One Vibe Africa and EMP Museum Presents Black Collaboration Event February 21
On February 21st 2015 from 6pm to 9pm in the JBL Theatre at EMP Museum, One Vibe & EMP Museum Presents, Black Collaboration: a night of music, video premiers & uplifting conversations about the power of creative partnerships between Africans and African-Americans in Seattle. Facebook event page HERE
On June 1, 2014, One Vibe Africa presented Madaraka Festival at EMP Museum as a fundraiser. Proceeds raised at the Madaraka Festival are currently being used to support One Vibe’s Music & Art Program in Kisumu, Kenya. Over 100 youth are now participating in One Vibes’ activities in Kenya, but besides raising the needed funds for One Vibe as an organization Madaraka achieved two other important un-anticipated goals:
– Inspired collaboration between Africans and African-Americans in Seattle, for example Atuanya Priester, a renown filmmaker in Seattle traveled to Kenya to produce the music video for Naomi Wamboe’s song, “Niaje,” and Anthony Tackett also traveled to Kenya as part of One Vibe’s Piga Picha Project, to produce over 16 film projects for One Vibe, and help initiate the development of a film and photography production studio for One Vibe.
– Showcased the best African oriented concert dubbed: “ a night to remember” by Northwest Music Scene, “a premier African-influenced festival” by YES Magazine, and “globally oriented event” by Humanosphere.
Event Goals
These are just a few of the results of Madaraka, others include… music production projects for Kore Ionz, Otieno Terry, and Naomi Wachira that London Bridge Studios in Shoreline stated that without Madaraka Festival, such projects would not have happened. As part of the build up to Madaraka Festival 2015, One Vibe Africa and the EMP Museum are pleased to invite you to Black Collaboration, an event where One Vibe will:
-Premiere the music video for “Kipande,” the second single from Omena Band, the band made up of Kenyan elders that mentor youth at One Vibe’s Music & Art Program. Kipande is Kiswahili for identity card. Anthony Tackett produced the music video and spent a significant amount of time with Simon Okelo, One Vibe’s founder, and the elders from Omena band in the rural town of Mbita, Kenya.
-Premiere the music video for “Niaje,” a single by Naomi Wamboe, One Vibe’s Ambassador. Atuanya Priester traveled with a team from Seattle to produce this music video.
-Premiere it’s first Music CD “One Vibe Vol, 1. This CD consists of music from students’ at One Vibe’s Music & Art Program in Kenya, and artists that are One Vibe’s ambassadors in Seattle and Kenya.
-Host a moderated conversation about why it’s hard for Africans and African-Americans in Seattle to collaborate, and what Atuanya, Anthony, and women from AAKEWO are doing differently that others can learn from to help grow both communities through using similar projects as launching pads.
Why Black Collaboration?
One Vibe Africa is proud to promote youth empowerment in Africa through its unique connection to Owuor Arunga—the organization’s Global Ambassador—and other artists and innovators in Seattle and Africa. The purpose of Black Collaboration is for One Vibe to participate in Black History Month by helping ignite a deeper conversation between Africans and African-Americans in Seattle to enhance creativity, and idea sharing between youth of African descent in Seattle and Kisumu, Kenya.
Schedule
6:00 – 6:20 Doors Open (Global music mix by Jonathan and Assia playing)
6:20 – 6:30 Olu Wes-Lee Dixon, 10 year old, gives presentation
6:30 – 6:45 Welcome & Opening Statements
Jonathan Cunningham, EMP Museum (MCs Marie & Jonathan)
Simon Okelo – One Vibe Africa’s Founder & Executive Director – Raising consciousness toward Black Collaboration through the arts.
6:45 – 7:05 Niaje Music Video Premier:
1. Atuanya Priester, Filmmaker – A Real Grip (Talk about the process and what it was like for him to go to Africa and work with an African on a project)
Niaje video is shown.
2. Naomi Wamboe, Singer – how it was for her to work with Atuanya & about Niaje
3. Assia Aurelie Hamani, Artist/Choreographer – how it was choreographing for Niaje with Kenyan dancers.
7:05 – 7:20 Kipande Music Video Premier: (MC INTRO video, then anthony and meg comes up)
1. Anthony Tackett, Filmmaker – Tacket Films
2. Meg Stacker, IMEGE CREATIVE & Piga Picha Project (Share info about PPP)
3 Njuguna WaGishuru – The Physics & One Vibe (Announce Madaraka 2015)
7:20 – 8:40 The Current State and Future of Black Collaboration in Seattle: Moderated by Vivian Philips
1. Rahwa Habte – Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s External Affairs team
2. Jace – BlackStax
3. Afua Kouyaté – Educator & African dance, music, and cultural teacher
4. Yonnas Getahun – Poet & Entrepreneur
5. Hamda Yusuf – Poet & UW Student
6. Yirim Seck – Artist & organizer
7. Owuor Arunga – Arunga Music LLC, One Vibe’s Global Ambassador, and trumpeter for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
8:40 – 8:55 Performance – Music & Poetry
Naomi Wamboe & BlackStax (Confirmed)
For more info visit:
http://www.empmuseum.org/calendar/events/black-history-month-black-collaboration.aspx