Rhythms of Africa / Music Around the World Command Performance at Miramar Cultural Center/Arts Park – Jan. 11th
MIRAMAR– Former Third World Percussionist Willie Stewart leads 50 Children from Somerset Academy and 20 professional international musicians for an epic Percussion Power! By popular demand, following capacity-crowd performances at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center and Broward’s Bailey Hall, Rhythms of Africa/Music Around the World returns to Miramar on Sunday, January 11, 2015 for two 90-minute performances, 2 PM and 6 PM.
Once more, “Reggae Ambassador” Willie Stewart, former lead percussionist and co-director of the international group Third World, will demonstrate the transformative power of music, showcasing the talents of 50 musical novices Somerset Academy who will train rigorously throughout the autumn. Included in their preparation are sessions with professional musicians, singers, and dancers to provide not only context to the music, but additional on-stage excitement to captivate audiences and bring them to their feet.
Rhythms of Africa is a musical journey that describes the movement of ancient rhythms sprung from the souls of vibrant cultures and carried by hand and heart from Africa to the Caribbean, South America, and the New World. It is truly the rhythms of the Diaspora, seasoned by time, cultivated and rooted by generations of pilgrims.
With this presentation by Somerset Academy’s teenagers, another generation embarks on this historic journey. Adding to the performance’s authenticity are contributions from Michael “Ibo” Cooper of Third World, Keith Jones from Santana, and other seasoned Caribbean and Latin musicians steeped from birth in the culture and rhythms of the arts forms presented.
The program is a presentation of Embrace Music Foundation, a Broward based non-profit corporation with a mission to restore, preserve, and fortify the impact of music — education, appreciation, and performance — in schools and communities, and to amplify its role in the development of children and families.
“People who watch these kids during the workshops see their incredible development, so that in no time at all, when the performance comes around, their whole lives have changed for the better,” Willie Stewart notes. “So Embrace Music Foundation puts to you this question– If with music we can make this change in just 25 hours, what could we do in a year? Two years? Five years? It’s all about the music. It’s all about the children.”
Admission to the show is $15 and tickets are available at the Miramar Cultural Center Box Office, www.miramarculturalcenter.org or by calling 954-602-4500
