Cultural Voice

 Have you seen Cultural Voice eZine's July edition. It was sizzling hot. Send us an email with your feedback so that we can improve your customer experience. Cultural Voice keeps you connected to the hot trends in the creative space... In this issue we chat with the world famous artist Kehinde Wiley, get advice from dancer extraordinaire N'Jelle Gage, explore the homes of young people from cultures across the Globe guided by French photographer John T. and much more! 

Barbara Requa - "A Dance Educator Extraordinaire" The PSCCA Arts Festival is an annual display of intercontinental performing arts with the Jamaica Dance Umbrella specifically providing a platform honouring the work of dancers and dance artistes while providing a platform for prominent dance collectives from across the island, the Caribbean as well as other regions including North and South America to showcase their talents. In celebrating 5 years as Jamaica’s premier dance festival the organisers hosted their first dance focused panel discussion – ‘DANCE DIALOGUES: MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH DANCE’.   T he panel dubbed "Dance Dialogues" was presented under the patronage of the Embassy of France in Jamaica and produced in partnership with the Kingston Book Festival (Book Industry Association of Jamaica). Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon, after a very vibrant and necessary discussion on the evolution of dance in Jamaica, Barbados, the Caribbean and ...

Cultural Voice is pleased to be a supporter of the Jamaica Dance Umbrella. Jamaica Dance Umbrella is continuing its thrust of promoting arts and culture as an integral pillar of a society’s development.   This year, the J.D.U celebrates its 5 th anniversary. To this end, the organization’s theme for this year’s events is F.I.V.E , “5 years of Jamaica’s premier dance festival”. These series of events, which occur from Monday, Feb. 25 th to Sunday March 03, 2013, will appeal to your artistic sensibilities.             In keeping with the themes of the ‘Fives,’ The Jamaica Dance Umbrella’s “5 years of Jamaica’s first ever dance festival” will feature four (4) explorative dance workshops; three (3) days of the island’s best dance performances;   two (2) stimulating dance dialogues and one (1) pioneer, a Jamaican dance stalwart, Ms. Barbara Requa. Mark your calendars and let the countdown begin! Sche...

What's Inside... Plus + + + Tribute to the Late Art Historian Dewey Mosby, The Struggle for Identity and The Mexican Headdress, Emerging Artist Abenah Gonzalez, as well as Mexican Designers combining Haute Couture with Tradition!

Article published in the Jamaica Gleaner The passing of Eduardo Rivero-Walker, the adopted Jamaican dancer, legendary Afro-centric modern dance choreographer and artistic director of Cuba's leading modern dance company Compañía Teatro Dela Danza Del Caribe de Santiago, has left the dance community in shock. Rivero-Walker's passing has also left a void among members of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) and the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble. In fact, the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble's 19th Season of Dance - which is scheduled to run at the Little Theatre from November this weekend - will be paying tribute to Rivero-Walker's work as choreographer and teacher.   "His passing has given heightened significance to his entrusting to us his choreographic work Toromato ," said Dr MoniKa Lawrence, artistic director and founder of the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble. Lawrence worked closely with Rivero-Walker - first as a dancer with the N...

The effortless transitions, the visually stimulating scenes and the strength of well-toned bodies were poignant features of Dance Theatre Harlem’s performance on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 12:00pm. The show, presented by The Embassy of the United States of America, had the theme “Celebrating the ties that bind 50 years of friendship”.  That message was clear onstage and off. Fate smiled and landed me in a seat just beside the Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Virginia Johnson, and Founding Member of Dance Theatre Harlem, Jamaican Patsy Ricketts. Patsy Ricketts also danced on Jamaica’s Stage as a Principal Dancer of the National Dance Theatre Company for many years. When Johnson sat beside Ricketts it was like a reunion of sisters, that sense of shared history was undeniable.  They laughed through hellos and spoke admiringly of their first interactions with Arthur Mitchell the Co-Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of DTH.  It was schoolgirl giggles a...

Cynthia "Cinti" Salandy There's lots to talk about when you have the opportunity to sit with Cynthia Salandy! We caught up with Cynthia while on location in Trinidad and Tobago for 2012's Carnival! Certainly something Cultural Voice recommends as a must-do for all our readers! Something Positive on Stage. Photo by Zoe Mocker Something Positive in the Studio. Photo by Zoe Mocker "Cinti" is the Associate Director of "Something Positive" Cynthia, affectionately known as "Cinti" is the Associate Director of Something Positive, a dance company based in NYC, started dancing at age 17 in Diego Martin, Trinidad. Her career started through the community based programme called "Best Village" and all the different communities in and around Trinidad would compete for bragging rights and a trophy. Best Village "The programme seeks to preserve, protect, and build on our Folk Traditions, and to facilitate the gr...

Marketing Assistant by day, Dance Teacher, Choreographer and member of Tony Wilson's 'The Company Dance Theatre' in all other time available, Renee McDonald continues to make great strides in the Jamaican Dance Scene. A very Talented young lady, Renee would love to throw caution to the wind and be a full time professional dancer. It's a dream so many artists share, and often a tough decision to make especially in developing economies such as Jamaica's where its extremely difficult to earn a sustainable livelihood. Renee loves Jamaica 100% and would not want to be dancing anywhere else...so in the mean time she continues to make it all happen. Her Cultural Icon is undoubtably Bob Marley, and she expresses that it's undeniable that he's the best and none can compare! Today would have been the icon's 67th Birthday and we recognize his contribution to the Cultural Fabric of Jamaica, the Caribbean and the World! Views from the Artist on: WORL...

 Don Cornelius, Source: OMG! Don Cornelius, Source: Billboard.com Don Cornelius, Source: USA Today Source: Soul Train.com 'Soul Train' debuted in 1971, and revolutionized the world of television. It brought urban African American Culture to an international stage and made it fun to dance dance dance!!! The Executive Producer and visionary who created this phenomenon was Don Cornelius. Cornnelius died today February 1st in what appears to be a suicide. We wish his family and friends well. Soul Train will live on!

  Photo: Monica DaSilva In 2010, Cultural Fusion featured a French Dance Company under the Artistic Direction of Rick ODUMS, originally American who found a home in France. Undoubtably, one the stars of that show was Georgey Souchette, who I had the pleasure of interviewing for Cultural Voice via skype.  Photo: Monica DaSilva "You always struggle in art" If you don't believe that intercultural exchange breaks down borders, listen to how I met Georgey! On a cold day in November, 2009, I was making my way home from a day teaching english to high school students in Nanterre, a suburb just outside the Paris, France when my cell phone rang. A heavy creolised french accent said 'hello' on the other end. He introduced himself explaining that he was recruiting dancers for a project in Tolouse, near to the South of France. I thought how odd, and random,  and for a moment considered that it  must  have been a divine co...

Pablo Picasso's Guernica "What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who only has eyes if he's a painter, ears if he's a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his heart if he's a poet – or even, if he's a boxer, only some muscles? Quite the contrary, he is at the same time a political being constantly alert to the horrifying, passionate or pleasing events in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. How is it possible to be uninterested in other men and by virtue of what cold nonchalance can you detach yourself from the life that they supply so copiously? No, painting is not made to decorate apartments. It's an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy."   - Pablo Picasso As artists we must recognise that we influence society. Art has always been used to transmit messages whether or not it is the intention of the artist. It is this ability for art to transcend (through poetry, music, dance, theatre, painting) realities, m...

Patrick O'Neill, dancer with the NYC based, Contemporary Ballet Company Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance took time out to share his opinions on a few things. Cultural Voice will feature every week short profiles on different artists. (When asking the questions we encourage the artistes not to think too much and to give a spur of the moment answer so we know what they really think.) Patrick in Performance Picture by Sagitarii Photography, Cultural Fusion, 2011 Patrick was born and raised in Rochester, NY and is currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Life Philosophy? His philosophy on life is... "life only throws at you what it thinks you can handle. nothing less. nothing more. good things happen and bad things happen and its how you adapt and learn and thrive that makes life worth living." When Asked about his Cultural Icons.... "hmmm cultural icons... well the gay man in me would have to say Beyonce! hahahaha! she has a vision of what she wants and then she goe...