Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 11-19-21

Feature
Cultural Exploration Of The African Diaspora Event To Be Held On Riverwalk Stage
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
The Straz Center’s Arts Legacy REMIX celebrates the many varied cultures and talented local artists who reside in the Tampa Bay area. Each performance focuses on a different theme.
The first of these events will be under the directorship of Fred Johnson.
Johnson, a well-known jazz artist and resident of Tampa Bay, has traveled all over the world, sharing his gift with people of varying cul- tures.
The Arts Legacy program was started in 2018. The free, outdoor programs on the river stage have been thrilling audiences since. It was cre- ated to celebrate the rich history of
Tampa Bay. It has been a place for local artists to share their cultural ex- periences with their fellow Tampans.
The programs offer spoken word, dance, music and more.
The celebration’s theme of the African Diaspora will follow the theme of rice as it traveled thoughout the Diaspora. The concept has also been explored by the Netflix docu- mentary, High on the Hog.
The audience will be taken from the shores of Africa where enslaved women braided the rice of their vil- lage into their hair. The program will follow the African rice as it grows in America.
The program will also feature the rice trade and diaspora through Asia, India, and Europe.
The show will open with an intro- duction by Johnson and a drum cir-
cle. Artists include: Kuumba Dancers, R.A.I.N., Gibbs High School dancers, Threading the Wordsmith Needle with Don Laurin Johnson (spoken word), Sulwe Children Story Reading with Nikita Wilson, and I- Ruption Reggae Band.
The performance will be held on Friday, November 19, 2021, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p. m. at the Straz Center’s Riverwalk Stage. The event is free to the public.
FRED JOHNSON
... Noted Jazz Great and Artistic Director For Straz African Diaspora Event
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY PAGE 9-A