The Center for International Exhibition and Performance since 1987
Given time is Eastern Time, local time of the event location in Michigan.
RAM is a mizik rasin band based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The band derives its name from the initials of its founder, songwriter, and lead male vocalist, Richard A. Morse With Spirit building meditations featuring Chicago based guest artists and poets. Sojourner, Zahra Baker, Adam Zanolini, Zacbe Pichardo, Wanees, Ayreeyal Ra, Uche Omoniyi, LuFuki
Throughout liberatory movements against empire and occupation, culture has been central to “the peoples movement”. Here, honoring several longtime projects (R.A.M. from Haiti, Ilê Aiyê from Bahia, Brazil, and The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra from Los Angeles) we layer additionally with other artists to CONSECRATE grounds and build a spiritual center for new energies of emancipation. The series of public events produced by HotHouse, and supported by guest curators Zahra Baker and Asad Jaffri (with funding provided by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, WDCB radio sponsorship, and Logan Center venue underwriting ) will take as a thematic cue the Pan African Festival of Algiers, the iconic festival from the 1970’s that fused global political activism with the arts.
The programs will be presented on several dates in September and October on various sites in Bronzeville and Hyde Park, and culminate October 1 on the land in rural Michigan in an all day ceremony.
The centerpiece of the series is an improvised performance that builds power and meditative focus over time. In this piece, guest soloists will join the Haitian ensemble, RAM to build the layers structure of sound in one long piece – many notable artists from differing spiritual traditions will participate.
The other cornerstones proposed involve the rare appearance of the Brazilian ‘bloco’ Ilê Aiyê and the Chicago debut of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra ( PAPA). The Pan Afrikan Arkestra may be considered the west coast “cousin” of Chicago’s own AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). Featured will be opportunities to discuss these historic formations of Great Black Culture and share musical practices in a major concert at the Logan Center for the Arts. Each of the featured groups ( Ilê Aiyê, RAM and PAPA) are celebrating at least 40 years of consistent activism and cultural expression.
In addition to the public performances, HotHouse will add thematic context and more in depth historical archival materials via online hyper-links to related content. A series of free online streaming films curated by HotHouse to contribute to the understanding of Afro-Latin cultural traditions will be presented by our partner CAN TV. Other online content will include photos and documents.
All the programs will be presented FREE to the public with a “suggested donation request’ / “free will offering”
HotHouse has a particular expertise in creating and executing these kind of multi-arts events with a long track record of previous programs like the 2010 African Jubilee, The Woody Guthrie Centennial Concert, The Concert for Cuba, and other long- form projects that integrate historical events with contemporary arts expression. Our project the Tricontinental ’66 and other Acts of Liberation is a traveling exhibition prepared under our auspices that explores similar themes of cultural expression tied to people’s movements. The exhibition has traveled to New York University and University of Virginia in addition to premiering at the Stony Island Arts Bank.
The impact of our work is to engage audiences in a multi-level educational experience that excavates popular history and culture and builds tools for present day problem solving. In this case building unity across communities in the city.