October 2014

November 2014

December 2014
SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
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1
  • 8:00 PMPuppet Uprising pres. Three Kinds of Wildness
  • 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    A play by Donna Oblongata 

    Directed by Sarah Lowry 

    Music by Travis Sehorn and Chenda Cope

    Designed, created, and performed by: Donna Oblongata, Patrick Costello, Cricket Arrison, Chenda Cope, and Travis Sehorn

    In the maze of tunnels that make up the deepest gold mine in the world, there exists an underground city—home to an ice baron, a telegraph inventor, and a doctor who’s dubious about the inherent value of the human heartbeat. The inventor’s daughter hears so much that it’s as if she can’t hear anything. The ice baron returns from debtor’s prison and becomes mayor. The mayor has a secretary who once gave birth to a pile of rabbit parts. The doctor seems certain that all of her patients are miners, though no one can remember the last time anyone saw a miner. The inventor hires a specialist, who arrives just in time for the Great Civic Parade, to which, of course, you’re all invited. Perhaps you might want to wear red?

    Three Kinds of Wildness is the newest play from Der Der VorfuhreffektTheatre, a company under the artistic direction of Donna Oblongata. Featuring an all-star company of multi-disciplinary artists hailing from Philadelphia, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Charlottesville, VA; this production is the company’s first to be completely built and rehearsed in our new home at the Sherwood Oak in West Philadelphia. The play is 100% handmade and homemade, with exquisitely crafted puppets, intricately layered soundscapes, and unconventional theatrical lighting made from salvaged and repurposed materials gathered from around the neighborhood. The play enjoyed a two-week tour of the Northeastern US in May, and will go as far west as Minneapolis and as far south as New Orleans in November.

    This West Philly reprise of the show is part of a 2-day Puppet Uprising weekend at the Rotunda. Be sure to check out Jugbaby on Sunday November 2nd as well: https://www.facebook.com/events/641738845925115/

2
  • 7:00 PMPuppet Uprising pres. Jug-Baby: An Autobiography
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    We are so excited to announce the rebirth of Jug-Baby: An Autobiography!! Philadelphia, you will have three chances, in three locations to catch this beautiful baby before it wiggles and waggles its way down to the New Orleans Fringe. Our first performance will be at the Rotunda on Sunday, Nov 2nd. Don't miss this magical one-woman show featuring animations by Sean MacPhee and Nora Humpage, live music by Upholstery, written, performed and pupeteered by C. Kennedy.

    Pay what you can at the door, suggested $5-$15. We are trying to raise money to help us bring this show to the New Orleans Fringe, so every little bit helps! Show starts at 7pm.

    Unsure of how they will feed their unexpected child, Mother and Father do the only logical thing they can think of: they place their newborn baby in a jug in order to mold it into something they can sell to a circus. When Jug-Baby finally emerges, it has no gender or identity to call its own, and soon realizes that others can mold it into whatever they desire. Join Jug-Baby on its fantastical journey as it learns to move past the expectations of others to find its own identity, aided by puppets, animations and live music. 

    Transmissions Theatre’s past productions include the ‘fiendishly satisfying noir comedy/thriller’ Rails (NO Fringe, ’13), the epic sci-fi adventure Iminami (LiveArts/Fringe '12), hailed as ‘pure genius’ by Philadelphia Weekly, and the ‘utterly, transcendently bizarre’ Water Bears in Space (LiveArts/Fringe '11).

    Transmissions Theatre produces transcendently bizarre stories that span worlds from the microscopic to the cosmic. Their productions incorporate live music, puppetry, animations and found objects in epic narratives that rest on foundations of cardboard and chicken-wire.

    Their productions have been hailed as:

    “Pure Genius” – Philadelphia Weekly ,

    “Utterly, transcendently bizarre” – Philadelphia City Paper 

    "…maybe not the weirdest Fringe show I've seen, but it's definitely top 3. Even better, it's a blast" – Philadelphia Inquirer

    Pay what you can at the door, suggested $5-$15. We are trying to raise money to help us bring this show to the New Orleans Fringe, so every little bit helps! Show starts at 7pm.

3
  • 7:00 PMPlaying with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Playing with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive

    3 Mondays: Nov 3, 10 and 17 • 7 to 9 p.m.

    This series is free provided that participants attend all 3 sessions.

    To pre-register, call 267-282-1057 or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

    Like iconic photographs from history, Theatre of the Oppressed uses still images to highlight systems of power and ignite dialogues around contentious issues. In this three-part series we will play “The Great Game of Power”, a technique for sculpting images out of everyday objects to illustrate conflicts and struggles faced by those around us. When we add ourselves as actors into the picture, scenes spring to life as debates between people and politicians, friends and neighbors, and family members who can’t quite see eye-to-eye. We’ll enrich this work with some readings and discussions and create opportunities to carry our scenarios not just to the stage, but to the actual people and places embroiled in argument.

    More events soon to come. Call or email 267-282-1057 / "tophilly@gmail.com" for more info.

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  • 8:00 PMTuvan Throat Singers Alash
  • 8:00 PM - 10:09 PM

    The Rotunda and Bowerbird 

    present

    Alash

    An evening featuring our old friends, Tuvan throat singers ALASH! ALASH are masters of Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the art of throat singing, Alash are deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture. At the same time, they are fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage. What does throat singing sound like? "Imagine a human bagpipe-a person who could sing a sustained low note while humming an eerie, whistle-like melody. For good measure, toss in a thrumming rhythm similar to that of a jaw harp, but produced vocally-by the same person, at the same time." -Newsweek (March 17, 2006) Where is Tuva? Tuva (sometimes spelled Tyva) sits at the southern edge of Siberia, with Mongolia to its south. Over the centuries, Tuva has been part of Chinese and Mongolian empires, and shares many cultural ties with Mongolia. In 1944 it became part of the USSR, and until the late physicist Richard Feynman drew attention to it, was largely unknown to westerners. Tuva is now a member of the Russian Federation. 

    With special guest Shodekeh, Master Beatboxer from Baltimore

    Co-sponsored by Crossroads Music. 

    Admission is FREE but donations are encouraged, as this is a very expensive event to produce. Help us continue to bring Alash to The Rotunda! Please please do your best to bring at least $5 per person. 

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  • 7:00 PMPEM: Fall 2014 Silent Auction & Performance Fundraiser for Plum Dragoness Performance Projects!
  • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Poet-Tree En Motion is:Poet-tree En Motion Presents

    The Fall 2014 Performing Arts Series!

    November 7th: Silent Auction & Performance 

    Fundraiser for Plum Dragoness Performance Projects!

    This ongoing seasonal series features a variety of multi-disciplinary performances & community art. The final Fall 2014 series will culminate with Live Music, Dance & Theatrical Presentations, Community Art, Live Painting, VJ Performance, Plus the Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser for Plum Dragoness Performance Project (Items ranging from Holistic Goods/Services/Body Products, Antiques, Art, Estate Jewelry & etc.)!!!

    Featured Acts:

    • The Armour Sisters- A dynamic sister duo, passionate 

    about fire dance, flow & healing arts, plus writing & performing original music in their band Silver Skies & beyond.

    facebook.com/silverskiesrise 

    • Bill Fieger & John Whitney Jr.- Electronic & acoustic experimental music performance w/ movement meditation taking audiences to new & old places.

    facebook.com/william.fieger.39 & john's facebook page

    • Plum Dragoness (a.k.a. Gabrielle de Burke)- Resident Performance Artist, Event Organizer & Arts Educator, known in Philly & abroad for her “unique style” of spoken word/vocals, dance/movement theater, fire & flow arts flair. 

    plum-dragoness.com

    • Steve Shorts (live painting)- His artistic vision combines mixed-media muralism w/ social

    sculpture into a blend of fine art, restoration construction & community service. 

    steveshorts.com 

    • Twelve Inch Torch- A teenage power trio from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania who are inspired by bands like Led Zeppelin, the Foo Fighters, Nirvana & SpongeBob.

    facebook.com/TwelveInchTorch

    • VJ Spooky (visual projections)- This Philadelphia based VJ enhances events w/ a multimedia experience. 

    facebook.com/vjspooky 

    *Join the Facebook Group for Poet-tree En Motion (see “Events” for more info): facebook.com/groups/116980678334215

8
  • 8:00 PMEvent Horizon Series pres. Comoros, The Great Quentini, Tim Motzer
  • 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Event Horizon Seriespresents

    Richard Marcus - Richard Marcus has been designing electronic music for personal expression, movement theater and film for many years both locally and abroad. His current structured improvised work is formed using pressure sensitive rubber pads, sampled bowls, gongs, bells, textured synthesizers and melodic percussion, influenced by the expressive nature of Eastern and Asian cultures. Also there is another side, "The Balance". Working with the "Haken Continuum" a three dimensional midi controller, a new fresh approach to synthesis has opened new worlds and ways to get very deep into the dark side of sound and expression.

    The Great Quentini - Quentin Davis is The Great Quentini. He is a sculptor and a performance artist who makes his costumes and musical sculptures out of found materials. He has shows in which he wears costumes, plays these musical sculptures, and tells humorous stories; acting out the parts that defy words. These stories are often from his life experience.    

    Tim Motzer - After 14 years of international touring, stunning collaborations, and over 60 albums  of credits—this Philadelphia-based guitarist continues to traverse manifold territories in music and has developed a distinct textural guitar voice utilizing looping, bowing, electronics, and prepared techniques ala Cage. He has worked with David Sylvian, Burnt Friedman, Jaki Liebezeit, Ursula Rucker, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, KIng Britt, Markus Reuter, Anthony Tidd, Ari Hoenig, and Theo Travis to name a few. He releases his music on his 1k Recordings imprint and webcasts sessions from his studio at 1ksessions.com. He also continues to score for the world of modern dance and film.(Live projections by Dejha Ti and Erik Silverson)

     

    Admission is FREE

9
  • 12:00 PMPhilly Zine Fest 2014
  • 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

    Register Here:

    https://phillyzinefest.wufoo.com/forms/philly-zine-fest-sign-up-2014/

    For over a decade, this annual event has provided an open-forum for anyone with anything to say using paper / print media.

    Subject matter typically ranges from radical politics, civil rights, and sustainability to personal reflections to off-center entertainment (bizarre comics, punk rock).

    We host a wide range of vendors, from people selling homemade, short-run photocopied journals to recognized distributors of radical media.

    Please use this page to engage, share pictures of past events, promote your zine, or whatever else you feel like.

    PZF website and other updates will be done shortly.

    Admission is FREE

10
  • 7:00 PMPlaying with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Playing with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive

    3 Mondays: Nov 3, 10 and 17 • 7 to 9 p.m.

    This series is free provided that participants attend all 3 sessions.

    To pre-register, call 267-282-1057 or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

    Like iconic photographs from history, Theatre of the Oppressed uses still images to highlight systems of power and ignite dialogues around contentious issues. In this three-part series we will play “The Great Game of Power”, a technique for sculpting images out of everyday objects to illustrate conflicts and struggles faced by those around us. When we add ourselves as actors into the picture, scenes spring to life as debates between people and politicians, friends and neighbors, and family members who can’t quite see eye-to-eye. We’ll enrich this work with some readings and discussions and create opportunities to carry our scenarios not just to the stage, but to the actual people and places embroiled in argument.

    More events soon to come. Call or email 267-282-1057 / "tophilly@gmail.com" for more info.

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  • 6:00 PMCOWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret film screening
  • 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

    The Humane League of Philadelphia

    presents

    "COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret" is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world's leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. 

    As eye-opening as "Blackfish" and as inspiring as "An Inconvenient Truth", this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet.

    Donations appreciated at the door.

13
  • 8:00 PMAndrew's Video Vault screens Arsenal (1929) and The Virgin Soldiers (1969)
  • 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM FREE Screenings Continuous From 8 PM on the Second THURSDAY of Every Month! This program is made possible through the generous support of the Cinema Studies Program and The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania. ****VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.**** NOVEMBER 13 Arsenal (1929 / 70 minutes) In Aleksandr Dovzhenko’s drama, a Ukrainian solider returns home after the trauma of The Great War and seeks political reform in his village. The Virgin Soldiers (1969 / 95 minutes) Legendary stage impresario John Dexter’s first film features a bunch of randy soldiers in 1950s south-east Asia as a commentary on then current Vietnam anxieties. DECEMBER 11 Traffic in Souls (1913 / 88 minutes) The dark side of the American experience is illuminated in this examination of two immigrants seduced into prostitution by nefarious pimps and flesh traffickers. Wild Oranges (1924 / 88 minutes) An escaped prisoner terrorizes a political exile and his granddaughter in director King Vidor’s Florida-shot thriller. FREE Screenings Continuous From 8 PM on the Second THURSDAY of Every Month! This program is made possible through the generous support of the Cinema Studies Program and The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania. ****VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.****
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  • 6:00 PMPhilly Youth Poetry Slam and open mic
  • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    YOUTH NIGHT OPEN MIC & POETRY SLAM

     (nearly) Every 3rd Saturday of the month, except August, PYPM hosts a youth-led open mic and poetry slam for teens to come and share their work in a safe, uncensored environment at The Rotunda. Young people from all over Philadelphia come to express themselves in front of a supportive audience where they can grab the microphone and be heard! 

    ***Interested in slamming or signing up for the open mic? See Slam Rules/Schedule, and Registration for full details. Date: Every 3rd Saturday from September through June Time: 6PM sharp (doors open at 5:45PM) PYPM YOUTH SLAM TEAM & BRAVE NEW VOICES Teens who participate in the slams earn points to qualify for the semi-final and final slams to make the PYPM Slam Team. Each year PYPM sends a Youth Slam Team to represent Philadelphia at The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival to compete against over 50 other poetry teams from around the world. The festival is held in various cities across the U.S giving teens an opportunity to travel, from Los Angeles to Chicago. Youth poets earn their spot on the team by competing in Youth Night Slams. PYPM won first place at Brave New Voices in 2011 and 2007. Admission: $7 youth and Students with ID / $10 Adults / ($5 for students who attend workshop that day)

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  • 7:30 PMCrossroads Music pres. Corey Harris
  • 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

    Crossroads Music

    presents

    Corey Harris

    Embodies and transcends blues tradition

    “Magnificent. Harris is as powerful a vocalist as he is a string-bender, capable of varying his deep, rich voice from wind-through-the-treetops sighs to thunderclap howls to beautifully controlled crescendos.” - Chicago Tribune

    VIDEO

    TICKETS ($10-30)

    FREE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM AT 6 PM***

    As a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and band leader, Corey Harris is both a leading voice of the generation of acoustic blues musicians that came of age in the 1990s and an innovative composer exploring the connections between blues and other musics of Africa and the African diaspora. He has recorded many traditional classic while creating an original vision of the blues by adding influences from reggae, soul, rock and West African music. Some of his imaginative compositions are marked by a deliberate eclecticism; other works stay true to the traditional blues formula of compelling vocals and down-home guitar. With one foot in tradition and the other in contemporary experimentation, Harris is a truly unique voice in contemporary music.

    Harris began his career as a street musician in New Orleans and travelled throughout the southern US playing music. In his early twenties he spent a year in Cameroon, which has had a profound effect on his later work. He has recorded fourteen albums and worked with BB King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, R.L.Burnside, Ali Farka Toure, Tracy Chapman, Olu Dara, Wilco, and others. In 2003 Harris was a featured artist and narrator of the Martin Scorcese film, “Feel Like Going Home,” which traced the evolution of blues from West Africa to the southern U.S. In 2007, he was awarded a “genius award” by the MacArthur Foundation in recognition of his adventurous path marked by deliberate eclecticism.” That same year, he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by Bates College, his undergraduate alma mater.

    More information

    Corey Harris

    TICKETS ($10-30)

    ***Children’s programs begin at 6:00, last 30-40 minutes, and are free to children under 12 and their parents or other caregivers. Please, no unaccompanied children.

17
  • 7:00 PMPlaying with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Playing with Power: An Image Theatre Intensive

    3 Mondays: Nov 3, 10 and 17 • 7 to 9 p.m.

    This series is free provided that participants attend all 3 sessions.

    To pre-register, call 267-282-1057 or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

    Like iconic photographs from history, Theatre of the Oppressed uses still images to highlight systems of power and ignite dialogues around contentious issues. In this three-part series we will play “The Great Game of Power”, a technique for sculpting images out of everyday objects to illustrate conflicts and struggles faced by those around us. When we add ourselves as actors into the picture, scenes spring to life as debates between people and politicians, friends and neighbors, and family members who can’t quite see eye-to-eye. We’ll enrich this work with some readings and discussions and create opportunities to carry our scenarios not just to the stage, but to the actual people and places embroiled in argument.

    More events soon to come. Call or email 267-282-1057 / "tophilly@gmail.com" for more info.

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19
  • 6:00 PMDrexel Co-op Scholarship Fundraiser feat. Horsecops, Mike Pays Heat, and Poster Child
  • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Come support Drexel University's Westphal College, and help raise funds to offer financial assistance for students on unpaid co-op. For more details about our cause, please check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/coopscholarshipfund and please like it! 

    This event will have live entertainment varying from live bands, DJs and a sideshow freak show. Additionally there will be a raffle with varying prizes. Event will have FREE TACOS provided by Wahoo's. Not a taco fan? Don't worry Drexel Pizza will be providing the pies. 

    Because this is a fundraiser we are asking any students who show a valid ID (any College or University) pay a $5 cover to attend the event, and if you are not a student we are asking for a $10 cover. Also, if you donate through our IndieGoGo campaign (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-co-op-scholarship-fund/x/8674884) you are eligible for additional bonuses. We really don't care how much you donate, as little as $5 would be much appreciated.

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  • 8:00 PMArs Nova Workshop pres. Travis Laplante’s Battle Trance
  • 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    Ars Nova WorkshoppresentsTravis Laplante’s Battle Trance

    Travis Laplante, tenor saxophone

    Jeremy Viner, tenor saxophone

    Matthew Nelson, tenor saxophone

    Patrick Breiner, tenor saxophone + flute

    Ars Nova Workshop welcomes the tenor saxophone quartet Battle Trance. 

    Described as “plumbing the depths of sound in very brave, very vulnerable ways” (Northern Spy), the quartet is led by Travis Laplante, known for his solo saxophone work and his long-standing relationship with Little Women.  Laplante’s other projects include musicians like Trevor Dunn, Gerald Cleaver, Michael Formanek, Mat Maneri, Ingrid Laubrock, Tim Berne, Tyshawn Sorey, and others. A working practitioner of the healing art of Qigong, Laplante’s musical practice is informed by the connections between composition and performance and the internal sources of creativity that he finds are transformed by Qigong. 

    Jeremy Viner’s past work has included ensemble work with Steve Lehmen, John Hollenbeck, Tyshawn Sorey, and Rafiq Bhatia, among others.  California native and Oberlin graduate Matt Nelson has performed with acts and musicians spanning several genres, including Timosaurus, Arts and Sciences, Beep!, Weasel Walter, Peter Evans, Ben Goldberg, genevbaker, 8 Legged Monster, and others.  Brooklyn performer and educator Patrick Breiner rounds out the quartet, recently coming off shows and releases from two of his other projects, ZhirtZ n ZkinZ and Double Double (with Will McEvoy, Adam Hopkins, and Flin Van Hemmen). 

    Palace of Wind, the quartet’s newest release, is a testament to the saxophone and its players: “Existing in the cracks between contemporary classical music, avant-garde jazz, black metal, ambient, and world music, Palace of Wind is an album-length composition that pushes the four saxophonists to the limit, shedding new light on the saxophone as an ensemble instrument.” The album is due for release August 26th on New Amsterdam Records. 

    Admission is FREE 

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  • 8:00 PMPOSTPONED UNTIL JAN 16!!!! Bowerbird pres. SPACE IS THE PLACE - Sun Ra sci-fi musical
  • 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    POSTPONED UNTIL JAN 16!!!! 

    SPACE IS THE PLACE 

    Film introduced by John F. Szwed

    On the centennial of bandleader Sun Ra's "birth or Earth arrival!" and the 40th anniversary of this cult classic featuring the mythic jazz figure, Bowerbird presents a special screening of the sci-fi musical. In Space Is the Place, Sun Ra (1914-1993) and his Intergalactic Myth-Science Arkestra land their yellow spaceship in Oakland; offer an alter-destiny; and battle the FBI, NASA, and a supernatural pimp named the Overseer. The film includes lively performances of such Arkestra favorites as "Watusi," "The Satellites Are Spinning," and "Outer Spaceways, Inc." Celebrate the legacy of Sun Ra's cosmic philosophies, complex persona, and innovative, otherworldly music. 

    We will be screening a newly restored digital version of the Sun Ra-approved version of this film (the version originally released on VHS). The evening will be opened by an introduction by Sun Ra biographer John F. Szwed.

    Admission is FREE

22
  • 9:30 AMParent-Infant Center Family Book Fest
  • 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

    Celebrate the joy of reading with your child at the Parent-Infant Center’s Family Book Fest on Saturday, November 22 from 9:30 am to 12 pm.

    With stories and crafts for ages 7-under, this event is free and open to the public.

    In addition to stories, crafts, and light refreshements, we will enjoy a bollywood dance performance, plus children’s musician, Anthony Coppa. 

    The event will wrap up with special stories read by the host of WXPN's Kids Corner, Kathy O'Connell.

    Bring a slightly used children’s book for the Book Swap table and take home something nearly-new to your family.

    Our friends and neighbors from the Philadelphia Public Library and Bindlestiff Books will also be on hand.

    Through its annual Family Book Fest, PIC promotes literacy and pre-literacy as a family activity.

     

23
  • 7:30 PMAurelio - Garifuna music from Honduras
  • 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

    Crossroads Music

    presents

    Aurelio

    Garifuna music from Honduras

    “Searing vocal melodies and delicious grooves. Aurelio, in fine voice throughout, has an uncanny knack for melding joy and sorrow with his vocal delivery. These are songs of hope and striving; you hear it in every note.” - Banning Eyre, Public Radio International

    TICKETS ($10-30)

    Born in the tiny coastal hamlet of Plaplaya on Honduras’ Caribbean coast, Aurelio Martinez grew up steeped in the Garifuna traditions of his ancestors, a group of shipwrecked slaves who intermarried with the indigenous people of the island of St. Vincent, only to be deported to the Central American coast in the late eighteenth century.

    Now both a leading Garifuna musician and a member of the Honduran Congress, Aurelio recalls his humble but highly musical beginnings in his remote hometown. “In the village I was born, there is still no electricity,” he told Afropop Worldwide in a 2006 interview. “When I was a child, I had very natural toys. My first toy was a guitar I built for myself from wood taken from a fishing rod. So that’s how I played my first chords.” He learned these chords from his family, including his father, a well-loved local troubadour who improvised playful paranda songs that embrace Garifuna roots and Latin sounds. He became a drummer almost as soon as he began to walk, thanks to his uncles and grandfather. From his vocally talented mother, he learned to sing and picked up many songs she crafted.

    A prodigy of percussion, Aurelio began performing at Garifuna ceremonies when just a boy, even at the most sacred events where children were usually not allowed. By the time he left Plaplaya to attend school at 14, he was a respected musician with a firm grounding in Garifuna rhythms, rituals, and songs. As a student in the provincial capital of La Cieba, he dove into diverse and innovative musical projects that took him outside the traditional sphere of performance. He played professionally with popular Latin ensembles, wrote music for theater and pop groups, and refined his musical skills with private teachers.

    He soon founded a Garifuna ensemble, Lita Ariran, one of the first Garifuna groups to appear on an internationally distributed recording. Aurelio’s virtuosic musicianship and passionate performances made him a mainstay of the La Cieba music scene, where he was best loved for his take on punta rock, the high-energy, Garifuna roots-infused pop genre that took Central America by storm in the 1990s.

    His musical career took a global turn thanks to his Belizean friend and fellow musician Andy Palacio, who organized a major Garifuna festival and invited Aurelio. The two artists struck up a decades-long friendship thanks in part to their shared hopes for the future of Garifuna music and culture. Through Palacio, Aurelio met Ivan Duran, the tireless producer behind Belize’s Stonetree Records, and participated in a compilation of paranda, the Latin-inspired genre his father had favored, a style that was slowly dying out among the Garifuna. The comparatively youthful Aurelio, youngest of the three generations on the recording, proved that the music was still alive and kicking.

    With Duran, Aurelio began thinking about the evolution of the music he had grown up with, and his first solo album Garifuna Soul (2004) explored his roots in both paranda and traditional rhythms. Martinez’s richly resonant voice and soulful acoustic songs caught the attention of the global music press and put Martinez on the map as a tradition-bearer with an innate musicality and subtle innovative streak.

    When not performing and recording, Aurelio took on a new role in 2005: as a representative to the Honduran National Congress, the first of African descent in the country’s history. Devoting himself to a different approach to supporting and promoting Garifuna culture, Aurelio set aside his music making for years as a legislator and politician.

    However, it was Palacio, himself involved in politics in Belize, and Duran who brought Aurelio back to his first calling, music. In 2008, Palacio passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 48, leaving the Garifuna community stunned and bereft. “Aurelio was still a congressman, but he left the congress session to go to Belize for the funeral,” Duran recalls. “He hadn’t been playing guitar for months because of his intense political commitments. But after Andy’s passing, he gave a few concerts and he knew he needed to start recording right away.” Laru Beya was not only a way of honoring Palacio as a person; it was a means for continuing his mission of uplifting and expanding what it meant to be a Garifuna artist. Together with Duran, several veteran Garifuna musicians, and the occasional local ensemble dropping into the studio, Martinez began laying down the tracks for this recording in a cabana on the beach.

    Taking up Palacio’s mantle as bard and advocate for his people, however, did not mean Martinez stopped his exploration of new approaches to Garifuna sounds, in particular their musical links with West Africa. Thanks to a mentorship with Afropop legend Youssou N’Dour (as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative), Aurelio found himself in Senegal, learning from the stunning singer, rethinking his arrangements, and meeting everyone from big names in Dakar (Orchestra Baobob, who recorded with Aurelio) to unknown talents hanging out in the back alleys of the city’s poor medina.

    The result is a lush journey marked with thoughtful reflections of the Garifuna past, the sometimes difficult present, and the promising glimmers of the future for artists like Aurelio. “This album is about far more than just keeping tradition alive; it’s about urging people to action when they listen. We’re dealing with an emergency, and we don’t know if Garifuna music will survive,” muses Duran. “But this album will show people in Central America and around the world that Garifuna music is alive and well, and that artists are moving it forward.”

    “We’re not going to let this culture die,” Aurelio affirms. “I know I must continue the culture of my grandparents, of my ancestors, and find new ways to express it. Few people know about it, but I adore it, and it’s something I must share with the world.”

    More information

    Aurelio

    TICKETS ($10-30)

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  • 7:00 PMGivin Thankz: Ashley Phillips and Monica McIntyre
  • 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    Tis perpetually the season to give thanks for: life, for love, for friends and for music!! Come get in the spirit with Ashley Phillips and Monica McIntyre.

    Artist, Cellist, Singer, Lyricist, Wellness and Healing Music Advocate; are a few titles which could be used to describe Monica McIntyre. Monica weaves a beautiful tapestry of colors and sounds so vivid and unique that one genre simply cannot cover it all. Seamlessly blending: Blues, Soul, Classical, Reggae and Middle Eastern sounds with her own brand of cello techniques: slapping, plucking and strumming, into an unforgettable musical landscape. 'It Soon Come', released in September 2014, features vulnerably compelling performances of original compositions. Her newest album "Mourning To The Moonlight", a work of magic, release, and love, will be released December 2015. For more information about this artist go towww.monicamcintyremusic.com 

    Ashley Phillips is an amazing guitarist and singer/songwriter steeped in the tradition of Soul music. She describes her sound as APSoul: soulful and spiritual storytelling grounded in the power of intergenerational connectedness and common daily experiences. Both universal and timeless, APSoul music is a healing affirmation. As a vocalist, her pure tone dances between light and lyrical, earnest and compelling. Her often percussive and rhythm-driven guitar playing creates a full sound that adds depth and supports the delicacy of her delivery. www.apsoul.com

    Admission is $5-10 sliding scale

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  • 6:00 PMSOMEWHERE N Philly Cypher Concert
  • 6:00 PM - 11:30 PM

    SOMEWHERE N Philly Cypher Concert Nov 28th is going to be a different type show trend setting. Special guest, Black Carpet Photo shoot, video shoot, Enter da zone artist interview. Live Fly performances from hot underground artist. MAD SQUABLZ & DJ GHETTO - RA CERTIFIED LOS LANSKI DANGER ZONE - JERM REALDEL - DJ VELL MACK- SPAZ HEAVY - JACK SPARROW- MORGAN TAYLOR - MS LIZ - ARTISE CLARK- DRE DEEP- MAX STEEL & A MILLYON IDEAZ SQUAD.

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  • 8:00 PMCabin Fever 4
  • 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM

    Independent Music Group Believe In Your Goals 

    presents 

    Cabin Fever 4

     This is the fourth annual installment of the N2R show series

    Proceeds from the show are being donated to sickle cell research under #TeamPlane.

    Performing will be rap artist Plane Walker , singer Faylin Johnson, upcoming rappers Trizzy loco and maxi raw, and a set from BGMG artists Kidd Sweeney, SodaCanMan, and Jamiil Hankins. hosted by Brandy Staton 

    house DJ Dj Benny

    free giveaways

    Plane Walker album THEARRIVAL available on Datpiff and soundcloud.. BGMG the WHITE CUP album available on soundcloud.. download TrizzyLoco DIAMOND on soundcloud, look uo Faylin Johnson on soundcloud.

    A $5 donation will be suggested at the door. Proceeds from the show are being donated to sickle cell research under #TeamPlane.

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