Washington Revels SunFest 2011 Performers

« Back to Revels SunFest Home

View a Full Schedule of Performances [PDF]

BOLIVIA

Ayllu Cultural Tinkus Wayras is a Bolivian Folkloric dance group founded in 2009 by a group of family and friends with the sole purpose of continuing the rich and magnificent cultures that are from Bolivia. Tinkus Wayras is composed by people of all ages who dance proudly keeping their culture within them.

Watch Video of Ayllu Cultural Tinkus Wayras

BRAZIL

Capoeira Sul da Bahia - Washington D.C. is a group whose principal mission is to encourage and promote the art of Capoeira--an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance. In Capoeira, the singing of songs and the playing of music is just as important as fighting or learning of the movements. To be a good capoeirista, one must be able to sing, play the instruments (berimbau, atabaque and pandeiro), know the movements, and participate in the Roda. There are different types of Capoeira songs: The Ladainha is used to start Angola rodas. It is either a prayer, salutation or story. Only the berimbaus and pandeiros play while the ladainha is being sung, the rest of the instruments come in as it concludes with 'Iê, viva meu deus'. Quadras are songs consisting of four verses that are sung by the soloist and repeated by the chorus. These are some of the most common Capoeira songs used in both Angola and Regional. Corridos are one or two-verse songs sung in the same solo & repeat fashion as Quadras.

Learn more about Capoeira Sul da Bahia - Washington D.C.

INDONESIA

Wrhatnala USA is composed of elegant and exquisitely costumed dancers from Indonesia. Based in Germantown Maryland, Wrhatnala USA features performers from throughout the extended metro DC area and has presented numerous performances and educational programs across the United States. Wrhatnala USA is part of the legacy of I Gusti Agung Ngurah Supartha SST (1943-2007), the internationally regarded Balinese dancer, composer and choreographer who founded Sanggar Wrhatnala in Bali. View videos of the ensemble on YouTube.

Learn more about Wrhatnala USA | View videos on YoutTube

IRELAND

The Bog Band is a talented group of young people with a passion for Irish music. The band leader is Pete Moss (aka Mitch Fanning), a strings teacher at the Washington Waldorf School. Most band members play fiddle (many of them play multiple instruments), but the band also includes a variety of instruments including flute, guitar, bodhran, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, harp and cello. The Bog Band has about 15 musicians ranging in age from ten through teen (and beyond). They have recorded two CD'S: "Got Bog?", a studio album, and "Own Their On Turf", a live session recording that captures the excitement and enthusiasm these musicians bring to their performances.

Learn more about the Bog Band

JAPAN

Chin Hamaya Daiko is an Okinawan Taiko drumming group that has performed across the east coast, including at the Kennedy Center, as well as in Okinawa. The groups performs Eisā -- a form of folk dance unique to the people of the Ryukyu Islands. Although it is performed many times throughout the year at various festivals ,Eisā performances are concentrated around lunar mid-July. It is normally danced by 20-30 young men and/or women, mainly in a circle to the accompaniment of singing, chanting, and drumming by the dancers, and folk songs played on the sanshin. Three types of drums are used in various combinations, depending upon regional style: the odaiko (large barrel drum); the shimedaiko (a medium-sized drum, similar to ones used in Noh theatre); and a small hand drum, the paranku, similar to ones used in Buddhist ceremony. The dancers also sometimes play small hand gongs and yotsutake castanets. Eisa dancers wear various costumes, usually according to local tradition and gender of the dancer; modern costumes are often brightly-colored and feature a characteristic, colorful Ryūkyū-style knotted turban. Special vests and leggings are also popular. People in Okinawa call lion-dogs shisa or shishi (pictured to the right). A shisa is a lion originally from China that wards off evil spirits and was initially placed at the entrances to castles, temples, imperial mausoleums and communities.

Learn more about Chin Hamaya Daiko

WEST AFRICA

Mama Merinda & Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, considered one of Washington’s premiere contemporary African performance ensembles, delivers emotionally charged performances to audiences of all ages, Balafon West African Dance Ensemble. Officially formed in 1997, the group is a creative partnership among several artists who masterfully blend the natural elegance of traditional West African dance and culture with an amazing heroic athleticism. Under the direction of Kadiatou Conte-Forte of The Republic of Guinea West Africa, Balafon has worked with several universities and has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, The United Nations, as well as many government agencies and schools all over the country. The goal of the ensemble is to provide an insightful perspective on West African traditions. With its intricate display of choreography and stunning raiment, Balafon is a breath of fresh air on the contemporary African dance scene offering a unique perspective on West African tradition and culture.... a definite must see! Mama Merinda and the Ladies of Balafon West African Dance Company invite you all to enjoy and be a part of our brief presentation.

Learn more about Balafon West African Dance Ensemble | View a video of Balafon on YouTube

UNITED STATES

Music of the people, by the people, for the people, and with the people, Afrikan Rhapsody was born out of the quest to produce and to promote a musical experience that merges African musical culture with some Western contemporary musical influences. The brainchild of drummer and composer Tosin Aribisala, Afrikan Rhapsody is a vehicle for the exhibition of a cross-cultural musical spectrum – merging African musical idioms like Afrobeat and Highlife with Jazz, Gospel, and Neo-soul. Tosin writes in English and his native Nigerian language, Yoruba. Tosin has performed and recorded with some renowned musicians, such as Femi Kuti, Julie Dexter, Yerba Buena, Jon Carroll, Andres Levin, and many others. In 2009, 2010, and 2011 Tosin was nominated for the best world music instrumentalist for the Wammies Awards by the Washington Area Music Association. In 2009, Tosin and Afrikan Rhapsody served as artists-in-residence at Strathmore Music Center, Rockville, Maryland. Since its formation over 5 years ago, Afrikan Rhapsody has released 2 albums: “Whats’s On Your Mind” and “Restoration”. The band has also performed both as an opening act and as headliner at: The Kennedy Center, Strathmore Music Center – as artist-in-residence – the National Harbor, Blues Alley, Zanzibar, Busboys and Poets, Loyola College, Bohemian Caverns, the Annapolis Music Festival, Twins Jazz, Atlas Performing Arts Center, and Adams Morgan Day Festival.

Listen to Afrikan Rhapsody on ReverbNation

Folk storyteller Bill Mayhew has been telling tales for as long as he can remember, and to the public for more than thirty years to audiences from school children to seniors. His most common theme is humor. He likes to tell funny stories, but also some grim ones, some sweet ones and quite a few scary ones, but most of them make the audience laugh. He tells multi-ethnic stories, mostly folktales, with audience participation where appropriate. He also tells classics tales, such as Beowulf, Midas, and Odysseus. His audio tape, called “D. Crockett, The Cyclops, and Me” has received critical acclaim from all of his relatives. Mayhew is a member of "Voices in the Glen," a Storytelling Guild for the Greater Washington, DC, area.

Learn more about local storytellers, including Bill Mayhew

A native of Southeast Washington, DC, Lamont Carey is a powerful performer with a delivery so electric that he has the ability to present an issue in such a way that it alters audiences’ perspective. He has appeared in several independent films as well as being featured on the HBO's "The Wire" and "Def Poetry Jam." An outstanding spoken word artist, Carey has performed at the Lincoln Theater, the Smithsonian, the Nuyorican Poets Café, the French Embassy, the Cuban Embassy, and the Washington National Cathedral. He has won several poetry slams and poet of 2005 by Dream In Motion. Lamont was even nominated at the NUSPA (National Underground Spokenword Poetry Awards” in the category "Why Didn't I think of that Piece" for "I Love My Son". He continues to leave his mark in the spoken word arena with his debut CD "IMAGINE" and he recently released his first book, "Why I Keep U A Secret," a refection of the softer side of this artist. He hosts his own Internet talk show every Sunday called, "Da Lamont Carey Show" on blogtalkradio.com.

Learn more about Lamont Carey

Formerly "Thomasina and the Jam," The Pushovers is a smart-pop folk-rock band based in the greater Washington, DC area. All seasoned singer-songwriters, Mara, Nancy and Liz sing tight backing vocals, beat box, and breakdance (well, only Nancy breakdances, and that sometimes ends her up in the ER). The band features a full guitar, bass, and keyboard sound, with lots of 3-part vocal harmonies. All three musicians have solo careers that involve nationwide touring with their own music.  In 2008 they joined together and have played colleges, festivals and venues from San Francisco to New York City.  Members: Mara Levi - lead vocals, bass guitar, backing vocals, beat boxing; Nancy Eddy - lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals; and, Liz DeRoche - backing vocals, keyboard, beat boxing.

Learn more about the Pushovers

Always an adventure, Margaret Chatham tells folk tales from around the world and literary tales from the best authors for audiences age 5 to 105. She’s been doing this for more years than she cares to admit to, in schools, libraries, at the Washington Folk Festival, Celtic festivals, Maryland Faerie Fest, for scouts, women’s clubs, and retirement homes. She is a founding member of the Washington area storytelling guild "Voices in the Glen," and currently edits its bi-monthly newsletter, boasting the most nearly complete calendar of storytelling events in the greater Washington area. With her husband, she received the 2003 MidAtlantic Auricle Award from the National Storytelling Network. For this occasion, she presents an East African story of too much sun and a Japanese search for the most powerful force in the world.

Learn more about Margaret Chatham