Brooklyn Friends School -> Our Community -> PAT: Parents and Teachers Association -> PAT African American Celebration -> 2010 Celebration

	Family Feeling Abounds at African American Celebration
	Good food and fellowship mixed with great performances and "family feeling" to make the 15th annual celebration memorable and entertaining.

"Legacy: Celebrating the Strength of Our Families"

The BFS African American Celebration concert on Feb. 5 will feature three outstanding performances.

The Upper School Dance Team, Panthers Supreme, is a performance group that combines elements of hand claps, stepping, and rhythmic movements to create a vibrant and exciting presentation to audience members. Panthers Supreme has performed at the BFS Winter Festival's Friendsapalooza in December 2009 and just recently gave a benefit peformance in White Plains, N.Y.

Masauko, Kuku and Mongezi present songs that span the African continent. These three powerful songwriters from Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa respectively come together to collaborate in the spirit of African unity. Masauko (photo at right) is a member of the popular South African group Blk Sonshine and the father of Jabulani Chipembere who is a student in 3rd grade at BFS. Kuku is from Nigeria, lives in DC and blends acoustic soul with the roots sounds of his Yoruba culture. Mongezi Ntaka was the original guitarist with the Lucky Dube band from South Africa and was recently up for a Canadian Folk Music Award for his work with Lorraine Klaasen. Come hear the African story as it is told by the Africans themselves.

Tenor saxophonist Andrew Lamb is capable of screaming like a full-blooded free jazzer, but more often than not he prefers to work a high-energy middle ground between bop and the avant-garde, in terms of both tone and harmony. Lamb was born in Clinton, NC, and grew up partly in Chicago before eventually putting down roots in New York. Having studied with AACM charter member Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Lamb came onto the city's avant-garde scene just as it was winding down in the '70s, and thus wasn't documented for quite some time. In the meantime, he became an active presence on the Bedford-Stuyvesant arts scene, eventually winning a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council. In 1994, Lamb finally got the chance to lead a session for Delmark; he composed all the pieces on Portrait in the Mist, which featured a backing unit of vibraphonist Warren Smith, bassist Wilber Morris, and drummer Andrei Strobert. Lamb and his backing ensemble became a regular presence in the New York area, especially around Brooklyn, and frequently played the annual Vision Festival, which began in 1996. In 2001, he took part in Alan Silva's big-band project, the Sound Visions Orchestra, and the following year he toured with AACM-affiliated drummer Alvin Fielder. He is the parent of BFS 12th grader Andrew Lamb.

Celebration to Benefit Relief for the People of Haiti

The 15th annual BFS African American Celebration on Friday, Feb. 5 will be a benefit for the people of Haiti. Tickets and T-Shirts are now on sale in the BFS Lobby and with Cheryl at the Front Desk. T-Shirts are $15. Tickets are $10 for students, $20 for adults, and $15 for non-BFS students. Please support this event and help those in great need in Haiti. A donation from the proceeds will be directed to Doctors Without Borders, the designated BFS charity for Haiti relief. For more information on what the BFS community is doing to help those affected by the earthquake, click here.

2010 African American Celebration

Legacy: Celebrating the Strength of Our Families

BFS Families, Mark your calendars for the events planned so far…

Tracing Your Family Tree Tuesday, February 2, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm

Always wondered about your family’s roots but not sure where to start? Have you successfully filled in several branches of your family tree and would like to share your experiences with others? Come to this discussion, led by Susan Price ’86 and Daria Brown (great-aunt of Amara Granderson ’13) prepared to learn and share tips on reconnecting with past generations. Participants are encouraged to bring genealogical clues and results to share with the group.

Homework help will be provided.

Art-Making Activity - Memory Boxes Thursday, February 4, 3:00 pm-7:00 pm

Are there important events, people or symbols you want to remember and pass on to future generations? Create a family treasure that honors your ancestors. Art supplies and boxes will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring copies of photos, clippings, pieces of fabric, or other effects of sentimental importance to your family.

Legacy: Celebrating the Strength of Our Families Friday, February 5, 6:00pm

Enjoy a hearty BFS family dinner followed by a program of music and dance featuring the Dance Team and talented BFS parent musicians Andrew Lamb and Masauko Chipembere. Prices are $60 for a family of four, $20 for adults and $10 for students of BFS, $15 non-BFS Students.

Group Trip to MOCADA Saturday, February 6 11:00 am

Begin the day at Fort Greene’s MOCADA (80 Hanson Place) http://www.mocada.org/ for a group visit of the new exhibition, “The Gentrification of Brooklyn: The Pink Elephant Speaks”. (Pre-registration will be required, cost is $4 per person.)

ALSO . . .

In celebration of Black History Month, the art exhibition “Artists Speaking for the Spirits” will debut on Thursday February 4, 2010. The exhibition features 40 mural sized paintings on canvas created by emerging as well as mid career artists representing the African Diaspora. A project of the Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation (ARTC), and its affiliate, Urban Resource Institute (URI), the artists are enrolled in a historic initiative to introduce the healing power of art into various therapeutic settings.

The exhibition is free to the public. Opening week-end hours are: Fri, 11-5, Sat. and Sun. 3-6. The remaining February schedule is: Thurs-Fri 11-5, and Sun 3-6, with artist talks each Sunday. School groups are welcome by appointment.

For further information contact BFS parent Wendy Jones.

ARTC, Arthur Bennett Hall, 22 Chapel Street, located near Jay Street between the Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridges.