|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just Buffalo Interdisciplinary Performance Series Provided by Just Buffalo Literary Center  |
| |
 Just Buffalo kicks off its Interdisciplinary Performance Series mixing words and music with a performance by One World Tribe, one of the area's most popular live bands and a major proponent of reggae-funk-world beat music. In between sets, enjoy the high-energy spoken word sounds of Vonetta Rhodes A.K.A. “The Fly Poet,” and Marquis B. Burton A.K.A “Ten Thousand,” on Saturday, October 11th at 8:00 p.m. at The Tralf, 622 Main St., Buffalo. Tickets are $5 General Admission, $3 Students/Seniors, and Free for members of Just Buffalo. For tickets, visit The Tralf box office; tickets are available there presale and at the door. This performance is made possible by audience support & public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and the New York Sate Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
An up-and-coming figure on the local spoken word scene, Marquis B. Burton A.K.A. “Ten Thousand,” has been featured at Spoken Word Sundays and various poetry slams and hip hop performances. A graduate of Sweet Home High School, Burton explains, “I’m known as ‘Ten Thousand’ because I always have ten thousand poems in my heart, mind, and soul.” Burton’s writing credits include the play “Do You Know Him” and the forthcoming “Death Inside a Family;” he is also a talented freestyle poetry improviser.
Vonetta Rhodes, A.K.A. “The Fly Poet”, has performed as a part of Buffalo’s Juneteenth and Mamapalooza Festivals, and Clif Jackson said of her participation in July 2005 on his Jazzopetry project: “[Rhodes’s piece] ‘Melanin Man’ comes from a woman who really I look up to (no really, she is taller than me!). She's like a big sister. I love her positive energy too. I choose this track because it represents professionalism and cooperation. Ms. Rhodes was very excited about being featured at Jazzopetry and wanted to have a more organized set. She and I got together a number of times and came up with some basic ideas for the music that she wanted. Those ideas were not shared with the rest of the band until the night of the performance in order to keep the ‘Jazz’ alive.”
One World Tribe (OWT) began performing in 1994, started by bandleader Kennedy Thompson with diversity, justice and great music in mind. Covering music by Bob Marley, Santana, Ruben Blades, The Meters, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Klegg, the group quickly developed a fan base in Erie, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. With members hailing from Africa, Jamaica and Puerto-Rico, OWT is a true multicultural ensemble. They can present a show with anywhere from eight to twenty performers, including professional dancers, so this show at The Tralf is guaranteed not to disappoint.
Original music gradually replaced much of the cover material, as the Tribe's fan base continued to expand. After years of pounding the beat in clubs, festivals, colleges, schools, street fairs and community celebrations, OWT released the CD, “The World Today.” The album’s rhythmic, club-tested grooves with a World Music focus brought more of the Tribe's sound and message to a continually-expanding audience.
In 2004, One World Tribe became a member of the Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour roster, increasing the touring reach of the shows. Tours have included Lancaster, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, PA, and New Jersey, West Virginia, Baltimore, MD and Atlanta, GA. More recently, the group has been included in the Pennsylvania Arts Council grant listing, supporting residencies in schools. This brings world-class musicianship to young people, and allows One World Tribe to teach them authentic World Music styles, and to demonstrate the acceptance for each other's differences that the group exemplifies. For more information, visit www.oneworldtribe.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|