I always liked the idea of being part of a dance flashmob. So last week, when I saw a video of TACA Airlines doing a dance flashmob with live music on a plane, I said to myself: If they can do it, we can do it here too!
I decided to do a flashmob that would pay tribute to the Day of Peruvian Criolla Music (Día de la Canción Criolla), which is celebrated in Peru every October 31st. With less than one week to organize it, I reached out to my network of friends in the dance and music community. And they responded! People from Peru and other nationalities like Serbia, Romania, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States, all collaborated. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and joy of all who participated. For many, it was their first time learning about Afro-Peruvian rhythms. It showed again the power of music and dance to unite us all.
So, here are the results of our collaboration. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. In fact, we liked it so much that we are thinking of repeating it very soon. If you want to join us and be part of future dance flashmobs, just leave a comment here.
Venue: Auditorium Theatre 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60605
Dates: Friday, November 2 – Sunday, November 4, 2012
Times: Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm, Sunday at 2:00 pm
Price: $74-$30
Get transported to the turn of the century Paris…a city of exquisite contradiction…when Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet performs Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet. Featuring a French music score, high-kicking choreography and a passionate story of love, aspiration and heartbreak, the ballet tells the story of Matthew and Nathalie as they tempt fate while seeking love at the infamous cabaret – The Moulin Rouge.
Win Two tickets to this Show!
Just need to be a subscriber of Chicago Urbanite and leave a comment on this post to participate. We will announce the winner tomorrow!
Wanna learn a little of Afro-Peruvian dance? Then come to a FREE mini dance flash mob rehearsal tomorrow Sunday October 28 at Africaribe Cultural Center (2547 W Division) between 11am and 1pm. Easy steps and tons of fun. We will do the dance flash mob at a place nearby immediately after rehearsal.
If you can, bring the following:
Casual, comfortable, street clothes (bright-colored tops are preferred)
An empty glass bottle and a metal spoon to be used as musical instrument.
Are you still looking for a party where to show your Halloween costume? Look no more. I created a list with links to parties going on in Chicago from today until November 2nd. You will have plenty of opportunities to get spooky in the next days. Here they are:
Peruvian Lord of Miracles Procession in Chicago. See pics and video here: http://chicagourbanite.net/2012/10/22/chicago-ethnic-celebrations-el-senor-de-los-milagros/
If you live in Chicago, I am sure you have seen Irish Stepdance. You know, the traditional Irish dance performed at St Patrick Day’s celebrations in which dancers stiffen their upper bodies while performing quick, intricate footwork. But have you ever heard of Sean-nós dancing? I discovered this Irish dance form while attending a show at Old Town School of Folk music last year and had the pleasure to see sean-nós dancers Brian Cunningham and Irene Cunningham perform:
This dance is considered to be the jazz of traditional Irish dancing. Rescued from near death almost twenty years ago, it is now flourishing and spreading throughout Ireland like a hill fire. It is performed alone in short bursts of exuberance as dancers respond to the music in their own unique way. Dancers start with a few basic steps and improvise and refine them over a lifetime. No two performances are ever the same. There are no set pieces, no costumes, no rules. Sean-nós dance is characterized by its “low to the ground” footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms, and an emphasis upon a “battering step” (which sounds out more loudly the accented beat of the music). By its nature, it follows the music closely. Because sean-nós dancing is improvisational, it is not necessary for a pre-arranged routine or choreography to be decided upon by the dancer. Spontaneous expression is highly valued. Therefore, it is less common to see groups performing synchronized sean-nós dance (which requires choreography in advance). Instead, the dancers may dance in turns, playing off the energy of the other.
If you are interested in seeing this dance form in Chicago, then come to a benefit show organized by Chicago Irish Immigrant Support that will feature this joyful dance and the unbridled enthusiasm of Brian Cunningham and Atlantic Steps. Brian Cunningham has won multiple awards for his dancing at major competitions and has performed at a number of prestigious occasions, including accompanying the President of Ireland on state visits to Japan and South Korea and going on tour all over Britain, Ireland, Europe, and North America. The show moves audiences to their feet, bringing sean nós dance to its rightful place on the world stage.
Proceeds from the show go to benefit Chicago Irish Immigrant Support’s legal aid to Irish immigrants and social services for senior citizens.
WHEN: Saturday, November 3, 2012.
Doors open: 6:00PM
Show begins: 7PM
WHERE: Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
WHO: Starring Brian Cunningham and the Atlantic Steps dancers. The show is an exciting display of sean nós dance accompanied by live traditional music.
FOR TICKETS: call Chicago Irish Immigrant Support (773) 282-8445 or buy them online at www.ci-is.org.
So, I went to Jovanotti’s concert last night and let me tell you: the Italian superstar delivered! He got us dancing and kept us entertained with his joyous, genuine, and contagious energy. Jovanotti is definitely a GREAT live performer. He managed to project his energy all the way to the back of the room. American neophytes who have never heard his music before, and others like me who just know a few of his songs, connected to each one of them. The guy was as hot as the complete head-to-toe red outfit he was wearing for the occasion.
Jovanotti did not forget to acknowledge his hip-hop roots. He paid tribute to Black American musicians like Sugarhill Gang, and along with his funky music, he played some Mediterranean and Latino rhythms (he has two Brazilian percussionists in his band and ended the concert with a “Salsa” version of a piano tune). He even rapped and interacted with the audience in English, Spanish, and Italian, showing a musical and language versatility that goes hand-in-hand with his progressive global vision.
For someone who is a superstar and sells out stadiums in Europe, it was a special treat to see him perform in a more intimate concert venue such as the Vic Theater. Next time he is in town, you should go see him, even if you are not familiar with his music. You will enjoy the concert regardless! Here is some footage of last night’s concert. Enjoy!
Italian language has been connected to the bel canto and opera. But have you ever heard Italian rap? My first experience with this was in the nineties when Jovanotti became famous in Latin America with this song:
Jovanotti has already achieved rock star status in much of the rest of the world. In his native Italy, over the course of 25 years, he has sold over five million albums. Jovanotti’s most recent studio album, 2011’s Ora (Now), debuted at #1 there, went on to become the best-selling album of the year, and resulted in sell-outs over 50 arena and stadium dates. In the last few years, he has graced the cover of the Italian editions of Rolling Stone, GQ, Vanity Fair and L’Uomo Vogue, among other magazines.
Outside Europe, Jovanotti has long been a favorite of Latin American listeners and artists, including Oscar winner Jorge Drexler and Juanes, with whom Jovanotti has collaborated live and on recent recordings. Although Jovanotti is still in his early 40s, a whole generation of younger Latin alternative artists grew up admiring him; he has in turn invited Los Amigos Invisibles, Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estereo and others to open for him on recent tours.
Jovanotti has begun to spend a considerable amount of his time and career energies in the U.S. In the summer of 2009, he and a mostly US-based band performed 16 sold-out shows at downtown New York clubs. He has returned for brief stints in other parts of this country, including a performance at Central Park SummerStage in 2010, and earlier this year, with TV on the Radio, in The Music of The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-1971 at Carnegie Hall.
This fall, Jovanotti will move to New York for a year. The relocation is a sort of return to origins for the artist, who counts The Beastie Boys as his primary influence (and, later in his life, collaborators and friends). When Jovanotti performed at the Bowery Ballroom in March 2012, he sang some lines from “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” He was not only acknowledging his whereabouts, but his beginnings, when he sported a sideways baseball cap and a “Get Off My Dick” t-shirt on the cover of his 1988 debut, the rap album Jovanotti for President.
Enter for a chance to win a FREE TICKET to this concert! If you are a blog subscriber, leave a comment on this post to participate. If you are not, enter your email address where it says “follow blog via email” on this page and then leave a comment. We will announce two winners here on Tuesday October 16 at noon.
Enter for a chance to win a FREE TICKET to this concert! If you are a blog subscriber, leave a comment on this post to participate. If you are not, enter your email address where it says “follow blog via email” on this page and then leave a comment. We will announce two winners here tomorrow Friday October 12 at noon.
Good luck!
Singer Lila Downs grew up with the culture of her father, a professor from the United States, but eventually turned her back on it to explore the tradition of her mother, a Mixteca Indian from Mexico. In doing so, she has created a very individual strain of song that has indigenous Mexican roots and North American sonorities. Her musical vision is anthropological in nature and as varied as the ancient and earthy cultures that continue to nurture and inspire her. Embracing and highlighting indigenous origins, whether in the U.S. or Mexico, has always been an important aspect of her music, as well as the topics of political and social justice, immigration, and transformation, all rooted in the human condition. She strives to make a meaningful connection with her diverse audiences through her music and performances. “I’m so lucky,” remarks Downs. “People who follow our music are from all walks of life, and they want to scratch the surface to know the whys and hows. Every day we get to connect in so many ways.” For over a decade, Lila Downs has traversed the planet, bringing her dramatic and highly unique reinvention of traditional Mexican music and original compositions fused with blues, jazz, soul, African root, and even klezmer music, all supporting her soaring voice. Some would classify Lila as a Mexican artist, but there is no real way to categorize her music except to say that it is a unique and exciting fusion of international sounds. A musical journey with Lila Downs is always a fascinating one, simultaneously edgy and powerful, yet sumptuous and graceful. Here is the video of her latest single “Zapata Se Queda”:
Lila will perform tomorrow with HURAKAN, a Chicago band that creates experimental-ambient music based on traditional rhythmic danzas (ceremonial dances), combining contemporary beats, poetry and songs with reference to ancient Mexican culture, and social consciousness. Incorporating and preserving native musical instruments such as “panhuehuetl” (Mexican drum), “teponaztli” (wood percussion),electronic synthetizers , along with instruments made of natural elements like stones, shells, clay and wooden flutes. As the guys from HURAKAN stated, they will be sharing the stage with Lila Downs on October 12 (observed as Columbus Day in the United States) “celebrating cultural diversity in the day of the race and resistance!”
Chicago possesses many rarely noted gems, not the least of which is an abundance of cool murals. To encourage your attention to these treasures, I’m challenging you with a contest. Can you guess where this one is located? The first person to name the correct intersection will receive a gift certificate to Little Bucharest Bistro
Chicago Urbanite 