Programs
Kulu Mele presents Wemilere: Parade of the Orishas
Saturday, February 16, 5 p.m.
Taller Puertoriqueno, 2600 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
Free & Open to the Public
Join the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Taller Puertoriqueno, and Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble for this incredible dance program and conversation presented as part of 2019’s PhilAesthetic: AAMP Celebrates the African Diaspora in Philly festivities, and Taller’s 23rd Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium. Wemilere celebrates eight of the most important orishas (deities) in Yoruba culture; Elegba, Ogun, Ochosi, Oshun, Yemaya, Shango, Oya, and Obatala. The dance performance will be preceded by a 10-minute drumming interlude featuring Afro-Cuban rhythms. The performance will conclude with an audience and artist Q&A.
Saturday, February 16, 5 p.m.
Taller Puertoriqueno, 2600 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
Free & Open to the Public
Join the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Taller Puertoriqueno, and Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble for this incredible dance program and conversation presented as part of 2019’s PhilAesthetic: AAMP Celebrates the African Diaspora in Philly festivities, and Taller’s 23rd Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium. Wemilere celebrates eight of the most important orishas (deities) in Yoruba culture; Elegba, Ogun, Ochosi, Oshun, Yemaya, Shango, Oya, and Obatala. The dance performance will be preceded by a 10-minute drumming interlude featuring Afro-Cuban rhythms. The performance will conclude with an audience and artist Q&A.
23rd Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium
Saturday, February 23, 2019, 9:30 AM - 5:00 p.m.
Taller Puertoriqueno, 2600 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
Tickets: $12.50 - $30
Since 1997, The Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium explores different aspects of the complex relationship of the African diaspora to Latin American culture. With presentations by distinguished scholars, this event offers the opportunity to deepen knowledge and understanding, foster dialogue, and educate audiences and speakers alike. This year’s symposium focuses on the social perceptions and construction of beauty and how these influence our understanding, acceptance, and emotional responses to race.
Saturday, February 23, 2019, 9:30 AM - 5:00 p.m.
Taller Puertoriqueno, 2600 N 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
Tickets: $12.50 - $30
Since 1997, The Annual Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium explores different aspects of the complex relationship of the African diaspora to Latin American culture. With presentations by distinguished scholars, this event offers the opportunity to deepen knowledge and understanding, foster dialogue, and educate audiences and speakers alike. This year’s symposium focuses on the social perceptions and construction of beauty and how these influence our understanding, acceptance, and emotional responses to race.
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Films at AAMP
Panomundo: The Evolution of Steelpan Friday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. Free with RSVP! As part of PhilAesthetic: AAMP Celebrates the African Diaspora in Philly, you’re invited to join us for this free and open to the public screening. Panomundo is a feature-length documentary about the history of the steelpan in Trinidad & Tobago and its global influence as featured in Canada, Japan, Nigeria, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States. Panomundo filmmaker Charysse Tia Harper will join us for a special post screening conversation and audience Q&A. RSVP now! Doors open at 6 p.m. and the program begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. |
Opening: Winter/Spring 2019 Exhibitions at AAMP
Friday, March 8, 6:00 p.m.
Free & Open to the Public
On Friday, March 8, the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites you to join us as we open three exciting special exhibitions; AAMP on Paper: Selections from the Permanent Collection; Baye Fall: Roots in Spirituality, Fashion and Resistance; and The Sacred Star of Isis and Other Stories. This celebration is free and open to the public, and will include live music from area musicians.
Friday, March 8, 6:00 p.m.
Free & Open to the Public
On Friday, March 8, the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites you to join us as we open three exciting special exhibitions; AAMP on Paper: Selections from the Permanent Collection; Baye Fall: Roots in Spirituality, Fashion and Resistance; and The Sacred Star of Isis and Other Stories. This celebration is free and open to the public, and will include live music from area musicians.
River of Freedom: Music from the Americas
Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts
738 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
$8 Advance | $12 Door | Free for AAMP Members
In partnership with the University of Delaware, the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites you to experience a special night of international music and performance.
River of Freedom chronicles the journey of the enslaved African-Americans who fought with the British in America’s Second War of Independence of 1812 in exchange for freedom and land in Trinidad. According to their ancestors, who still reside in the south of Trinidad, these men were proud of being American and were known from then on as the “Merikins.” This group arrived in Trinidad in 1816.
River of Freedom is a visual arts-integrated work that incorporates narration, solo voice and chamber ensemble. The work will be performed by Ibis Ensemble, a group founded by and made up of members of the music faculty of the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and members of the music faculty from the University of Delaware. Written by Caitlyn Kamminga and Adam Walters, and featuring the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the work premiered in southern Trinidad in 2015 to wide acclaim.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 8 p.m. A conversation and audience Q&A will follow the performance. The work will also be performed at the University of Delaware on March 16.
Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts
738 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
$8 Advance | $12 Door | Free for AAMP Members
In partnership with the University of Delaware, the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites you to experience a special night of international music and performance.
River of Freedom chronicles the journey of the enslaved African-Americans who fought with the British in America’s Second War of Independence of 1812 in exchange for freedom and land in Trinidad. According to their ancestors, who still reside in the south of Trinidad, these men were proud of being American and were known from then on as the “Merikins.” This group arrived in Trinidad in 1816.
River of Freedom is a visual arts-integrated work that incorporates narration, solo voice and chamber ensemble. The work will be performed by Ibis Ensemble, a group founded by and made up of members of the music faculty of the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and members of the music faculty from the University of Delaware. Written by Caitlyn Kamminga and Adam Walters, and featuring the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the work premiered in southern Trinidad in 2015 to wide acclaim.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 8 p.m. A conversation and audience Q&A will follow the performance. The work will also be performed at the University of Delaware on March 16.
Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean with Lyndon K. Gill, Ph.D.
Saturday, March 23, 4:30 p.m.
Free & Open to the Public
On Saturday, March 23, AAMP invites you to join us for a free reception, conversation and signing with Lyndon K. Gill, Ph.D., author of Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean. Gill will be joined in conversation by Deborah A. Thomas, Ph.D., the R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology, and the Director of the Center for Experimental Ethnography at the University of Pennsylvania.
Doors for this event open at 4:30 pm for a wine and cheese reception. The formal program will begin promptly at 5 p.m. Copies of Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean will be available for purchase during this event.
Erotic Islands maps a long queer presence at a crossroads of the Caribbean. This transdisciplinary book foregrounds the queer histories of Carnival, calypso, and HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. At its heart is an extension of Afro-Caribbean American lesbian feminist Audre Lorde's use of the erotic as theory and methodology. Dr. Gill turns to lesbian/gay artistry and activism to insist on eros as an intertwined political-sensual-spiritual lens through which to see self and society more clearly. This analysis juxtaposes revered musician Calypso Rose, renowned mas man Peter Minshall, and resilient HIV/AIDS organization Friends For Life. Erotic Islands traverses black studies, queer studies, and anthropology toward an emergent black queer diaspora studies.
Lyndon K. Gill is an Associate Professor in the Department of African &African Diaspora Studies, the Department of Anthropology, and the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in African American Studies and Anthropology from Harvard University. And he has received postdoctoral fellowships from Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Ford Foundation. His first book Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean was published by Duke University Press in June 2018. He is also a poet and installation artist.
Saturday, March 23, 4:30 p.m.
Free & Open to the Public
On Saturday, March 23, AAMP invites you to join us for a free reception, conversation and signing with Lyndon K. Gill, Ph.D., author of Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean. Gill will be joined in conversation by Deborah A. Thomas, Ph.D., the R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology, and the Director of the Center for Experimental Ethnography at the University of Pennsylvania.
Doors for this event open at 4:30 pm for a wine and cheese reception. The formal program will begin promptly at 5 p.m. Copies of Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean will be available for purchase during this event.
Erotic Islands maps a long queer presence at a crossroads of the Caribbean. This transdisciplinary book foregrounds the queer histories of Carnival, calypso, and HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. At its heart is an extension of Afro-Caribbean American lesbian feminist Audre Lorde's use of the erotic as theory and methodology. Dr. Gill turns to lesbian/gay artistry and activism to insist on eros as an intertwined political-sensual-spiritual lens through which to see self and society more clearly. This analysis juxtaposes revered musician Calypso Rose, renowned mas man Peter Minshall, and resilient HIV/AIDS organization Friends For Life. Erotic Islands traverses black studies, queer studies, and anthropology toward an emergent black queer diaspora studies.
Lyndon K. Gill is an Associate Professor in the Department of African &African Diaspora Studies, the Department of Anthropology, and the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in African American Studies and Anthropology from Harvard University. And he has received postdoctoral fellowships from Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Ford Foundation. His first book Erotic Islands: Art and Activism in the Queer Caribbean was published by Duke University Press in June 2018. He is also a poet and installation artist.
Foodways of the Diaspora: Afro-Caribbean Culinary Tradition & Evolution
Saturday, April 27
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises
310 S 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Free & Open to the Public
Each year, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Independence National Historical Park, the Friends of Independence, and the Smithsonian Institution hold a symposium that addresses an aspect of African American history and culture, paying special attention to high achievements, racial discrimination and the impact of slavery. This year’s symposium's title and topic will be Foodways of the Diaspora: Afro-Caribbean Culinary Tradition & Evolution. This symposium will engage panelists and audiences in experiential and immersive learning experiences, as well as discussions about the origins, spread and continued evolution of Afro-Caribbean practices related to the production and consumption of food. Audiences will enjoy presentations by scholars and practitioners, including lectures, panel discussions, cooking demos and tastings; and will be exposed to topics such as Afro-Caribbean foodway history, voluntary and forced relocation, food traditions and rituals, family recipes, immigrant communities, and nutrition.
Save the date! Registration will open in March 2019.
Saturday, April 27
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises
310 S 48th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Free & Open to the Public
Each year, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Independence National Historical Park, the Friends of Independence, and the Smithsonian Institution hold a symposium that addresses an aspect of African American history and culture, paying special attention to high achievements, racial discrimination and the impact of slavery. This year’s symposium's title and topic will be Foodways of the Diaspora: Afro-Caribbean Culinary Tradition & Evolution. This symposium will engage panelists and audiences in experiential and immersive learning experiences, as well as discussions about the origins, spread and continued evolution of Afro-Caribbean practices related to the production and consumption of food. Audiences will enjoy presentations by scholars and practitioners, including lectures, panel discussions, cooking demos and tastings; and will be exposed to topics such as Afro-Caribbean foodway history, voluntary and forced relocation, food traditions and rituals, family recipes, immigrant communities, and nutrition.
Save the date! Registration will open in March 2019.
Gurumbe: Afro-Andalusian Memories Film. Performance. Conversation
Sunday, April 28, 3:00 pm
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Free & Open to the Public
Flamenco is synonymous with Spanish culture. Yet, since its inception, theorists have sidelined the fundamental contribution of Afro-Andalusians to this art form. Commercial exploitation of the American colonies brought hundreds of Africans to Spain to be sold as slaves, forming a population which, over time, managed to gain space in a society wrought with racial prejudices.
Music and dance were a fundamental part of their expression and the most important affirmation of their identity. As the black population began to disappear from Spain in the late 19th century, so too did their contribution to this extraordinary art form. With the the timely, poignant documentary Gurumbe: Afro-Andalusian Memories, the full story of African influence on flamenco and Spanish culture is finally told.
Following the screening of Gurumbe, audiences will experience a live performance by rising international Flamenco artist Aliesha Bryan, winner of the 2016 Flamenco Certamen USA. The program will conclude with a conversation and reflection led by Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild, Professor Emerita of Dance Studies at Temple University, and author of The Black Dancing Body: A Geography From Coon to Cool. Along with Aliesha Bryan, Dr. Gottschild will be joined in conversation by Flamenco artist and scholar, K. Meira Goldberg, author of the newly released book, Sonidos Negros: On the Blackness of Flamenco.
Sunday, April 28, 3:00 pm
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Free & Open to the Public
Flamenco is synonymous with Spanish culture. Yet, since its inception, theorists have sidelined the fundamental contribution of Afro-Andalusians to this art form. Commercial exploitation of the American colonies brought hundreds of Africans to Spain to be sold as slaves, forming a population which, over time, managed to gain space in a society wrought with racial prejudices.
Music and dance were a fundamental part of their expression and the most important affirmation of their identity. As the black population began to disappear from Spain in the late 19th century, so too did their contribution to this extraordinary art form. With the the timely, poignant documentary Gurumbe: Afro-Andalusian Memories, the full story of African influence on flamenco and Spanish culture is finally told.
Following the screening of Gurumbe, audiences will experience a live performance by rising international Flamenco artist Aliesha Bryan, winner of the 2016 Flamenco Certamen USA. The program will conclude with a conversation and reflection led by Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild, Professor Emerita of Dance Studies at Temple University, and author of The Black Dancing Body: A Geography From Coon to Cool. Along with Aliesha Bryan, Dr. Gottschild will be joined in conversation by Flamenco artist and scholar, K. Meira Goldberg, author of the newly released book, Sonidos Negros: On the Blackness of Flamenco.
PhilAesthetic: AAMP Celebrates the African Diaspora in Philly is made possible with the generous support of PNC Arts Alive.
