Fulcrum Point New Music Project marks Black History Month with Afro-Beats! Fela, Monk, and the Roots of American Music at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 25, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance on 205 East Randolph Drive.
Guest musicians and dancers include Idy Ciss (dancer and former member of the National Ballet), Jim Gailloreto (jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer), John Knecht (a master drum player), Morikeba Kouyate (master of the kora and West African oral tradition), and students from the Woodlawn Elementary Band and Djemble Ensemble, who participate in Fulcrum Point’s Sound Tracks PLUS Chicago Public School program.
Presented by the Harris Theater Family Series, the program explores West African music and dance with works by Fela Kuti, Thelonius Monk, Paquito D’Rivera, and John Coltrane, among others. Children of all ages are invited to participate in drumming circles and traditional African dances and songs.
Formed by trumpet virtuoso and conductor Stephen Burns in 1998, Fulcrum Point New Music Project champions new classical music and highlights contemporary composers who are inspired and influenced by popular culture, including literature, film, dance, folk, rock, jazz, blues, Latin and world music. Through multi-disciplinary concert performances and educational programs, the Fulcrum Point ensemble seeks to encourage audiences to make cross-cultural connections between new music, art, technology and literature, gaining greater insight into today’s diverse world.
Burns has been received on four continents for his varied performances encompassing recitals, orchestral appearances, chamber ensemble engagements, and innovative multi-media presentations involving video, dance theater, and sculpture.
Tickets to Afro-Beats! Fela, Monk, and the Roots of American Music are $10 and are available at www.harristheaterchicago.org or by phone at 312-334-7777. For more information on the concert or the Fulcrum Point New Music Project, please visit www.fulcrumpoint.org.
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