Bridging African Rhythms and Jazz Theme of African Arts in the Park Festival

UMOJA African Arts Company
PO Box 5230
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Phone:  412-290-0894
Fax:  412-232-3262
www.AfricanArtsInThePark.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mrs. Darcel Madkins, President & CEO
UMOJA African Arts Company
Phone: 412-290-0894
Fax: 412-232-3262
umoja@umojacompany.org
www.AfricanArtsInThePark.org

UMOJA African Arts Company in partnership with CitiParks to Host the African-American Festival being held at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA   - African Arts in the Park Festival is dedicated to the demonstration and promotion of African and African Diaspora Arts in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. This year’s theme, “Bridging African Rhythms and Jazz”, appeals to people of all backgrounds recognizing that African music is a strong contributor to the genre of jazz music.  Umoja’s mission,” to raise awareness and increase appreciation for the rich cultures of Africa and their influence on the world”, utilizes the African Arts in the Park as a wonderful event for such an exposition.  Plan on stopping by Umoja African Arts Company’s 8th Annual African Arts in the Park Festival, August 11th & 12th, 2012, in Point State Park from 11AM-7PM in the center of Downtown Pittsburgh.

The Main Stage will be filled with West African music, dance, and jazz.  Attendees can bring their chairs and blankets and hear live bands.  They will be entertained by various West African dance and drum troops including Sankofa Village, Dreme Drum Dance, Legacy Arts Project, and Tam Tam Magic.  Jazz musicians include Afro-American Music Institute, Jessica Lee Quartet, Elevations, Roger Humphries and RH Factor, AfroJazz, Chelsea Baratz Band, Ray Ryan and the Riverside Band, Tim Stevens and the Leonard Johnson Project, Kevin Howard Band, Dwayne Dolphin Band, and Spirit Filled Ministries.

The Culture Hut will offer interactive demonstrations such as West Africa’s influence on Jazz by Kuumba Inc., African storytelling by Temujin the Storyteller and Jackie Jonas, and drum workshops by Assane M’Baye. New this year are cooking and tasting demos which connect West African food and food from New Orleans by Phat Girlz Cookin’ and Culinary Artists.

We encourage a visit to our Children’s Hut.  There will be Spanish & French Arts & Crafts, Reading Is Fundamental, Carnegie Library activities, African storytelling & mask making, jewelry making, face painting, henna artists, petting zoo, Debo the Clown, a stiltwalker, and a bounce house.

Our food vendors will serve a variety of American and international food. The retail vendors will have several crafts, art, and clothing. Admission to this event is free.

UMOJA African Arts Company is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is celebrating its 23rd season of bridging and unifying diverse cultures through educational and artistic presentations of African art, culture and heritage.   Sponsors include City of Pittsburgh, Heinz Endowments, Pittsburgh Foundation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield,  Poise Foundation, The Soul Pitt, Residence Inn- Marriott, and Wyndham Hotel.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Portrayal and Perception: African American Men and Boys

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN & BOYS SPECIALS EXPLORE PORTRAYAL & PERCEPTION


Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys Premieres Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 14, 2012

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN & BOYS SPECIALS EXPLORE PORTRAYAL & PERCEPTION

Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys

Premieres Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

PITTSBURGH—In the new series Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys viewers will discover local individuals and organizations who are challenging common portrayals and perceptions of them and their culture.

Chris Moore

To set-up the context for this important series WQED’s weekly multi-cultural program Horizons (which airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV) will hold a dynamic conversation on the February 21 episode about why re-shaping the portrayal and perception of African American males is important to all facets of our society. Joining Emmy®-Award winning producer and host Chris Moore will be for this discussion will be:

• Dr. Larry E. Davis, Dean of the Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems;

• Desmond King, Andrew Mellon Professor of American Government at Nuffield College, Oxford University;

• Dr. Marcia M. Sturdivant, Deputy Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF.)



Minette Seate


Known for teaching the craft and culture of African American musical forms to area youth for almost thirty years, The Afro American Music Institute (AAMI) has a lasting impact on the students it serves. On Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV the premiere episode of Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys comes from Emmy®-Award winning producer Minette Seate. In this special, Seate explores the AAMI and its Boys Choir, where they continue a legacy of mentorship to children in our area. The AAMI goes beyond choir rehearsal to foster a culture of pride and responsibility to one’s community.

On Monday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV, Emmy®-Award winning producer Michael Bartley takes a look at local African American entrepreneurs. In this episode Bartley takes viewers to several local and unique businesses where hard-work, vision and service are the crux of these operations. Often overlooked by commercial media, these individuals are experiencing financial success and finding ways to inspire future business leaders.

The third of these special episodes airs on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV from Moore who talks with African American males who are fed up with the portraits of them drawn by mainstream media. They believe that in order to combat these negative images it is their responsibility to define who they are instead of leaving it to someone else. Through One Hood Media Jasiri X and Paradise "The Arkitech" Gray are teaching young people how to control the image of young black males by using the mediums at their disposal. Moore explains to viewers how the New Media Academy of One Hood Media is helping the students use their own stories to prepare for the future.

A fourth episode and town hall meeting are also planned as part of the series and will air in October 2012.

Funding for Portrayal & Perception: African American Men & Boys was provided by a grant from The Heinz Endowments, which supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and region that embraces diversity and inclusion.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

AAMI Boys Choir 20th Anniversary Reunion Weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



MEDIA CONTACT:

Pamela Johnson
Afro-American Music Institute
412-241-6775 or 412-443-1770
aamusicin@aol.com
http://www.afroamericanmusic.org/

7131 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15208

Photo: AAMI Boys Choir pictured with Dr. James Johnson (far left) and Howie Alexander (far right)


AAMI's Boys Choir 20th Anniversary Reunion Weekend

June 18-19 -- Pittsburgh Center for the Arts



PITTSBURGH, PA (PittsburghNewsWire.com) -- Twenty years ago Pamela Johnson, co-founder of the Afro American Music Institute, Inc. (AAMI), a nonprofit organization located in Homewood, started to honor fathers with the creation of a Father's Day Tribute concert. That one-day event, would lead to the creation of AAMI's Boys Choir of Pittsburgh. AAMI's Boys Choir, a community-based program, enables youth to experience the cultural richness and excitement of creative musical expressions. Hundreds of young men have been choir members, and now, twenty-one years later as of June 2011 the AAMI's Boys Choir is still the Institute's premier Performance Ensemble.

This year's Father's Day concert, features AAMI's Boys Choir alumni Tommy Parker. Tommy Parker started singing with AAMI's Boys Choir at the age of 10 years old; today, he is producer and songwriter for Darkchild, working with artists such as Janet Jackson, Usher, and many others. On June 19, at 4 PM, AAMI will hold a Dinner Concert at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts located at 6300 Fifth Ave. On Saturday, June 18, Tommy Parker will hold a community Music Industry workshop at AAMI, 7131 Hamilton Avenue in Homewood from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. He will be accompanied by other musicians including Jessica Lee, Roy Razika and Keith Moncrief.

The AAMI's Boys Choir has performed at festivals, churches, universities, civic affairs and social organizations throughout the metropolitan Pittsburgh Area. The Boys Choir toured and performed at Spellman College, (Atlanta, GA), St. Mark's Anglican Church, (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada), local churches in Milwaukee, WI and Six Flags Theme Park on the Great American Stage, (Gurnee, Il.). The Choir performed in Memphis, TN at the Civil Rights Museum and at Cannon Theatre in celebration of STAX Record's 50th Anniversary.

Proceeds from this year's concert will underwrite the costs for the Boys Choir Tour and performance at the 1st National Boys Choir, Invitational Convention at the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, June 23-25, 2011. AAMI's Boys Choir will represent the City of Pittsburgh at the National Boys Choir competition.

A SHOUT OUT TO ALL YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE BEEN APART OF AAMI's BOYS' CHOIR

Please mail/email a brief personal biography for AAMI's Boys Choir Reunion Celebration. We would love to hear from you!

For more information, tickets or to donate to AAMI's Boys Choir Tour please contact AAMI at 412-241-6775 or visit us at www.afroamericanmusic.org.

**AAMI is a member agency of the United Way of Allegheny County -- Designation Code 927578**
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AAMI Open House Celebrates Music Education and Entertainment

Afro American Music Institute

Open House

@ AAMI - 7131 Hamilton Ave Pittsburgh PA 15208

Saturday April 30th 1pm - 7pm

Sunday May 1st 2pm - 6pm

AAMI invites you to come visit our facilities. Come join us and celebrate our rich legacy of music education and entertainment. Have a tour, meet the founders, the faculty, the staff, the board members and youth and adult students. Come see the newly renovated loading dock which will serve as the multi purpose room for upcoming events, recitals, meetings, rental space and more!



Performance Schedule

Saturday April 30th 1:00pm - 3:00 pm

AAMI faculty and Youth Jazz Ensemble

4:00pm - 7:00pm - Smooth Groove Band

Sunday May 1st 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Sunday's Best Gospel Featuring Deryck Tines Mitchell and other surprise guest artist.



Held At

AAMI
7131 Hamilton Ave
Pittsburgh PA 15208

Dr. James & Pamela Johnson, Founders of AAMI

For more information call (412)-241-6775 or visit our website at http://www.afroamericanmusic.org/