PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR FREE GLOBAL MUSIC FESTIVAL ON APRIL 24
For a third year, Arts To End Genocide is hosting the Free Global Music Festival as a gift to the community to celebrate the rich diversity of cultures in our community and the larger world. The program will take place on Friday, April 24, from 5:00 to 8:30 PM at Union Point Park.
“We are pleased to announce the outstanding performers who will be participating in this year’s Festival, offering music from India, West Africa, Cuba, and the Caribbean,” said Mitch Lewis, founder of the New Bern based nonprofit organization. “Thanks to grants ATEG has received from Craven Arts Council through the North Carolina Arts Council and the Harold H. Bate Foundation, as well as our sponsors, we are able to introduce a line-up of very talented performers for our third year as hosts of the Global Music Festival.” Faith Connection will also partner again with ATEG to bring this favorite cultural attraction to an appreciative audience.
This year’s program includes the Suah African Dance Company, based in Greensboro, NC, using West African dance and music to introduce their culture and values to their audiences; the Soulful Sisters, a sister duo from Greenville, who will share their Hindu heritage of graceful and joyful dance selections that allow us to appreciate the happiness of their bodies moving to traditional Indian music; Los Sabrosos Del Son Latin Band, a popular and lively act appearing frequently here in New Bern who make it impossible not to move with their Cuban and Latin rhythms; and Pantasia, a steel band from Lexington, South Carolina, who are fun, festive, and family friendly, bringing the sounds from the islands to this event for their first visit to New Bern. Continuing a tradition from the first Global Music Festival, the evening’s program will end with the audience sharing in singing “We Are The World.”
The date for this year’s event was moved to April 24 to be included in the Annual Arts-in-April festivities in New Bern. Ethnic food trucks, a beer and wine tent, and children’s activities will add the celebratory atmosphere of this special program. It is hoped that through the universal language of music and dance, a spirit of shared humanity and appreciation for different cultures and traditions will inspire those attending the Festival.
For information on Arts To End Genocide and their important work to assist vulnerable women and children in Mali, West Africa, visit the website www.artstoendgenocide.org.
