Town Hall Performance on Saturday, October 19th

 

GambiaHELP presents
West Africa Live! A Festival of Music, Food and Dance

Thione Diop joins other artists in a lively celebration of the arts and culture of West Africa, with music, dancing and drumming performances. At intermission, enjoy a delicious West African meal catered by Afrikando Banadir Restaurant (The Stranger calls their food “extraordinarily rich, flavorful and deeply satisfying” wine and beer, children’s games and activities, a marketplace of Gambian handicrafts, and a silent auction.  Proceeds will benefit Gambia Health Education Liaison Project, or GambiaHELP, a nonprofit providing educational and health services in rural Gambia and helping villagers establish sustainable local businesses.

Presented by: GambiaHELP, a Seattle-based nonprofit that has been supporting communities in The Gambia for 22 years.
Tickets: Adults $15; Youth 10-17 years $10; Under Age 10 Free
For more informationGambiaHELP.org event details
Learn morewww.GambiaHELP.org

 

 

Thione Diop’s AfroGroove at Nectar Lounge on July 25, 2013

Thione Diop’s AfroGroove

Nectar Lounge

Thursday, July 25th

$6 adv / $8 Doors

8pm

More info:

http://www.nectarlounge.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thione Diop & Yeke Yeke playing at 2013 BAM Arts Fair on Saturday, July 27th

Thione Diop & Yeke Yeke performing at this year’s fest.

Bellevue Art Musuem Arts Fair

Saturday- July 26, 2013

4:00-4:45 PM

Bellevue Square, Center Court

on the Sound and Movement Stage

More info:

http://www.bellevuearts.org/fair/index.html

 

 

 

Thione Diop & Yeke Yeke at this year’s Summer Meltdown Festival on August 10th

2013 Summer Meltdown

at Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater

Saturday, August 10th

12:00-1:00 PM

on the Village Stage

More info:

http://summermeltdown.com/

 

 

Thione Diop performing at UW Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Concert on Tuesday, May 21st

Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Concert: Music of North India and Senegal with Srivani Jade & Thione Diop

May 21, 2013 – 7:30 PM
Meany Theater
$20 ($12 students and seniors)

The Ethnomusicology program presents its annual concert of music from around the world. This concert features performances by Srivani Jade, a Hindustani singer who specializes in the North Indian classical form of Khayal, as well as other traditional and folk-inspired music; and Thione Diop, a percussionist from Senegal, West Africa recognized for his powerfully expressive djembe performances.

More info:

http://www.music.washington.edu/upcoming/detail/43600

Tickets:

http://www.meany.org/tickets/?prod=5741

Spirit of West Africa Festival 2013 on May 11th

Come Saturday, May 11, 2013 from Noon to 8:00 PM for the Spirit of West Africa festival at the Seattle Center!

Another exciting year of celebrating West African art, music, dance and culture with a number of amazing shows, as well as, hands-on workshop experiences right here in Seattle!

There will also be a marketplace all day long and other activities.

The show is, as always, free and open to all. Please come along, bring your family, bring your friends!

Schedule:

12-1:15 PM, Dance Class – Senegalese Sabar Dance Class with Sumaya Diop (live drumming)

1:15-2:30 PM, Dance Class – Afro Brazilian Dance Class with Dora Oliveira (live drumming)

2:30-3:00 PM, Set up chairs and runway

3:00-3:30 PM, Industrial Revelation (Avant jazz) featuring D’Vonne Lewis, Evan Floyd-Barnes, Josh Rawlings, Ahamefule Olouo

3:30-4:15 PM, Best of Both Worlds Fashion Show by Nansare (Africa-America)

4:20-4:50 PM, Cover Your Ears Steel Band (Youth Steel Drum Band)

5:00-5:30 PM, Sabar Drumming – Mapathe Diop and Sons

5:35-6:05 PM, AMO ALAGBA (Afro Cuban Bata Drumming and Dance)

6:10-6:40 PM, Thione Diop and Yeke Yeke featuring Gora Diop, Teo Shantz, Ahkeenu Musa (Traditional West African Drumming)

6:45-7:15 PM, De Cajon (Afro Peruvian Music and Dance)

7:20-8:15 PM, Obo Addy Legacy – Okropong (Traditional Drumming and Dance from Ghana)

 

Press Release:

The Spirit of West Africa (Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Seattle Center Armory) will be presenting its 8th year of cultural celebration featuring festive music and dance, an African market place, a fashion show and a variety of music, dance and art workshops.

The United States, like so much of North, South, Central America and the Caribbean, is widely recognized to be a “creolized” society, with a culture that reflects the incredible diversity of peoples that have come to call this place “home” during the last three hundred years. However, given the Colonial era that defines the earliest stages of development of our modern society, and taking into account the history and enduring legacy of the slave trade, it is clear that, broadly speaking, Europe and Africa have been the dominant influences that have shaped American society and culture.

The Spirit of West Africa, under the direction of Senegalese born Thione Diop, has always focused on music and dance as performed by West African artists, many of them brought to Seattle just for the festival as guest performers. However, this year the focus will expand to include artists and performers whose expression clearly reflects the influence of West African culture, but who live and work in Seattle and call this city their home, regardless of where they were born.

The fact is that our city, typical of many American cities, is now home to many African-born artists who continue to practice their traditional arts and many American-born artists who consciously work in mediums, especially music, that emphasize and celebrate West African cultural ideas and values. In addition, Seattle is home to a variety of artists who hail from the great African Diaspora, that vast region of the Americas created by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They come from places like Trinidad, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Peru, Columbia, Brazil, Guyana and the list could go on.

Thus, the exciting and accomplished performers at this year’s festival will feature music and dance from the Afro-Peruvian traditions (De Cajon), from Caribbean steel drums (Cover Your Ears Steel Band), from Afro-Brazilian dance (Dora Oliviera), from Afro-Cuban Ceremonial music (Omo Alagba Bata’ ) as well as traditional and contemporary music and dance from Senegal (Sabar with Mapathe Diop, Thione and Gora Diop with Yeke Yeke, dance with Sumaya) , from Guinea (Mamady Mansari, Naby Camara), and from Ghana (Obo Addy”s Ghanain Legacy). An art workshop and Africa-Seattle Fashion Show (Best of Both Worlds ) will add to the fun and enjoyment.

Please feel welcome to attend – admission is free as part of Seattle Center’s Festal Series – and join in celebrating the wonderful diversities that thrive in the Pacific Northwest.

The Spirit of West Africa lives and breathes in Seattle!

 

Please “like” our Spirit of West Africa Festival page to stay informed, see pics and videos at this link below:

https://www.facebook.com/SpiritOfWestAfricaFestival

I am looking for volunteers of African descent that are interested in creating a fun festival (music,dance, photography, videography, fashion, food , market,etc.)

If you are interested, please email me at thionediopmusic@gmail.com or you can call my cell; 206-290-5560.

Peace and bless.