Kwanzaa Festival and Umoja Community Celebration with special concert
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 12/19/2015
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On Saturday, December 19th, the Hudson Opera House partners with Operation Unite to present Mangue Sylla and his electrifying ensemble Kon Koura to cap off the Kwanzaa Festival and Umoja Community Celebration at John L. Edwards Primary School. The concert begins at 7pm and there is a suggested donation of $10 at the door (doors open at 6:45pm). Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling the Hudson Opera House at (518) 822-1438 or visiting www.hudsonoperahouse.org.
An electrifying performer with a keen sense of musicality, West African percussionist Mangue Sylla is a musical force to be reckoned with. Originally from Guinea and now based in New York City, Mangue is well versed in both traditional rhythms as well as contemporary musical styles, and has mastered an array of traditional African instruments. His 2007 debut album, Kon Koura, showcases a traditional West African percussion ensemble performing both folkloric songs and Mangue’s original compositions.
Born in Conakry, Guinea, Mangue began studying music at the age of 7. Focusing initially on the sangban, his early teachers were among the foremost masters of Guinea’s tremendous drumming legacy. With Moussa Bayo and Kanda Kante, Mangue learned the roots of his musical culture, studying the traditional-style drumming that has been passed down for generations in Guinea’s villages. Then with Lancei Kante and Noumody Keita of the famed group Percussions De Guinée, Mangue learned the contemporary or “ballet-style” drumming that features the three drum doundoun set originated by Kante.
Since his arrival in the U.S., Mangue Sylla has become one of the most in-demand teachers and performers of West African drumming. Playing primarily sangban, doundoun, and djembe, he has performed with Les Ballets Africains, Wula Drum and Dance NYC, Youssouf Koumbassa, Mouminatou Camara, Maguette Camara, M’Bemba Bangoura, Drum Cafe NY, and many others. He is a regular teaching artist at many of the country’s most popular drum and dance camps, including: Camp Fareta, the Wula Drum and Dance Retreat, the Florida African Dance Festival, KanKouran’s National Conference, and the Lahydi Dance and Drum Festival. In addition to his busy schedule of performing and teaching, Mangue serves on the accompanist staff at both The Ailey Extension and Barnard College.
Preceding the concert from 3-6pm, the Hudson Opera House teams up with Operation Unite to present the region's largest Kwanzaa Festival and Umoja Community Celebration at John L. Edwards Primary School. The event is free and open to all and begins with crafts for children at 3:15pm. At 4pm, the festivities continue with the sharing of the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles of Kwanzaa, traditional music and dance performed by the Kuumba Dance and Drum students, and additional performances by the Cool Aid Hip Hop dancers, and the Candle Lighting Ceremony. After the Celebration, participants are invited to stay for a light “Karamu” supper and Zawadi (gifts for children).
Operation Unite New York is a non-profit organization that provides educational, social, cultural, performing for youth in Hudson and neighboring communities.
Hudson Opera House offers a year-round schedule of arts and cultural programming in the former Hudson City Hall, which houses New York State’s oldest surviving theater. Ongoing programs include concerts, readings, lectures, exhibitions, theater and dance presentations, after-school programs, workshops, classes and community arts events like the annual Winter Walk on Warren Street.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.