The Global Afro Latino & Caribbean Initiative (GALCI) & The Africana Studies Department of Hunter College present Colours of Ritual in Celebration of Black History Month at Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College

Take a journey of discovery from tribalism to technology, in honor of Black History Month. Experience a provocative juxtaposition of sacred music,imagery, and dance In Colours of Ritual, at the Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 8:00pm.

Colours of Ritual is a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural performance that melds live and pre-recorded music, dance and video incorporating Yoruba chants from the Afro-Brazilian Candomble ceremonies, the trance music of the Gnawa, from Morocco and mystical Sephardic music from North Africa.

Conceived and directed by Mossa Bildner and headlined by Grammy Nominee, Jay Rodriguez of Groove Collective fame, Colours of Ritual features an ensemble of international musicians living and working in NY : Bill Ware, Mossa Bildner, Alirio Ferreira, Brahim Fribgane, Hassan El Gnaoui, Yuval Lion, Rita Silva, Ze Mauricio, Mohammed Tblisi, Emmanuel Mann, and DJ. Moose. As part of the COR outreach project, students at Long island University Dance dept will be participating in the performance.

The performance reveals the sacred, ceremonial and communal nature of the rituals of people of color – COR, the acronym for Colours of Ritual, in Portuguese means 'color' and usually refers to people of color; COR in Latin means Heart. Musical arrangements by Mossa Bildner showcase magnificent invocations, sometimes in the form of a Piyyut (a liturgical poem from the Sephardic Jewish tradition) , sometimes in the form of Jazz, Funk and House Music, which are accompanied by tribal instruments,like the sintir (a 3-stringed instrument precursor to the bass), the kharakeb (metal percussion instruments which evolved into castanets) and drums playing homage to the gods and goddesses of ancient Africa. Innovative costumes designed by Zac Posen lend an otherworldly beauty to the visual component of the performance. The New Media Art created by Feedbuck/ Galore and Mossa Bildner serve as virtual 21st century altars were people sharing a common heritage can contemplate the universality of man’s purpose.

What: Black History Celebration, Colours of Ritual, conceived and directed by Mossa Bildner

Where: Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington (entrance on 69th), New York City. Box Office: 212.772.4448
Transportation: Subway: #6 to 68th Street and Lexington Ave.
Buses: M66, M98. M101, M102

When: One night only, Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 8:00pm. General Admission Tickets $25; Students and with valid ID $15. Seniors, $10.00. Groups of 10 or More and all CUNY Groups $10, call 718.703.2260.

Who: GALCI, the Africana Studies Department at Hunter College, & the Dance Department of Long Island University, featuring an ensemble of international musicians, headlined by Grammy Nominee, Jay Rodriguez of Groove Collective fame, with Bill Ware, Mossa Bildner, Alirio Ferreira, Brahim Fribgane, Hassan El Gnaoui, Yuval Lion, Rita Silva, Ze Mauricio, Mohammed Tblisi, Emmanuel Mann, and DJ.Moose.

Press Inquiries: WCGIC, 917-825-4959 or lorna@lornaharris.biz
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About Mossa Bildner – Artistic Director, Composer, Vocalist and Multi-Media Artist . Colours of Ritual began as a musical project in 1997 and has been evolving steadily to incorporate dance , new media, and educational outreach. Raised in Brazil, and exposed to the many facets of multi culturalism which that country presents to the world, Mossa’s diverse musical heritage has been filtered through the prism of her vision of cultural globalization. Besides the architectural monuments and other tributes to our regeneration after 9/11, Colours of Ritual serves as a living tribute, producing a legacy of tolerance and awareness of our shared humanity for our citizens and people around the world.

About The Global Afro Latino and Caribbean Initiative (GALCI) a program at Hunter College-CUNY in collaboration with the Franklin H. Williams African Diaspora Institute and Caribbean Cultural Center of New York (CCCADI). Created in October 2000, the objectives of GALCI has been to make the lives of more than 150 million African Descendants in Latin America, Central and the Caribbean visible and part of the international dialogue, programmatic agenda of global multilateral organizations, as well as part of public and private policy initiatives of global governments that are home to this vast population. It is the objective and mission of GALCI to provide a public forum to educate, research, and develop thematic programs on Afro Latino and Caribbean issues highlighting the conditions of these communities.