Summer Solstice Virtual Community Celebration This Sunday
Arizona Artists Celebrate Global Event
Celebrate the beginning of summer with your family and Arizona artists, Sunday, June 21, from 2 to 3:30 pm at the inaugural Cultural Coalition Summer Solstice Celebration Facebook Live event. Marking the longest day of the year is a world-wide tradition. In recognition of this, the event features performances from local artists, storytellers, musicians, and dancers representing a variety of cultures including Brazilian, African, Mexican, Native American, and Japanese.
Participating Artists:
Opening Prayer – Patricia Federico at 2:00pm
Welcome, Land Acknowledgment, Importance of Solstice, Storytelling – Zarco Guerrero at 2:05 pm
Traditional Mexican Regional Dancing – Ballet Folklorico Primavera at 2:20pm
Sankofa African Drum Performance – Keith Johnson 2:25pm
Musical Performance – QLVN – Quetzal Guerrero at 2:30 pm
Storytelling and Music – Violet & Tony Duncan at 3:00 pm
Taiko Japanese Drum Performance – Ken Koshio and son Miro at 3:20 pm
Support Local Artists & Closing Remarks – Carmen Guerrero 3:30 pm
Cultural Coalition, Inc. knows that everyone around the world celebrates the beginning of summer differently.
Have a song or dance or tradition of your own? Use #LaCulturaCura and #culturalcoalitionaz to share photos and videos of how your family celebrates. Find the event on the Cultural Coalition Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/culturalcoalitionaz/
About the Performers:
Ballet Folklorico Primavera (primaverafolklorico.com) “Folklorico” means “the people’s story” in Spanish. Since 1975, Maria and Phil Leon have told the many stories of the people and shared their passion for Mexican regional dance and culture with Arizona’s communities. Primavera Folklorico Dance Company was formed to present the “people’s story” utilizing the music, dance, and dress of the diverse cultures of Mexico. A result of four decades of research and learning has been the development of insight into how much experience is shared historically between the United States and Mexico.
Tony Duncan – (tonyduncanproductions.com) is a five-time World Champion Hoop Dancer and Native American flute musician. He is a member of the Apache and Arikara, Hidatsa and Mandan nations. Tony was taught to hoop dance at the age of five, a tradition passed down from his father Ken Duncan Sr. Carrying on the family tradition is Tony’s son Naiche. The circle, stories, and traditions continue. He has released 10 albums to date and has been the featured flutist at The White House Luncheon and performed the National Anthem with Nelly Furtado at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game.
Violet Duncan – (violetduncan.com) is an author, storyteller, educator and performer, Native American Hoop and Powwow dancer. She is a proud member of the Plains Cree of Kehewin Cree Nation and Taino. She facilitates workshops to promote spiritual wellness and cultural education across the United States, Canada, and Europe. As a mother, she saw a need for Native American representation in literature, authoring three children’s books; ” I am Native”, “When We Dance” and “Let’s Hoop Dance!” She is now a featured storyteller at many festivals – nationally and internationally.
Patricia Federico – (mymadretierra.com) is one of the Southwest’s most trusted intuitive experts, stress-management consultants and alternative healers. A trusted advisor to leaders, achievers and people from all walks of life, Patricia focuses on spiritual comfort and insight, emotional healing, anxiety reduction, and pain management. Her gifts and expertise (garnered over 15 years as a professional healer/empath) make her sessions with people experiencing loss, major life transitions and/or chronic suffering from illness or injury especially effective.
Carmen Guerrero – (carmencreations.com) is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Cultural Coalition, Inc, a performing artist, producer and jewelry designer. CarmenCreations founder and jewelry designer, started beading as a little girl in northeastern Brazil. Learning from her grandmother how to perforate and string seeds in the backyard, she delighted in making colorful, simple necklaces to wear and give to friends as gifts. Throughout her life, she has explored this traditional artform, constantly challenging herself to think of new ways and colors.
Zarco Guerrero – (zarkmask.com) [Juañeno/Acjachemem] a sculptor, maskmaker and performance artist, has been a force in the Arizona art scene since the early seventies, as a multi-media artist and community arts advocate. He has participated in the Artist in Education program of the Arizona Arts Commission and has conducted workshops throughout the U.S. since 1972. The artist has had one-man shows in Mexico and throughout the United States. He is the founder of Xicanindio Artes, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to better understanding of Latino and Native American arts in Mesa, AZ. He is the co-founder and President/Chair of Cultural Coalition, Inc.
Keith Johnson – (islandmagicmusic.com) is a percussionist, master drummer, craftsman of tradition and artist in education. Traveled to West Africa to research drum traditions and studied with master drummer Yacub Addy of Ghana. Continued his research in the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago to learn the steel drums, an indigenous instrument andextension of the African drum. Has worked with the Arizona Arts Council for over 20 years and shares his knowledge of the West African drum by combining music, art, storytelling, and social studies with schools all over Arizona.
Ken Koshio – (kenkoshio.com) is a unique artist here in Arizona. He was born in Japan and has been traveling around the world as a street singer. Currently based in Phoenix, he creates fusion music with Native Americans and has produced a Japanese folktale musical story: Sakura no Ne (in collaboration with the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix). He is not only a musician but he also acts as a cultural ambassador of Japan. Now he shares his Japanese spirit of WA taiko at his dojo WAKONKAN and he has been producing cultural events as K2Enterprise from 2013.
QLVN – Quetzal Guerrero – (qviolin.com) QVLN’s (pronounced Q-Violin) art, much like his American/Mexican/Brazilian heritage, bridges many Latin and American cultures and styles. The result is music that is both familiar and fresh to the listener, offering an unassuming yet explorative convergence of styles and influences spanning American folk, soul, jazz, funk samba, bossa nova, reggae and afro beat. Quetzal’s innate musicality and work have led to collaborations and performances with a long string of great musicians and performers.
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