FEATURED ARTIST
"AMANDLA POETS"
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A FUNKY SOUTH AFRICAN MBAQANGA JIVE & REGGAE BAND, combines Amandla
(power) with Poets (writers of words in meter) and was coined by the
band founder and leader, Dumile Vokwana, a native of Guguletu (our
pride) village bordering Capetown, South Africa. Collaborating with
songwriter/arranger/vocalist and choreographer Elouise Burrell,
Burrell and Vokwana bring forth a full stage show of music , dance and
vocal harmonies reminiscent of the early performances of Sly and the
Family Stone and the earthy and ancestor connected sounds of Arrested
Development as they warm-up concerts for such performers as Third
World, Culture, Kanda Bongo Man, Lucky Dube, McCoy Tyner, Maria
Muldaur, Narada Michael Walden and others.
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MASAKHANE CULTURAL DANCE & MUSIC ENSEMBLE
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Masakhane Cultural Dance and [10]Music Ensemble
Performs South African traditional drum, percussion and dance that
reflect the diversity of the South African people's spiritual and
secular cultural expressions. They have performed at many business and
cultural events throughout California such as The William S. Graham
Foundation Annual Fundraiser; annually at the Oakland Zoo's "Walk in
the Wild" Fundraiser; Buwa-Celebration of African Culture in Santa
Clara,CA; South African Embassy in Los Angeles, CA.; and Business
Development in South Africa Conference in Marin, CA.
As an outgrowth of the internationally popular musical dance band
Amandla Poet's activities, MASAKHANE consist of an internationally
experienced crew of dancers, musicians and singers: Dumile Vokwana of
Guguletu Dance Ensemble, Matome Somo of Ipi Tombi, Gideon Bendile of
Ipi Tombi, Nontlebo Parkies of Azuma, Elouise Burrell of Amandla
Poets, Thamsanqa Hlatywayo of Sarafina, Morgan Nhlapo of Ipi Tombi,
Isoke Rukiya of O.J. Ekemode's African All Stars, Ron van Leeuwaarde
of Amandla Poets, Zulu Spear, Carribiean Allstars, and Samba Ngo and
Jonnie Hastrup of Nigerian Allstars, Planet Drum and Jonnie Hastrup
Ensemble.
MASAKHANE presents a full stage show of music and and vocal harmonies
in performances that reflect the unique events associated with the
traditional activities of the workplace, village life and celebration.
Many of the dances and songs have achieved popularity by international
dance theater company's such as Sarafina, Umabatha and Ipi Tombi and
reflect daily life activites like - Gum Boot Dance which comes from
the workers in the mines & Shangaan dance of Celebration; classic
songs such as Jikela Emaweni and Bandizonda in four languages Xhosa,
Sotho, Zulu and English, and with acoustic instruments; shekere,
mbira, drums and percussion.
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