FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jess Cherofsky, 617-441-5400 x 15, jess@cs.org
Malian drummer Sidy Maiga to perform at Cultural Survival Bazaar in Tiverton
Craft fair features global Indigenous art and cultural exchange
Tiverton, RI (July 2017) - Cultural Survival celebrates 35 years of International Indigenous arts Bazaars this summer, holding its 17th annual Tiverton, RI, event on July 29-30 from 10am-5pm. Malian drummer, educator, and performer Sidy Maiga will play with his band, Sidy Maiga and Afrimanding, bringing West African rhythms that have made a name from him throughout the Providence and Boston areas.
Maiga has participated in Cultural Survival Bazaars for several years, his rhythms providing an apt backdrop for the annual exchanges of culture among vendors, visitors, and musicians. Maiga is the drummer in residence for Uhuru Afrika in Boston and is the producer of the annual Afrika Nyaga Drum & Dance Festival in Providence which showcases the music and dance of Africa and the diaspora. Maiga’s first album, Malidén, was recorded and released in 2011. His awards include the 2012 Folk Arts Fellowship from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the 2011 MacColl Johnson Fellowship for Music Composition.
Maiga calls himself a “djembefola”—someone “who gives the djembe voice.” He says, “In the hands of a master, a drum comes alive.” The djembe is a skin-covered drum that for centuries has accompanied Indigenous Peoples of West Africa in their ceremonies and celebrations. Maiga has been performing and educating people for over sixteen years, traveling across the US East Coast to perform and inspire through the power of music.
The Bazaar this summer will also feature artists from over two dozens cultures, including cultures from Ukraine, Guatemala, Peru, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Tibet, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Haiti, India, Burkina Faso, Laos, China, and the United States, along with music by Native American musicians.
Since 1982, Cultural Survival Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of Indigenous artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects. Cultural Survival, an international NGO based in Cambridge, MA, advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience.
High resolution photos available upon request
Cultural Survival Bazaars Website
Cultural Survival Official Website
Cultural Survival Bazaars Facebook for news and updates on artists at the market!
Event page on Facebook
Event Information:
Sat.-Sun., July 29-30, 2017
10am-5pm
Four Corners Arts Center
3852 Main Rd.
Tiverton, RI 02878
Free admission
Free parking
Accessibility info: Drop-off at entrance; no curb at entrance off of E. Rd.
Contact jess@cs.org with questions.
