance studio where her heart was captured by the sound of live African drums. She fell in love immediately with the music and dance of Guinea West Africa. Eventually she also began to learn dance from Senegal and Mali as well. In 2004, Lorena joined the Ghanaian dance company Aziza. During her time performing with Aziza, she had the opportunity to open for reggae artist Barrington Levy. In 2007, Lorena joined Joti Singh's company Duniya Drum And Dance Company in San Francisco. She has performed Banghara and West African dance with the dance company through tours of schools and festivals. In 2014, Lorena realized her dream of traveling to Guinea where she spent 6 weeks studying dance intensively. During her time in Guinea she had the opportunity to study and train with Ballet Les Merveilles De Guinee. Last year, Lorena performed in the First Annual Show for African In America with Kara Mack titled For Our Boys. Over the past 12 years Lorena has also studied West African dance with Naby Bangoura, Youssouf Koumbassa, Moustapha Bangoura, Marietou Camara, Mamady Sano, Momunatou Camara, Djeneba Sakho, Mabiba Baenge, Aziz Faye, and Oumou Diamanka. Lorena also has taught African dance in the Philippines, Portland, and Santa Cruz. She has performed at The Independent in San Francisco, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Cuba Caribe Dance Festival, JCC in San Francisco and Hollywood. Currently, Lorena lives in Santa Cruz. She still dedicates her time to study, teach and perform Guinea dance. Photo Credit: Faty Diassy Faty Diassy really portrays what it's like to be Senegalese and African-­‐American. She is the first cousin of Ballet National of Senegal drummer and dancer Malang Bayo. The family originates from the Casamance region of Senegal where her father Ibrahima Diassy was born and raised. Mother who resides in Los Angeles who is also a dancer is trained in classical ballet and through studying with Dance Theater of Harlem, who also later studied with Malang Bayo when he moved to Los Angeles. Faty grew up in a household where Senegalese and American culture was an everyday experience; she listened to African and all genres of African-­‐American music. Growing up Faty took many classes in Los Angeles at Lula Washington Dance Theater and Debbie Allen Dance Academy and has traveled to places like Oakland, New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago just to name a few where she participated in West African Dance Conferences. In Los Angeles she has studied under her mother Bayette “N’della” Davis-­‐Diassy, Mareme Faye, Aziz Faye, Babacar Ndiaye of Senegal and Nzingha Camara. In Oakland she has studied under Alseny Soumah and Marietou Camara of Guinea, Naomi Diouf of Liberia and Ousseynou Kouyate of Senegal/Mali. In New York she has studied under Marie Basse, and Malang Bayo of Senegal and Youssouf Koumbassa of Guinea. In Washington D.C she has studied under Assane Konte of Senegal and in Chicago Moustapha Bangoura of Guinea. Appon traveling she had the opportunity to also study with Djeneba Sako (Mali), Mabiba Baenge (Congo), Naby Bangoura (Guinea) and the late Abdoulaye Sylla of Guinea. Faty is well verse in Djembe, Sabar and Kutiro dance styles. From elementary school until now Faty has participated in and has progressed to be principal dancer in Dembrebrah West African Dance and Drum Ensemble. Where she does annual shows at The Aquarium of the Pacific for African-­‐American History month and International Children's Day. She has also performed at various universities and schools for different youth programs. She has danced at City of Refuge and Faithful Central, which is two of the biggest African-­‐American, churches in Los Angeles. Faty has also danced at many different events like weddings, birthdays and productions while maintaining a 4.4 GPA at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California. She has performed for the 100-­‐year anniversary gala for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in front of Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tim and Daphne Reed, Kym Whitley and Blair Underwood. When Senegalese pop artist Viviane Chidid came to Los Angeles for a concert, Faty was asked to join her on stage to dance. This year she was asked to join Nzingha Camara’s Le Ballet De Kouman Kele and newly formed Le Ballet Dembaya. As of now Faty is in her senior year of high school and is in the enrollment process of an amazing medical school like UCLA to study Biology as her major because she wants to become a dermatologist and minor in dance. She has advanced so much through the years and her future is very bright, so keep your eyes out for her because she's someone you don't want to miss. Photo Credit: Fallou Ndiaye ASHLEY MAHER is an international recording artist with a passion for Senegalese mbalakh music and sabar dance. After recording her first two CDs for Virgin UK, she recorded three more albums independently and has performed in Europe and America in collaboration with top African artists. Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour recorded a song she co-­‐wrote with him in 2007 flew her to Senegal to perform for him as a dancer in Dakar and Paris in 2008, and she recorded much of her 5th CD with his musicians that same year. Since then, Ashley has returned to Dakar ten times to record singles, film music videos, and perform with her all-­‐
Senegalese band. When in Los Angeles, she performs with her five star band of international world / jazz musicians. Photo Credit: Jabari Analecia Guthrie has been around African dance since she was a baby and she continues to fall in love with it every time she is able to hit the dance floor. Her mother, who has taught African dance in the Knox County school system for the past 22 years, was her first dance teacher. Analecia graduated from the University of Memphis with a minor in dance and I received her B.A. in Psychology. She is currently in grad school working on my master's in clinical and counseling psychology and she also does work in suicide prevention. Her passion lies in the arts and social sciences so through her education and experience, she hopes to contribute to the prosperity of humanity. Photo Credit: Docta Sez Born in Chicago, Ill, Aaron Mason’s passion for dance began during childhood, at which time family parties and local talent shows served as an outlet for his medium of expression. It wasn’t until his sophomore year of college that Aaron was afforded the opportunity to begin refining his craft with the innovative Culture Shock San Diego Hip Hop Dance Troupe. Aaron danced his way from scholarship student to company member, and eventually was afforded the opportunity to choreograph an opening number for the company. As Aaron’s thirst for creative expression grew he began training in the techniques of ballet, jazz, modern, West African, and house dance. Of all the dance forms that Aaron has been exposed to, he credits West-­‐
African dance with pushing him beyond the vocabulary to connection with his spirit. West-­‐African dance has been so influential in Aaron’s evolution as a dancer and person that while attending graduate school he wrote a master’s thesis, which explored the relationship between the study and practice of West-­‐African dance and positive mental health outcomes. Aaron looks forward to the opportunity to deepen his knowledge through the study and integration of dance and the healing arts, and would like to thank you for being a witness to his process of growth. MUSICIANS Photo Credit: Jorge Vismara Kana Shimanuki (singer), a Canadian-­‐born singer raised in Los Angeles, California, brings her Brazilian-­‐Japanese roots to Viver Brasil with her eclectic voice and style, incorporating Brazilian music, jazz, R&B and classical music into her singing. Kana has a degree in vocal jazz from UCLA where she studied with noted jazz educators, Michele Weir, Tamir Handelman and James Newton. She is noted for her ability to move effortlessly in different styles and natural ability to improvise. Kana is currently signed with Universal Music. Photo Credit: Unknown Felicia Onyi Richards is an amazing singer who has performed with various groups locally in Los Angeles, CA. She is currently working on solo material and is also a background singer for world-­‐renown Ghanaian singer Rocky Dawuni. Photo Courtesy of Kadiatou Sibi Kadiatou Sibi is currently living in Los Angeles, CA. where she is dancing with West African Dance Ensemble, Khaley Nguwel. She also teaches West African dance to youngsters in the LA Area as she finishes her degree in Arts Management. In 2002 she officially started the Kujeji School of Dance where she taught adults and children In New York and Austin, Texas. Kadiatou is also performing with her band Kadiatou Sibi. Photo by Kara Mack MAGATTE SOW (percussionist/musical director for Act I Woman Rise Up!): Magatte Sow represents the best of both worlds. Coming from a long line of musicians and griots, Magatte was raised as an African with a strong connection to his culture in Los Angeles, CA; and it is these two dynamics that has created the vibrant percussionist/artist that he is today. At a very early age, Magatte Sow has been around West African music and dance and was exposed to innumerable artists from around the world that influenced him greatly. So it is no surprise that Magatte’s first performance experience began at the youthful age of 2 years old for his parent’s West African Drum and Dance Company. During this time Magatte knew that he wanted to be a percussionist, and studied intently on djembe, sabar, and tama. His djembe teachers includes his father Malik Sow and Kissima Diabate. For sabar, he’s studied with Omar Mboup, Aziz Faye, and Chiekh Tirou Mbaye; and Tama he’s studied with the late great Ndongo Mbaye. As he learned, he continued to perform with different artists in Los Angeles; and served his own community by drumming for many dance classes that he continues to do until this day. As he got older, the demand for his budding talents got greater. He was casted in the movie “Amistad” and has recorded on albums for Ashley Maher, Angelique Kidjo, Rob Thomas, and many other artists. He has performed on many televised award shows as a percussionist, including the Nobel Peace Prize Awards; and has performed with artists from many different styles of music like Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, The Very Best, Ashley Maher, Andre Manga, Munyungo Jackson, Leon Mobley, Youssou N’Dour, Baba Maal, and Salif Keita, John Legend, Jill Scott, Janelle Monae, Dianne Reeves, and Akon. Magatte Sow has toured with the living-­‐legend Debbie Allen as not just a percussionist, but as a cast member of her musical “Oman Oman”, and for the past 4 years, has been the percussionist for the world-­‐renowned singer Angelique Kidjo. He has played at many different festivals and historic venues both nationally and internationally, including the Blues Festival, Womad Festival, Festival Modial des Art Negres, Newport Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall; and he is regularly brought to numerous cities in the U.S. to attend drum and dance festivals. Throughout all of his accomplishments, Magatte never lost the connection to his family and culture in Senegal. In Los Angeles, he is a member of his father’s group Fara Toro, but in Senegal Magatte is a member of Generation Percu and Kondiof; both groups including both his family and friends there. He continues to go back to Senegal to learn and to restore keeping that connection alive through music. In Los Angeles, he now assists his father in teaching djembe and sabar through weekly classes to the community, and through school demonstrations within Los Angeles County by way of The Los Angeles Music Center. Magatte Sow is an amazing artist, percussionist, teacher, and performer that continues to excite everyone every time he touches a drum. Though he has experienced so much at such a young age, Magatte Sow’s future is very bright; and he will continue to be a trailblazer in every style of music that he approaches. Photo Courtesy of Nakeiltha “Nikki” Campbell Nakeiltha “Nikki” Campbell (percussionist) was born in Panama and currently resides in Los Angeles. She has worked with a wide array of diverse artists such as Mamady Keita and Balandugu Kan, Bakra Bata, Les Amazones (The Woman Master Drummers of Guinea), Stevie Wonder, Robertito Melendez, Ozomatli, Quetzal, Candy Sosa, Mariachi Divas, Adaawe, Gospel Fest (Andre Grouch), The Rebirth, Sy Smith, Tita Lima, and Miguel Atwood Ferguson Ensemble featuring Bilal. She has appeared in the 2005–2009 Image Awards, the 53rd Grammy Awards and American Idol. Nikki is the music supervisor for Olivia Entertainment. Her film credits include Love and Other Four Letter Words and My Girl Friend’s Back. She is currently directing her own documentary on female drummers called Las Tamboleras. She teaches percussion to scores of children throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District, especially empowering young girls with her music. Photo Credit: Claremont Colleges Kahlil Cummings (percussionist/musical director of Act II “Balance’”), whose rhythmic gifts as a performer, composer and educator have led him to study in Africa, Brazil, and Cuba to broaden his knowledge and musical strength. He has played for the Ballet Folclórico do Brasil, Swing Brazil, Sona Sane’, Abalaye, Inu Olorun, MILA Samba School, and Les Amazones and with artists Munyungo Jackson, Wunmi from Nigeria, and Rocky Dawuni from Ghana. Kahlil has studied percussion with Felipe Garcia, Cha' Cha, José Ricardo Sousa and Munyungo Jackson. Master Drummer Mamady Keita, with whom he’s studied since age thirteen in Conakry, Guinea, most profoundly influences him. Khalil is a founding member of Balandugu Kan which was sanctioned by Keita as representing “the voice of Balandugu", Keita’s village. Kahlil is a Professor of capoeira, which he has studied since he was six with Mestre Amen Santo of Capoeira Batuque. His compositions can be heard on Kahlil’s recently released CD; Indike Kun by Balandugu Kan. Kahlil has been with Viver Brasil since 2010. Capoeira Teacher, messenger. Messenger of Mande. Djembefola. Omo-­‐Anyan Afro-­‐Diasporic Educator. Carrier of Truth. Disciple of Change. Director of Balandugu Kan…Community active visionary. Talks music. Walks one with the ancestors message. Producer of good Soul Music. Photo Credit: Jamie Shadowlight Monette Marino began drumming in 1976 at the age of 8” when her father initiated her on his sparkle blue Ludwig drum set. In 1981 her father gave her a lesson on the congas and it was at that moment that she fell in love with the skin on skin contact and began to immerse herself into the world of hand drumming. She spent the next 12 years developing her skills on the congas with local San Diego percussionists. In the spring of 1993, her interest in traditional West African drumming was sparked when she saw Malian drummer Yaya Diallo perform at UCSD with the ensemble “African Troubadours”. That same year she was introduced to traditional Korean drumming by Mr. Kim Duk Soo, Founder/Director of “Samul Nori”, who came to UCSD to complete a weeklong teaching residency. At the end of the residency, Kim Duk Soo invited her to attend their World Music Festival in Seoul, S. Korea in 1995 and to compete in a “Kyorugi”, a traditional Korean drum competition, for which placed 4th place in 1995 and 2nd place in 1997. Her professional playing career began when she met local composer and musician Semisi Ma’u, originally from Tonga. Semisi encouraged Monette to express her musical talents by joining his band “Semisi and Fula Bula” (which translates to Semisi and a Big Hello). Semisi’s music was the perfect blend of his native South Pacific island grooves with a little reggae, blues, rock and even Latin spice. This was Monette’s first outlet for her reservoir of skill and knowledge that had accumulated over the last 15 years. After a few months of shows with Semisi, Monette realized that she was destined for a career in music. Though she continued to study traditional drumming from Africa, Cuba, Brazil and Korea with Master Drummers from these respective countries and traveled to Guinea, Cuba and Korea to deepen her understanding, she was simultaneously building her reputation locally as a strong performer. She was a member of the folkloric ensembles “Afrekete”, “Omo Ache”, “Zinco” and “Sol e Mar”, and she was quickly added to the roster of many local bands playing everything from Jazz to Salsa, Samba, Reggae, Funk, Disco, Soul, R&B, Rock and even Country music. Monette began her apprenticeship with Master Djembe Drummer Mamady Keita, from Guinea, West Africa, in January of 1997 when she made a one-­‐month trip to his home in Conakry to study the percussion of the Manding. After three years of intensive studies with Mr. Keita, she received a Certificate from his school of percussion, Tam Tam Mandingue in recognition of her knowledge and skill in traditional Manding percussion. Monette was then granted permission by Mr. Keita to open the 11th branch of his school Tam Tam Mandingue in 1998. In 2001, Monette won the National Hand Drum-­‐Off competition at Drum Day LA, sponsored by the Guitar Center. Participants competed all over the country and three finalists were chosen from New York, Miami and Los Angeles to perform at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Since 2004 she has been touring with Master Drummer Mamady Keita teaching classes and performing with him and his band Sewa Kan around the world. Together they have visited over 20 countries on 6 continents. She is now branching out as a Solo Artist. She has written and produced her first album titled “Coup d’Eclat” which blends African and Latin rhythms and melodies inside Funk and Rock grooves. Her all-­‐star band includes Grammy Award winning guitarist Larry Mitchell and Grammy Nominated Producer/Arranger Allan Phillips on keyboards, James East on bass and National Drum-­‐Off finalist Mike Holguin on drums. Also featured on her debut CD is her husband, Master Djembe Drummer Mamady Keita (www.mamadykeita.com for bio). Monette’s music highlights traditional African instruments such as the Djembe, Kora (known as the African Harp) and Balafon as well as the Caribbean Steel Drum, and of course loads of Latin percussion instruments. It is truly World Music. Monette continues to explore many drumming systems from around the world and has a deep respect for the cultural heritage preserved and passed on through the language of the drum. Photo By Nena Soulfly MAYA JUPITER (SPOKEN WORD/RAP): The Chicana From Down Under. Born in La Paz, Mexico to a Mexican Father and Turkish Mother, Maya grew up in Sydney, Australia. It was in Sydney’s Western Suburbs where she first fell in love with Hip Hop. Maya’s love of writing rhymes helped her express her fear, pain, joy and hope as a teenager and later on she realized the power music held in using it as a tool to make a positive difference in her community. It is with this ideal that she co-­‐founded Artivist Entertainment, an entertainment company committed to creating and supporting art and music that inspires positive social change alongside Quetzal Flores, Veronica Gonzales, Alberto Lopez and Aloe Blacc. Maya has release two solo albums, the latest created with Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez of Grammy Award winning, “EastLos” rock band Quetzal and her husband, singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc. The album is inspired by son jarocho music and stays true to Maya's love of hip hop, dancehall and soul, made up almost entirely of live instrumentation, including Mexican harp, tarima and jarana. Her lyrics are powerful, vibrant, and uplifting. Maya’s first album ‘Today’ debuted in 2003 on Mother Tongues, the first label dedicated solely to women in hip-­‐hop. She later performed with Latin Jazz band Son Veneno, formed a group called Foreign Heights, presented and produced several hip-­‐hop radio shows including the national ‘triple j’s hip hop show’ and her own ‘Black Beans, Brown Rice’ Radio show on www.radiosombra.org and was a VJ for Channel [V] Australia. Maya’s Artivism began in her early twenties when she facilitated Hip Hop workshops with at-­‐risk youth in Sydney’s south and west, teaching young people how to write, record and perform songs. In 2012 she was an official Ambassador for ‘The Line campaign,’ an Australian government anti-­‐violence initiative. In Los Angeles she volunteered as a mentor with Peace Over Violence's Youth Over Violence Summer Institute, facilitating a songwriting and recording internship around songs that discussed healthy relationships. In 2014 she became a spokesperson for their Denim Day Campaign bringing awareness to Sexual Violence and was recognized with the Voice Over Violence Humanitarian Award. She volunteers with Tiyya as a writing instructor for the Storytellers writing course dedicated to refugees and first and second generation immigrants of Los Angeles and she has co-­‐facilitated a Youth Radio Internship at Radio Sombra, teaching high school students from Boyle Heights how to present and produce their own radio shows. Currently Maya is writing new music produced by Quetzal Flores and Aloe Blacc. Her latest release 'That Ain't Me' is a fierce rebuttal to popular media's image of beauty which is demonstrated in the video when she pulls out her extensions, rips of her false lashes and discards the push up bra among other things. Look out for her new single Insha'Allah available soon.