AfroSolo Arts Festival 19's BLACK VOICES Series Set for Now thru 9/9

AfroSolo Arts Festival 19 in collaboration with the African American Art and Culture Complex, present its seminal performance series Black Voices featuring Byb Chanel Bibene, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, and Jovelyn Richards.

Byb Chanel Bibene performs Skin Talk Skin Mood. When Byb left Africa (The Congo), en route to Europe, USA and Asia, events and people began to demonstrate there was a problem with the color of his skin. Skin Talk Skin Mood speaks of his identity adventures, where his skin color has played an important role in all the societies that he has visited and in which he has lived. Bibene is the acclaimed artistic director/choreographer of Kiandanda Dance Theater; he has performed nationally and internationally.

(Photo by Dara Greene.)

Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe performs Black Gold, an excerpt from, Traveling While Black, the second show of her Adventures Of A Black Girl trilogy. Black Gold places the West African deity, Mami Wata, and the enslaved explorer, Estavanico in a politically and erotically charged confrontation as it explores the tense conflagration between," oil, water, slavery, colonialism and empire." Ms. Cooper-Anifowoshe is an award winning director, actor and writer, working in the Bay Area for more than twenty years. She helped start AfroSolo and is an alumni festival performer.

Jovelyn Richards performs Strippin' Down To Story. Set in 1865, a formerly enslaved woman named Maw Maw ponders freedom for herself and her only remaining child, Sweet Baby. After three days of sleeping in a bean field, listening to the last of gunfire and chaos, she heads to the river. It is at the river that she asks the spirits to help her survive... So begins the journey of a black woman walking into this new world called free. Ms. Richards is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and works with live musicians. She has been performing for the past ten years.

Special Festival Guest, tonight, September 7th @ 7:30 pm: Commedian Donald Lacy kicks off the night with a hilarious performance focused on RACE.

Donald E. Lacy Jr. is a talented actor, comedian, writer, director, and radio talk show host. He has been seen on BET's Comic View and on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. In 2007 his One-man Show Color Struck was a runaway hit at the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem North Carolina. Color Struck, by invitation from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, was also performed at the 2007 Congressional Black Caucus in September. Donald's new One Man show; SEXPHOBIAS was performed at the National Black Theater Festival in 2011.

Post-Performance Discussion, Friday, September 7th: After performance, there will be a post-performance discussion related to the issues explored in the performance.

Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake will be our Guest, Opening Night, September 7th. His focus will be on Blacks and Religion.

Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake was officially installed as Presiding Minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples in October 1994. He served as the Director of the Center for Urban-Black Studies at the Graduate Theological Union and Core Faculty Member at the GTU; and, Program Director of the Howard Thurman Educational Trust, San Francisco.

Dr. Blake has extensive field ministry experience with interfaith groups addressing justice and peace issues. He is a member of the steering committee of Religious Witness with Homeless People and has been in the forefront of peace and justice activities, speaking to small audiences and rallies that have drawn more than 200,000 people.

Special Festival Guest, Sunday, September 9th @ 3:00 pm.: Comedian Tony Sparks "The God Father of Bay Area Comics!".

Other Special Guests TBA.

AfroSolo Arts Festival 19: Black Voices Performance Series will take place tonight, September 7th and 8th* @ 7:30 pm and September 9th @3 pm at the African American Art & Culture Complex (762 Fulton Street, SF). Admission is $25 - General each performance

*$50 - Pre Show Gala Reception: Saturday, September 8th from 6:45 to 7:15 pm. Reception will include appetizers, wine and reserved performance seating. Regular seating $25

For tickets go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/265289. AfroSolo Arts Festival 19 runs now through October 28, 2012. For more information, visit afrosolo.org.

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