Hi,
I’m forwarding a message from the Director of the annual Afro-Cuban workshop held in Arcata, California.
Hello Afro-Cuban Enthusiasts,
The Explorations in Afro-Cuban Dance and Drum (ACDD) Workshops, July 25 – August 1, 2009 at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California is still accepting registrations.
Here is the latest update.
Once again, members of the Afro-Cuban community from various parts of the country are coming to be apart of this years’ event. We have participants from Germany, Panama, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, and of course California.
Some highlights about this year are the coupling of Sandy Perez (Grupo Afro-Cuba) and Toto Berriel (Los Munequitios), who were childhood friends, and played together in “Los Yumurinos” when they were teenagers. Accompanying dancer/singer Reynaldo Gonzalez (Grupo Afro-Cuba), these dance classes will be extremely fun to observe and participate in. Toto was a big hit last year. He brought great energy and enthusiasm to his classes and at the parties. A wonderful singer and drummer.
Lazaro Galarraga will be bringing a new folkloric cd to camp and he will be teaching many of the songs from that cd. So students will be able to leave with a studio recording in one hand and song sheets with the words in the other. He will also be teaching a number of bata classes for both intermediate and advanced students. In these classes he does an excellent job displaying subtle nuances in the enu hand.
We are pleased to be bringing Roman Díaz (Yoruba Andabo, Raices Profundas, Pancho Quinto), to camp for the first time. Check out you tube for a number of videos featuring Roman. We are excited to learn from him some funky rumba grooves, abacua, and more. He will also be teaching intermediate and advanced bata classes, and he will be lead accompanist for Freila Merencio’s (Raices Profundas, Yoruba Andabo) dance classes each day.
This year we have added an additional drum strand featuring lecture classes on the history of the tumbadora by John Santos and popular grooves for drum set, congas, and timbales by Jesus Diaz. Michael Spiro is also back teaching classes on guaguanco and more.
Unfortunately, Francisco Aguabella is unavailable this year. We will miss him.
Last but not least, our nightly house parties/rumbas will once again bring faculty and participants together, playing, singing and dancing into the night. For a taste, go to these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtLuIuDF ... AE&index=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPJLRWMj ... re=relatedI hope to see you in Humboldt.
Howie Kaufman
Founder and Coordinator of the
Explorations in Afro-Cuban Dance and Drum Program
Humboldt State University