|
Presents
Calendar 2008/2009 _________________________________________________________________ Fourth Annual MCLA Blues and Funk Festival Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7, 2009; 7:30 p.m. Church Street Center   Maya Azucena Unfulfilled Desires MCLA Jazz Band Get ready to raise the roof off the Church Street Center as MCLA celebrates the best in the Funk and Blues, both the old and the new. This ever-popular event is back featuring New Orleans funk legends Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and a fresh upstart singer who has been taking the R & B world by storm, Maya Azucena. On Friday night, the Festival kicks off with New Orlean’s giant, Jon Cleary, a triple threat — with a salty-sweet voice, masterful piano skills, and a knack for coupling infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. Cleary’s live shows are an explosive funk party mixing old school soul with the rhythms of New Orleans. Saturday night features Brooklyn native and up-and-coming super star Maya Azucena. Maya has been hailed by the New York Post as the new Chaka Kan. Come Saturday night and decide for yourself! Exclusive Housing Sponsor: The Orchards ___________________________________________________________________ Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company Friday, February 27, 2009; 8 p.m. Williams College ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance 
In collaboration with Williams College and MASS MoCA, MCLA is proud to present the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company. A week of working with students and community members will culminate in an opportunity to see one of the nation’s premiere African-American dance companies perform at the Williams ’62 Center for Theater and dance. ____________________________________________________________________ Second Annual MCLA CeltFest Thursday, March 19, 2009; 7:30 p.m. Amsler Campus Center Gym Black 47 JP Murphy Toran Manning MCLA Step Team Break out your kilts – it’s CeltFest time at MCLA! This event brings together rich Celtic traditions, adding in some heavy-handed punk flavoring and some homegrown kilt wearers. Celtfest creates a show for all audiences, from the lovers of the fiddle’s jigs and reels to the traditional bagpipes and contemporary Celtic-Punk Rock. CeltFest will feature New York’s own Black 47 – a band whose thoroughly Irish form of rock ‘n’ roll is unblinkingly political, with songs covering topics from the Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and urban unrest in contemporary New York. Co-presented with the Student Activities Council. Exclusive Housing Sponsor: The Porches Inn _____________________________________________________________________ Sekou Sundiata Evening of Poetry and Spoken Word Tuesday, April 21, 2009; 7:30 p.m. MCLA Gallery 51  Carl Hancock Rux Marie McMarrow ’09 Join us in the intimate setting of MCLA’s Gallery 51 for our first annual evening of poetry and spoken word, dedicated to the life and work of the great poet Sekou Sundiata. This evening will feature local poets and musicians, as well as the award winning poet and performer Carl Hancock Rux. Carl has performed his own work and that of others in the great opera houses of Europe and the U.S., including the clubs and enclaves of NYC. A poet, playwright, novelist, recording artist and essayist, Carl incorporates rhythms from rap, slam poetry and the oral traditions of slavery. The evening also will feature film from Sekou’s work, including his final work, the 51st (dream) state, which explores through music, poetry, images and dance what it means to be an American in the wake of 9/11. Exclusive Housing Sponsor: Blackington Manor _______________________________________________________________________________ UMOJA Reggae Celebration! Sunday, April 26, 2009; 3 p.m. Outdoors on the MCLA Quad  
 The Alchemystics Black River Sound The Robanic Reggae Band DJs Jameek Clovie '10 and Victor Joyner '08 The intense energy and raw sound of these bands are just too powerful to be indoors! Storming the outdoor stage with a magnetic blend of rhythm and harmony, The Alchemystics, Black River Sound, and Robanic Reggae Band will bring everyone to their feet. Combining intricate wordplay, soulful roots, old-school vocal and intense passion, The Alchemystics have formed a powerful and unmistakable sound. With a melodic fusion of reggae, hip hop and Motown, Black River Sound has an unparalleled charisma which captivates listeners and leaves audiences wanting more. Sharing the stage will be Jamaica’s best, The Robanic Reggae Band, playing old-school reggae, traditional rock-steady, ska, calypso, as well as the hottest new dance-hall sound from Jamaica. Add some student DJs and performers and you have a day not to be missed. ______________________________________________________________________ A Night at the Cabaret Friday, May 1, 2009, 9 p.m. Local hotspot to be announced
Brandon Cutrell and You Katie Johnson ’07
MCLA Presents! wraps up its 2008/2009 season with a chance for you to join in the fun. What promises to be a night to remember, A Night at the Cabaret will be an open mic night, led by Brandon Cutrell, New York City’s king of the late night Cabaret scene. Giving audience members a chance to show their talents, this evening will provide an opportunity for students, locals, regional musicians and musician wannabees to come together to take their turn on the stage. Of course there will be a few ringers in place, including MCLA alumna Katie Johnson ’07. Come take your turn to impress!
Exclusive Housing Sponsor: The Porches Inn
|
