12th Annual FUNDA FEST: A Celebration of Black Storytelling
January 17-24 2010
For more information, contact Valerie Tutson at 401.439.7122
Providence, RI—Rhode Island Black Storytellers, otherwise known as RIBS, invite you to join them in FUNDA FEST 12: A Celebration of Black Storytelling, January 17-24, 2010. FUNDA means to teach and to learn in Zulu and KiSwahili. For an entire week, Rhode Island will experience some of the best cultural arts programming across the state for the 12th year in a row.
Headlining this year’s invited national guests is Grammy-nominated Christon Bacon, aka Christylez (pronounced Chris- styles) a progressive hip-hop artist out of Washington, DC.”We are so excited to have Christylez with us this year. Several of us had seen him at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in DC this past summer. He is a young guy with a lot of talent and a great mix of old traditions and new flavor. Christylez is a talented musician and a poet who understands the Black oral tradition,” says Valerie Tutson, FUNDA FEST Director. “We had invited him, and then found out he will be headed to LA right after he leaves Rhode Island.” Christylez has been nominated in the “Best Musical Album for Children” category for a collaboration done with Folk/Children Music Duo, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.
“In addition to Christylez, we have a wonderful woman, Deborah Asante, out of Indianapolis. She has a children’s theatre company, and has been telling stories all of her life. She will be doing the Intergenerational Storytelling Workshop at the Providence Public Library on Saturday, January 23rd, and sharing some of her Love Stories for grown ups on Friday night, the 22nd”
The FUNDA FEST performers include RIBS tellers Len Cabral, Rochel Coleman, Raffini, Ramona Kolobe, and Valerie Tutson. Festival favorite, Teju Ologboni returns from Milwaukee. Local artists include Christopher Johnson, who will perform as a solo artist, and with the spoken word trio Spittin Images. Drummer Abdul Mateen will add his talents to the mix.
“This year, RIBS and FUNDA are looking to expand our circle of family and friends, “ Tutson explains, “ For several years, RIBS has been a part of the Expansion Arts Program through the Rhode Island Foundation. We have had the opportunity to work with some very fine cultural arts groups in the State. Our program is coming to an end and we had talked about finding a way to showcase these groups; to bring our communities together. FUNDA seemed like the perfect opportunity.” As a result, the Saturday night concert at the Metcalf Auditorium at RISD will include a mix of voices and performances including young African drummers from OASIS International, Thawn Harris, a Native American storyteller from the Tomaquag Indian Memorial and Museum, ECAS Theatre and music and dance from The Hmong United Association of RI. All these groups and more will be a part of the Market Place in the lobby.
It’s a full week, from Sunday to Sunday, from Westerly to Woonsocket, Providence to Newport. See part of the schedule below, and full up-to-the-minute details at www.ribsfest.org.
Sunday, January 17, 2010:
Family Storytelling Concert
Woonsocket, RI
www.ribsfest.org for details and more info
Monday, January 18, 11:30 am, 1 and 2:30 pm:
MLK Amazing Grace featuring Rochel Coleman and Valerie Tutson
Providence Children’s Museum
100 South Street, Providence RI
Free with Museum Admission
January 19-22:
RIBS tellers and invited guests perform for Storytellers in the Schools
Statewide locations. For information, call Carolyn Martino: 401 351.8090
Thursday, January 21, 6-8 pm:
Family Storytelling Concert
YWCA Northern Rhode Island
514 Blackstone Street, Woonsocket, RI
Admission: $1/children .$50/adults
Friday, January 22:
Spoken Word and Love Stories
www.ribsfest.org for details and more info
Saturday, January 23, 12:30-5 pm:
Free Family FUN-Day
Providence Public Library
150 Empire Street, Providence
- 1:00-2:15 pm: Intergenerational Storytelling Workshop with Deborah Asante
- 2:30 pm: Family Storytelling Concert featuring RIBS and invited guests
- 4:00 pm: Story Swap: Tell your own story!
Saturday, January 23, Doors open at 7:30:
Storytelling Concert and Market Place (NEW VENUE)
Michael P Metcalf Auditorium at RISD
20 North Main St, Providence 8 pm
- 7:30 PM: Marketplace opens for Cultural gifts, tellers’ merchandise and more
- 8:00 PM: RIBS’ Featured tellers and Expansion Arts Partners take the stage
- Tickets: www.ArtTixRi.com; $10/advance, $15/door, RISD students free w/ID, RISD Museum members $10 w/ID at door
Sunday, January 24, 2010, 2:00 PM:
Family Storytelling Concert
Martin Luther King Center
20 Marcus Wheatland Blvd, Newport
Donations collected on-site
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FUNDA FEST is made possible with support from The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, The Rhode Island Foundation, The Expansion Arts Program, Project Priscilla, and underwriting from the CITIZENS Bank Foundation.
Community Partners include The Providence Children’s Museum, Providence Public Library, The RISD Office of Minority Affairs, The Martin Luther King Center, Newport, The YWCA of Northern RI, The Westerly Public Library, ECAS Theatre, Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum, OASIS International, The Hmong United Association of Rhode Island, and RezaRitesRi.com.
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