afro-cuban film festival in bronx ny
TRANSCRIPT
7/31/2019 Afro-Cuban Film Festival in Bronx NY
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Har l em News Gr ou p B R O N XHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX
AFRO-CUBAN FESTIVAL AT JOYCE KILM ER PARKBy Howard Giske
Alarge crowd gathered at Joyce
Kilmer Park Friday night, July
6th, by the Grand Concourse
and 161st Street in the Bronx, to enjoy
an Afro-Cuban film festival and live
music.
The event was opened by
music spun by DJ Asho, followed by
the group, the Cimarron Project, led by
musical director, Roman Diaz. The
Cimarron Project comprises a bass
player, a keyboard player, a singer, a
flute/sax player, plus four or more
drummers. The multitude of drums
used, including two-sided “bomba”
drums, and a gourd-like drum that was
shaken with beads inside, gave the
music its characteristic contagious
rhythm. Music ranged from primitive
chants with only drumming, to melodic
salsa, son and rhumba dance music.
Before the film showing, the
event was enlivened by greetings from
Bronx Museum director Holly Block.
Holly then danced with a man wearing
a Puerto Rican flag shirt, and they made
a friendly dance competition against
another couple.
The first film “Freddy Ilanga:
Che’s Swahili Translator,” was about a
Congolese man who helped Che Gue-
vara. In September 1960, General
Mobutu made a coup in the Congo. In
April 1965, 100 Cuban troops led by
Che Guevara arrived to try to spark a
rebellion. It was a secret that Che was
in Africa, where he was under the code
name “Tatu.” Freddy Ilanga at the age
of 15 became Che’s translator from
Spanish to Swahili. Freddy lived and
worked with Che, eating with him and
sleeping by him. After 7 months, Che
declared the mission a failure and
returned to Cuba. Freddy went to Cuba
too, and lost all contact with his family.
He became a neurosurgeon, married and
had a family. In 2003, Freddy was
tracked down through the Internet by
his sister-in-law in Bukavu, Congo and
she was able to telephone him. Unfor-
tunately, Freddy contracted meningitis
and died shortly before he was to return
to the Congo.
In the second film “Young
Rebels,” the audience got a rare look at
the hip hop music scene in Cuba. The
film shows Cuban hip hop groups from
2003, such as Hermanos de Causa
(Brothers of the Cause), Anonimo Con-
sejo (Anonymous Advice), and Krudas
(Raw Girls) rehearse and perform. The
hip hop music by U.S. groups like Dead
Prez influenced the Cubans, but the
Cubans had a more pungent political
side. The Cubans were proud to be part
of independent Cuba, but also resented
the political control of the Cuban gov-
ernment, which itself was changing
away from strict Communism to a more
mixed economy. Race was also an
issue, with black Cubans predominating
in hip hop, and seeing resurgent capital-
ism and class structure as threatening
their status. Cuban women joined rap
groups with messages against male
dominance, and in some cases for les-
bian rights. All these social issues gave
Cuban hip hop groups their message
and drive, as they struggled to perform
in Havana, Cuba. Eventually, the
Cuban government sponsored some hip
hop groups, but naturally excluded oth-
ers. Some artists continued to perform
in Cuba, while others found regular
jobs, or moved to the United States.
The Bronx Museum is sponsor-
ing another Afro-Cuban film event on
August 3rd, featuring a film about the
famous South African singer, Miriam
Makeba, also called Mama Africa.
For more information, please
see www.bronxmuseum .org or call
(718) 681-6000.
Cimarron Project Audience dancingFilm showing of
“Young Rebels”
Partnerships for Parks and
Friends of Soundview Park
are excited to announce the
first annual Summer Festival at
Soundview Park, an all-day, all-
ages festival taking place in
Soundview Park—an expansive
200-acre waterfront park located
in the Bronx. Supported by Part-
nerships for Park’s Catalyst pro-
gram—whose focus is on
reclaiming and promoting the
vitality of waterfront parks—this
day of free activities is sure to
offer families a fun-filled day by
the beautiful Bronx waterfront.The event includes a line-
up of fun activities that the whole
family can enjoy, including:
* Live local musicians and
performers
* 3K walk/run by Zodiacs
Track Foundation
* Environmental and Com-
posting Education by Leave it
Better Foundation
* Soccer Clinics and Tour-
naments for kids and teens by
South Bronx United
* “Street Cartographies”
by Boogie Down Rides increases
awareness of cycling as a mode of
transportation and recreation
* Health and Nutrition
Education by St. Raymond Com-
munity Outreach
Summer Festival 2012 willfamiliarize Bronx residents with
Soundview Park and encourage
adults and children to take part in
a range of fun and healthy sports
and games. By taking part in arts
& crafts activities, an interactive
mapping process and a survey,
festival participants will be able to
share their hopes and wishes for
the park. Friends of Soundview
Park will use that information to
plan future park activities for chil-
dren, adults and families.
The festival is part of City
of Water Day, a citywide celebra-
tion organized by the Metropoli-
tan Waterfront Alliance. The City
of Water Day event celebrates the
beauty of the New York and New
Jersey waterfront by engaging
children and families through funoutdoor activities right by the
water.
Note: In event of
inclement weather, the event will
be moved to July 21, 2012.
Ev ent s are lo ca te d at
Soundview Park at the park
entrance at Morrison and
La faye tt e Aven ues, Bronx, NY
10472
Signs, tables and tents will
line the shaded path where visitors
can pick up a map and schedule of
activities and register for certain
activities on a first come first
served basis.
For more information on
Soundview Park and this event,
pl ea se vi sit NY C’s So un dv iew
Park page at: http://www.nycgov- parks.org/parks/soundviewpark
and the Friends of Soundview
Park’s Facebook page at:
www.facebook.com/soundview-
park
SUMM ER FESTIVAL 2 01 2 : CITY OF WATER DAY AT SOUNDVIEW PAR K ON JULY 14 FROM 10 - 6