As part of our Haiti X New York programming. Haiti-based Dancer Linda François and Drummer Youry Vixamar joined us in NYC for a day of dance and drumming on October 19, 2019.
Linda started off by teaching a dance masterclass including the following rhythms/dances: Yanvalou, Nago, Mayi and Banda. Youry then led a drumming workshop teaching participants about basic Haitian rhythms, the distinction between each drum and various rhythm patterns. Linda returned with a dance and song performance with special guest Riva Nyri Précil and drummers: Markus Schwartz, Youry Vixamar, Morgan Zwerlein, and Ernst Blanc. The performance featured live and recorded music from James Germain & RAM. The performance began with a song for Legba, followed by "Fanm O" by Bohio Music and closed out with a song for Èzili Dantò.
The evening closed with a "Ann Pale" conversation moderated by executive director Régine M. Roumain where both Haiti X New York residents had the opportunity to share their stories with the audience. Topics discussed included the challenges they faced and still face from family and friends as Haitian artists who chose the ROOTS path rather than the more conventional route.
Photos by Guito Thelusma
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