[Entertainment\Harlem Stage
Monique Martin: “This season at Harlem Stage, we are reflecting on the past while looking towards the future. Our performances celebrate the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, while discovering pathways to create a better future. Afrofuturism is the ticket to reimagining Black identity, and performances this season will examine what exactly that looks, sounds and feels like.”
Photo: Tony Powell
Harlem Stage, the legendary uptown venue that for over 35 years has promoted the creative legacy of Harlem and artists of color from around the corner and across the globe, is proud to present its Fall 2019 season of performances–including two nights with Grammy-nominated vocalist Maimouna Youssef.
The season is curated by Monique Martin, Director of Programming for Harlem Stage, and will celebrate the centennial legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. This season also welcomes legendary rock goddess, Nona Hendryx, as the Artistic Director for Harlem Stage’s new yearlong initiative focusing on Sun Ra and Afrofuturism. The initiative will present performances that interweave music, technology, literature and dance to celebrate the legacy of visionary and pioneer of Afrofuturism, Sun Ra, along with the contributions of the countless artists he has inspired. Through these two powerful themes, which will carry into the 2020 season, Harlem Stage will reflect on and celebrate the past, present and artistic future of Harlem and explore how the Harlem Renaissance continues to be a rich source of inspiration across the globe while Afrofuturism continues to push the boundaries of our artistic imagination.
“Sun Ra, Afrofuturism, and the Harlem Renaissance can be seen as points along a temporal spectrum. Those points can be located in space through the programs of Harlem Stage. These seemingly disparate artistic movements are connected as manifestations of intense and impactful creative energy by artists of color. In exploring both of these movements and the artists who galvanized them, we learn about their achievements, their failures and their intentions,” said Patricia Cruz, Executive Director of Harlem Stage.
Monique Martin, Director of Programming, said “This season at Harlem Stage, we are reflecting on the past while looking towards the future. Our performances celebrate the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, while discovering pathways to create a better future. Afrofuturism is the ticket to reimagining Black identity, and performances this season will examine what exactly that looks, sounds and feels like.”
Join Harlem Stage and Grammy-nominated vocalist Maimouna Youssef, aka MuMu Fresh, for two evenings of musical performances.
For the first evening, MuMu Fresh offers a healing concert that pays tribute to her rich heritage and ancestors. Of Choctaw, African American, and Muslim heritage, she was born into a family of exceptional artists deeply rooted in healing, spirituality and activism. She began singing traditional indigenous and African songs at four years old and began her music career at 16 years old.
This concert will be a musical journey amplifying the soulful soundscapes reflecting the experiences that make up the richness of Maimouna’s heritage and musical career. The concert will consist of a range of instruments including drums, keys bass, guitar, gong, native flute, violins, Australian didgeridoo, crystal bowls, percussion/djembe, congas, and other dancers and voices. The performance will tell the story of creation, and will create a soothing and healing experience with vocal keys that correspond to chakras, color therapy through lighting, and sacred geometrical visual imagery.
For the second evening, this lyricist and MC will bring down the house with a not to be missed night of Hip Hop music, performing material from her recently recorded album, produced by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The PLAYlist entitled, “The Healing.”
Since receiving a Grammy nomination for her vocal contribution to The Roots hit “Don’t Feel Right” in 2007 the singer, emcee, songwriter, activist, mentor and workshop facilitator has been making waves in the international Indie music scene as both a solo and accompanying artist. Her 17-track all original album “Vintage Babies” featuring TDE’s SIR, Common, Malik Yusef and Ra Brown, made its mark with its single “Shine Your Light” placing at number 6 on UK Indie music charts.
In 2018, Maimouna received international acclaim for a featured performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Series alongside Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins, Black Thought and DJ Dummy. As a United States Musical Ambassador, Maimouna’s lyrical prowess coupled with her commitment to activism and social justice has taken her around the globe as a musician, thought leader and facilitator.
Maimouna has shared the stage with Black Thought, Sting, Nas, Common, Dave Chappelle, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Femi Kuti, Fred Yonnet, and has traveled across the world as a supporting vocalist for legends such as Congolese Vocal Acapella group Zap Mama, Late night Jimmy Fallon’s band, The Roots, and Common.
EVENT DETAILS
Uptown Nights: Maimouna Youssef aka MuMu Fresh
Friday October 18 and Saturday October 19, 2019
7:30pm
Harlem Stage Gatehouse- 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th Street)
Tickets: $25
https://harlemstage.secure. force.com/ticket/#sections_ a0F0W00000qXohTUAS
https://harlemstage.secure. force.com/ticket/#sections_ a0F0W00000qXoawUAC
TICKETING INFORMATION
Box Office Location: Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street, Manhattan).
Box Office Hours: Regular box office hours are 10AM–3PM Monday through Friday, except on performance days when the box office remains open until one hour after the start of the performance.
By Phone: 212.281.9240 ext. 19
Online: www.HarlemStage.org
ABOUT HARLEM STAGE
Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas. For over 35 years Harlem Stage has been one of the nation’s leading arts organizations, achieving this distinction through its work with artists of color and by facilitating a productive engagement with the communities it serves through the performing arts. With a long-standing tradition of supporting artists and organizations around the corner and across the globe, Harlem Stage boasts such legendary artists as Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Sekou Sundiata, Abbey Lincoln, Sonia Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri, Maya Angelou and Tito Puente, as well as contemporary artists like Maimouna Youssef aka MuMu Fresh, Jason ‘Timbuktu’ Diakité, Bill T. Jones, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Tamar-kali, Vijay Iyer, Mike Ladd, Stew, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jason Moran, José James, Nona Hendryx and more.
Its education program each year provides over 2,000 New York City children with an introduction and access to the rich diversity, excitement and inspiration of the performing arts. In 2006, Harlem Stage opened the landmarked, award-winning Harlem Stage Gatehouse. This once abandoned space, originally a pivotal source for distributing fresh water to New York City, is now a vital source of creativity, ideas and culture. Harlem Stage is a winner of the William Dawson Award for Programming Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming (Association of Performing Arts Presenters). For more information on Harlem Stage, visit: www.harlemstage.org. For a full list of donors, please visit: https://www.harlemstage.org/ donate Connect with Harlem Stage: Facebook facebook.com/myharlemstage Instagram @harlemstage Twitter @myharlemstage
