What’s more valuable: money or culture? Carnival Arts pondered that question with our performance “Siren Song” on November 27, 2016. The Scavenger Queen led her army of skeletons and carrion birds, with their shopping carts overflowing with the discarded treasures of a throwaway consumer society, into a battle against the cultural wealth of Haitian Kongo dancers and drummers and the fierce ancestral power of Brazilian guerreiros. The battle was close, until the Siren Queen and her court descended from the sky and decided the winner. Singing a Cameroonian pop hit in her native Duala, the Siren Queen commanded the youth: “Oh, child, cherish your light. Know your worth!”
Category: Performances
Siren Song – 4-6pm on November 27, 2016
A Carnival Arts Pageant in the Faena Procession SIREN SONG is a story about the battle between cultural wealth and consumer wealth. A beautiful siren (mermaid) is carried on a boat at the head of the parade, followed by dancers and singers performing Bel Kongo (Beautiful Kongo), as passed down from ancestors in the Congo to […]
Bel Kongo: Beauty, Power, Identity Exhibit
The Kongo is beautiful, says a popular Haitian folksong set to the lively kongo rhythm, often danced at Kanaval. But this happy observation takes on a bit of mystery as the song continues: You don’t know me. You don’t know Kongo. When mia galleries invited us to create an exhibit for Haitian Heritage Month 2016 […]
Brazilian Rhythms at Thomas Jefferson Middle
Brazilian Rhythms at Thomas Jefferson Middle School from Celeste Fraser Delgado on Vimeo. On December 16, the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars from Coach Hoover’s PE classes closed out the year Carnival Arts-style with samba and capoeira led by Wendy Gonzalez and Marco Ramirez.
Kongo and Ibo Dances
Carnival Arts Kongo and Ibo from Celeste Fraser Delgado on Vimeo. On November 22, young artists from Miami Bridge Central joined Barry University students and master drummer Catelus “Ton Ton” Laguerre, choreographer Weislande “Yanui” Cesar, visual artists Damian Rojo and Veronicka Koebach, and program director and singer, Celeste Fraser Delgado. The Carnival Artists sing, dance, […]
Mirror Workshop 1
Getting ready for this years Luxury vs. Life carnival theme with the first workshop in costume making. Tonight the young artists painted mirrors to be carried by the Super Wind-y Hair Girl. Next session: adding glitter, gems, ribbons, and bells.
Carnival Arts to Perform at Big Night in Little Haiti
Join the Carnival Arts crew, including the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars and Barry Buccaneers, in a carnival procession to open this month’s Big Night in Little Haiti. Carnival Arts master percussionists Catelus “Ton Ton” Laguerre, Arelan Torres, and Michael Kernahan will perform with Carnival Arts apprentices.
Carnival Arts Jaguar Band Does Conga
After spending the fall semester learning the dance and drum conga rhythms, the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars came up with an English-language version of the Cuban conga classic, “Yayabo”: You were always saying that the Jaguars would never play again/but the Jaguars are in the street/Looking good and sounding sweet/and our rhythm can’t be beat/Hey, hey, […]
Playing Royal
Between Christmas Day and New year’s Eve, we had a mini-Carnival Arts session on Playing Royal. West African traditions of masquerade often include a celebration of kings and queens. We spent an hour each day exploring and writing about the qualities that make each one of us royal, sang a Haitian carnival song for the […]
Nanny of the Maroons
Young Artists at the Lippman Shelter in Oakland Park, Florida in Spring 2011