metroAfrican » Denver Events

A Thanksgiving Party Like None Other at the African Community Center

metroafrican — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:03 +0000

Once again, the African Community Center celebrated Thanksgiving like no one else. At an ACC Thanksgiving the turkey and sweet potatoes share a plate with injera, curry, and more traditional dishes than a plate can hold. Though the name may suggest otherwise, the African Community Center serves refugees from all over the world, and it is at events like this where the phrase melting pot takes real meaning. A burmese song may open for a Butanese dance, followed by a mix of music from the Congo or Ethiopia. This year’s party saw the addition of a Capoeira demonstration that included refugee children who have been learning the art.

The African Community Center is now gearing up for a holiday gift drive for over 100 refugee families. You can join the party by visiting them at 850 Holly St in Denver or online at www.africancommunitycenter.net.

Girls & Women of Sudan: In Pursuit of Education

metroafrican — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:53:40 +0000

Photographic Exhibit – The Women’s College, University of Denver
January 15 – February 28

Project Education Sudan and The Women’s College of the University of Denver (TWC) recently announced a “sister school” partnership, through which they will assist the Ayak Anguei Girls Primary Boarding School in Konbek, southern Sudan. Together PES and TWC are bringing awareness and raising funds for girl’s and women’s education in an area of Africa where 93% of girls and women are undereducated or illiterate.

They are celebrating the occasion with a photographic exhibit of Girls & Women of Sudan: In Pursuit of Education at the The Women’s College of the University of Denver, January 15-February 28, 2009.

The exhibit will culminate with a fundraising reception with Dean Lynn Gangone and a Sudanese representative from The Bor Women’s Association of Denver speaking on the importance of education for the girls and women of Sudan.

Event: Wine & Sudanese Hors D’oeuvres Reception
Location: The Women’s College of the University of Denver
The Garden Room
Merle Chambers Center for the Advancement of Women
1901 E. Asbury, Denver, Colorado 80208
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time: 7-9 PM
Cost: $25 per person / $15 students
RSVP: (303) 316-4528 by February 21, 2009

Proceeds from sale of images and reception to benefit the Ayak Anguei Girls School.

Toubab Krewe Returns to Colorado in February

metroafrican — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:07:58 +0000

Afro-rock fusion band Toubab Krewe will be returning to Colorado with two dates in February. They will be performing at Fox Theater in Boulder on the 26th. Denverites can catch the band at Cervantes on February 27th. These shows will mark Toubab Krewe’s third show in the area in recent months.

MetroAfrican had the good fortune to give away two tickets to Jane Kirema of Denver to see Toubab’s previous show at Cervantes.

Here’s what she had to say about the experience:

I ushered the New Years Eve in style after winning the two tickets to Toubab Krewe show thanks to the contest on MetroA.

The entertainment was unmatched, and the beat, it reminded me of Mama Africa! The crowd was wild, and fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Will most certainly go back to see Toubab Krewe’s show again.

Thanks Metro African for your continued good community work!

Thank you Jane for your kind words, and many thanks to Shore Fire Media for making the Toubab Krewe ticket giveaway possible!

Toubab Krewe’s new live album ‘Live At The Orange Peel’ is now available from iTunes and Amazon. The CD hits stores on March 10th.

You can download a sample of their music here, and check out the video “Buncombe to Badala” below:

photo from J. Gibson Verkuil

2008 Year in Review (Kind of)

metroafrican — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:29:10 +0000

Since metroafrican.com launched only about three months ago, a retrospective of the year may seem a bit much, but here’s a look back at the most popular stories of the last quarter of 2008.

metroAfrican.com launched in September with an appearance on African Roots radio show on KGNU with host Moutiou Yessoufou.
Yohannes Gebregeorgis of Ethiopia Reads was honored as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of the Year.
Guy Lumumba, son of Patrice Lumumba, spoke at the University of Denver.
Sudanese lost girls were amongst those displaced and injured by an apartment fire in Boulder.
Somali musician K’naan was a no show in Denver, but thrilled a crowd in Boulder
Bazi Kanani explored Colorado-Rwanda Connections
The African Community Center hosted a huge multi-cultural Thanksgiving party
Somalis in Greeley faced difficulties with SWIFT
The 6th annual Taste of Africa took over UC Boulder
Metroafrican posted the first in a series of interviews with influential and remarkable Africans in the Denver and Boulder Areas. We kicked it off by talking to Mangar Amerdid of the Leadership Institute of New Sudan

We here at metroAfrican have been incredibly encouraged by the positive response we’ve gotten from so many people, and want to thank everyone who has contributed to making metroafrican.com a valuable community resource. We hope to continue to hear from you in the year ahead, and we will continue improving the site so we can all get the most out of it. As always, if you have ideas for stories or features you would like to see on metroafrican.com, let us know. metroAfrican belongs to you, so please make your voice heard!

We wish a blessed and prosperous 2009 to all!

Winner of Toubab Krewe Tickets Announced

metroafrican — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:01:28 +0000

Congratulations to Jane Kirema of Denver who won two tickets to see Toubab Krewe perform live at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. Tickets to the shows on the 30th and 31st can be purchased here. Related posts:Win tickets to see Toubab Krewe live at Cervantes Toubab Krewe Returns to Colorado [...] Related posts:

Win tickets to see Toubab Krewe live at Cervantes

metroafrican — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:21:30 +0000

photo by David Suskind

Toubab Krewe returns to Colorado to kick off their new tour on December 30th, and you can win tickets.

MetroAfrican has two tickets to the first show of the tour on December 30th at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. To enter the contest, simply send an email to metroafrican@gmail.com telling us why you want the tickets. We will choose one lucky winner to receive two complimentary tickets to see Toubab Krewe live at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. All we ask is that in return you provide our readers with a short review telling us how you liked the show.

More about Toubab Krewe after the jump.

Press release:

“FUNKY, HARD HITTING” TOUBAB KREWE’S LIVE ALBUM OUT 1/6

Band to Tour U.S. With “Distinctive, Remarkable Fusion” (Billboard) of West African Traditional Music and American Rock

The Appalachian mountains may not seem a likely source of African-rooted music, but “funky, hard hitting” (Global Rhythm) Toubab Krewe, of Asheville, North Carolina, blends West African rhythms with rock, creating a sound all its own and earning a devoted following at performances from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali.

What the Village Voice calls the “futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy” of Toubab Krewe’s shows has now been captured on their second album, ‘Live at the Orange Peel’ (ADA, 1/06/09).

The instrumental quintet’s five members, childhood friends and long-term musical collaborators who joined up in 2005, have spent extended periods studying with musical luminaries in Mali, Ivory Coast, and Guinea and learning traditional instruments such as the kora (a 21-string harp) and the kamel ngoni (a lute). Their music also brings in the worlds of surf and zydeco in “a Dick Dale moves-to-Timbuktu experiment” (Boston Herald).

The new album, produced by Grammy winner Steven Heller and recorded in the group’s hometown December 30-31, 2007, features eight previously unreleased tracks, including collaborations with legendary spoken-word artist Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets and fiddler Rayna Gellert.

Toubab Krewe’s tour begins in Denver, Colorado December 30th; the record release show will be at New York’s S.O.B.’s on January 8th. It’s not quite as extensive as Toubab Krewe’s journey from Buncombe (Asheville’s county) to Mali’s Badala (the subject of the first video from the release), but there’ll be just as many opportunities for frenzied dancing.

Toubab Krewe is:
Teal Brown – Drums
Drew Heller – Guitar
Justin Perkins – Kamel Ngoni, Kora, Guitar
David Pransky – Bass
Luke Quaranta – Percussion

Toubab Krewe – ‘Live At The Orange Peel’ Track Listing:
1). Autorail
2). Lamine’s Tune
3). Roy Forester
4). Kaira
5). 51 Ft Ladder
6). Maliba
7). Moose
8). Buncombe To Badala

“Buncombe to Badala” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I35ZEGsubdE

“Buncombe 2 Badala” tour dates:
Dec 30 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (New Year’s Revival w/ Panjea & Kyle Hollingsworth)
Dec 31 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (New Year’s Revival w/ Panjea & Kyle Hollingsworth)
Jan 08 – New York, NY – S.O.B.’s (‘Live At The Orange Peel’ Record Release Show w/ Jar-e)
Jan 17 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
Jan 20 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
Jan 21 – Charlottesville, VA – Gravity Lounge
Jan 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – Jewish Mother
Jan 24 – Richmond, VA – Capital Ale House Downtown Music Hall
Feb 6 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Feb 7 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
Feb 14 – Atlanta, GA – Smiths Old Bar

Toubab Krewe on the web:
www.toubabkrewe.com
www.myspace.com/toubabkrewe
www.ilike.com/artist/Toubab+Krewe
http://www.vimeo.com/user891020

Christmas and New Year’s Bashes at the Palava

metroafrican — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:54:03 +0000

If you have not yet been to the Palava, here are two very good reasons to go. They are throwing a party on Christmas Eve and another on New Year’s Eve. Celebrate the year that was 2008 in style with great music, tasty eats, and an impressive selection of mixed drinks.

Both events begin at 7pm at the Palava – 11002 E Yale Ave. in Aurora

Candle Light Vigil For Darfur – New Location

metroafrican — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:58:45 +0000

Threatening weather has forced Change the World It Just Takes Cents (CTWIJTC) to relocate the Monday, December 15 “Children to Children – Denver to Darfur” candle light vigil indoors into the downtown St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1600 Grant Street, on the corner of 16th Avenue and Grant Street.

The event starts and 6:30 pm and free parking is available in the Colorado Education Association parking lot and on the street. The Vigil hotline will be open until throughout the week: 303-596-8210 /303-514-3092.

AfroBlu Remix World AIDS Day – This Saturday at Bar Standard

metroafrican — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:00:39 +0000

This national NextAid fundraiser www.nextaid.com promotes aids education and financially assists the youth in Africa orphaned by AIDS. Come get wild at another soulful house, afrobeat party with guest DJ IVY, Blackridge and resident DJs RJ Duran & CES in the name and energy of our fellow African peoples!!! Located at Bar Standard in downtown Denver, expect sumptuous cocktails, high fashion, fabulous people and a fabulous time!

AFROBLU – Afterhours Dance Ritual Remix
World Aids Day 2008
Bar Standard
1037 Broadway, Denver
9pm to 2am
$5 at the door / 21+
Additional donations are always accepted!

K’naan a No-Show at the Ogden

metroafrican — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:58:56 +0000

This is the space that was supposed to have been reserved for my rave review of K’naan’s performance at the Ogden this past Saturday. The only problem with that is that he didn’t actually show up to the concert. When we arrived the opening act Trevor Hall was on stage, so we made our way toward the front of the stage, settling in behind a few rows of people. We were in good position for when Mr. Warsame took the stage.

Trevor Hall was followed by a long period of setting up, sound-checking, and a whole lot of waiting. After half an hour of nothing, there was movement backstage. The lights were dimmed, and the crowd crescendo-ed in cheering. As the band walked out onstage and got behind their respective instruments, I was thinking, “This is K’naan’s band?”. Somehow, they just didn’t look like what I was expecting. But it wasn’t until I saw Matisyahu’s lanky frame emerge from the darkness, that I really began to realize that there was something very wrong.

Somewhere amidst Matis’ three hour long show (which was incredible) I came to terms with the fact that we wouldn’t be experiencing a K’naan performance, so we might as well enjoy the rest of the night. Following the show I spoke with a manager of the Ogden Theatre who informed me that K’naan and his crew had gotten stuck in the mountains due to the snow. She said the theatre employees didn’t even know K’naan wasn’t going to make it until about 9pm, when the show was set to begin.

EDIT: After publishing this article, we’ve come to find out K’naan had a show in Aspen the night before the Denver show that was not a part of the Matisyahu tour. Thus making the following rant unjustified. Please feel free to skip to the end.

(Warning: This is where this article devolves into rant-mode.)

Now, I can understand that when people come to Colorado they want to go to the mountains. That’s what people do here. But as a performer, you do have a responsibility to your fans. That responsibility should include something as simple as checking a weather forecast, and perhaps putting off your plans to go do whatever you were doing in the mountains (a Somali friend suggested he was there smoking weed, but that’s beside the point). People payed money and adjusted their plans (some of us cancelled Thanksgiving travel plans) to see you perform.

All I’m saying is that it would behoove K’naan to find a way to make the missed show up to his fans. Whether that means rescheduling a show in the area, offering a free copy of the upcoming album Troubador to attendees of the show, or some kind of acknowledgment that you screwed over the people that are most eager to see you succeed.

We will continue to promote and support K’naan’s music, because at the end of the day he is creating beautiful music with poetic and meaningful lyrics. And despite our personal disappointment at missing a performance, we wish him all the success in the world. But K’naan, next time you come to Denver, stay away from the mountains.