NATIONAL REFUGEE WEEKs BRING-A- DISH
Kadialy Kouyate Griot - Kadialy Kouyate - Kora player in the West African griot tradition and contemporary singer-songwriter. `...conjures for me a completely different and revitalising world of vibrant colour and streaming sound.` Chi
CCDN - Celebrating Cultural Diversity Network invites you to their BRING A DISH Free Cultural Celebrations every last Saturday of each month 4-9pm
event submitted by - Paul Chi
The Celebrating Cultural Diversity Network(CCDN) invites each
and every person to the NATIONAL REFUGEE WEEK`s `BRING-A- DISH` Cultural
Celebration and Photographic Exhibition this Saturday 24th of June 2006 from 4-9pm at the Centre of Creativity, 20 West Hill Road, St Leonards on Sea, TN38 0NB featuring the Work of local photographer Alias K. Giardo. Nigerian CCDN Director Ej Udu said: Supported by CCDN, Alias photographed beautiful community events from a unique perspective, contributing to this UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrates the outstanding contributions of refugees to the UK, and promotes understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary. Young People from the Celebrating Cultural Diversity Youth forum will also be sharing their thoughts and experiences about making their first film with the help of Nick from Eyeline Productions. Our free celebrations welcome everyone - both young and old, as a ``creative space of encounters between different communities`` and as such the celebrations provide regular opportunities - every last Saturday of each Month to use more creative ways to promote social integration.
This time, our Live Music is led by Senegalese Singer & Kora Player Kadialy Kouyate, born in Kolda in the South of Senegal in 1979, who comes from a very large African musical family of dialis, (`griot`), who are well known in Mandinka history. He explains that: ``A griot is a storyteller in Western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family and I belong to the great line of Kouyate griot, descendants of Balla Fasseke Kouyate, the first Mandinka diali, who became the official griot in the service of the emperor Sundiata Keita. `` Legend has it that Sundiata`s enemy, the king of Sosso, blacksmith Soumarou Kante, gave him the name Kouyate, which means ``we share a secret``. The Mandinka kora is a unique wondersome instrument with a harp-like appearance, 21 strings and a notched bridge similar to that of a lute or guitar. It sounds somewhat like a harp, but it`s intricate playing style can be closer to flamenco guitar.
The Free Cultural Celebrations in the beautiful sea view centre not only host live music, but
are also an opportunity to sit around a fire & chat to Phil Aldis, Hastings Borough Council, about the Local Development Framework, learn about services from the Red Cross or experiment with new DJ skills led by Adam Amari! If you cannot Bring A Dish all the more reason to join and expand your Cultural Diverse Cooking Skills from the Palestinians Community - facilitated by Nadine Marroushi. To keep your waistline in check, you may jump on the trampoline or join into the passionate steps of KURDISH COMMUNITY DANCERS - Dara, Saad, Mansour, Hassan, Aras, Shwana, Sardar, Mohammad and Hajar.
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah reminds us that ``Refugee Week is important because it reminds us that refugees are not just statistics to be used and abused, they are living, breathing people. I am British, I was born here and I have no intention of leaving here, so I want to create a society here where compassion is built into our culture, in this society we will be so aware of the world around us that we will not need a Refugee Week. Until then this is how we do it``. See you all
on Saturday afternoon!
For further events as part of the Refugee Week please check out our
Calender of Events: www.celebratingculturaldiversitynetwork.org
Contact - Paul Chi
386 artists
565 reviews
