Apollo Theater and World Music Institute to Present AFRICA NOW! South Africa Festival, 10/9-12

Karen Sander, Artistic & Executive Director, World Music Institute and The Apollo Theater, in partnership with World Music Institute, presents AFRICA NOW!, South Africa, showcasing today's South African music scene, October 9-12, 2014.

The Apollo Theater, in partnership with World Music Institute, presents Africa Now! South Africa, the third installment of the their annual Africa Now! Festival. In recognition of the country's dynamic and diverse culture and in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's inauguration, this season's festival will spotlight today's contemporary South African music scene and Harlem's enduring cultural and social relationship with the country. Featuring a suite of artistic programming and an array of unique artists, Africa Now! South Africa will provide a holistic experience for audiences with presentations on the Apollo's mainstage and soundstage.

The festival is anchored by a blowout concert featuring a new generation of South African artists: The Soil, an award-winning a cappella group known for their Kasi Soul blend of rhythmic vocal bass lines, beat-boxing and sublime harmonies; Simphiwe Dana, a popular Xhosa singer and songwriter who fuses traditional music with jazz, Afro-soul, R&B and hip hop; and Tumi Molekane, the socially conscious hip hop artist, formerly of Tumi and the Volume, who will make his U.S. debut.

This year's Festival will also include an Apollo Uptown Hall: The Harlem/South Africa Connection panel discussion featuring leading social and political voices including the legendary social activist and actor Harry Belafonte and former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins; a South African themed family workshop with artist and designer Vickie Frémont; a panel discussion with participating artists as part of the Apollo's educational Live Wire series; and other events. "With our partners at the iconic Apollo Theater, we are thrilled to kick off the 2014-15 season with 'Africa Now! South Africa,' part of a city-wide celebration of South African music. Our festival stands out by showcasing the post-Apartheid generation of socially-conscious fresh young artists who are now shaping their country: the Xhosa singer/songwriter Simphiwe Dana; rapper/poet Tumi Molekane in his American debut; and the uplifting a cappella group, The Soil." - Karen Sander, World Music Institute Artistic and Executive Director "We are excited to present this season's bold and exciting Africa Now! Festival. This year we will proudly explore South Africa's vibrant and diverse culture through performance, discussion, film and more. As the birthplace of some of some of the world's most influential leaders and artists, we wanted to provide an outlet into this artistically rich country." - Mikki Shepard, Apollo Theater Executive Producer The four-day music Festival will take place during Carnegie Hall's UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa, and is part of a citywide celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's inauguration.

Tickets are $45, $35, $25; Premium tickets are $55. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Apollo Theater Box Office, (125 St. between 7 and 8 Ave.), (212) 531-5305 and Ticketmaster, (800) 745 3000, www.ticketmaster.com.

Festival Schedule:

Music Café - Africa Now! South Africa

Featuring Toya Delazy

Friday, October 10, 2014, 10 p.m.
Apollo Soundstage

South African singer, pianist, dancer, and performer from KwaZulu-Natal, Toya Delazy, will perform on the Apollo's intimate soundstage. Delazy has been honored with two South African Music Awards in 2013, taking home the "Newcomer of the Year" and "Best Pop Album" awards.

Tickets for Apollo Music Café are $20 and $15 in advance for the Apollo's A-List. Tickets are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are on sale.

Africa Now! South Africa - Mainstage Concert
Featuring the Soil, Simphiwe Dana and Tumi Molekane with emcee Hugh Masekela

Saturday, October 11, 2014, 8 p.m.
Apollo Mainstage

This year's Africa Now! festival centers around a triple-bill blow-out concert on the Apollo's legendary Mainstage, featuring a new generation of South African superstars who represent and challenge the new South Africa. The three radically different but equally exciting headliners, all in their 20's and 30's, are:

THE SOIL, a 3-member a cappella group determined to uplift souls around the world with their divine voices and infectious swing. Their Kasi Soul-style of music combines rhythmic vocal bass lines, beat-boxing, and the type of sublime harmonies made famous by groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Soweto Gospel Choir.

SIMPHIWE DANA, a sultry Xhosa singer who blends traditional music with jazz, R&B and Afro-Soul for a sound that is at once rootsy and futuristic: think Miriam Makeba-meets-Erykah Badu. Dana's songs reflect her staunch advocacy for new political discourse, education reform, AIDS awareness, and the betterment of the African people.

TUMI MOLEKANE, a hip hop artist who delivers potent social commentary on such topics as identity, insurgency, materialism, love and fidelity. The Tanzanian-born South African rapper, who rose to fame with his ground-breaking band, Tumi and the Volume, will debut work from his new solo album, Rob the Church, which was inspired by his travels throughout Africa. This marks his U.S. debut.

Tickets for Africa Now! South Africa Mainstage Concert are $25 - $55. Groups: $21.25 - $46.75. Apollo Advantage: $17.50 - $39. Tickets are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are on sale.

Music Café - Africa Now! South Africa
Featuring The Muffinz

Saturday, October 11, 2014, 10 p.m.
Apollo Soundstage

"Joburg" is buzzing about its newest favorite Afro-jazz band, The Muffinz. All members of the five-piece band play instruments and sing - blending soulful mastery with a fresh new take that is raw and honest in its appeal, combining many musical genres into one effortless unique sound.

Tickets for Apollo Music Café are $20 and $15 in advance for the Apollo's A-List. Tickets are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are on sale.

Apollo Uptown Hall: The Harlem/South Africa Connection
Panelists include Harry Belafonte, David N. Dinkins

Sunday, October 12, 2014, 3 p.m.
Apollo Mainstage

The Apollo's Uptown Hall series addresses a diverse range of cultural, social, and political issues important to the Harlem community through dialogue and debate. This Africa Now edition of Uptown Hall will focus on Harlem's enduring social, political, and cultural relationship with South Africa, from the Harlem Renaissance, to Nelson Mandela's historic visit here in the 1990s, to the opportunities and challenges both places face today. Co-moderated by The Africa Channel's Dr. Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and NYABJ President Michael J. Feeney participants include publisher Milton Allimadi, legendary social activist and actor Harry Belafonte, former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins, Professor John Higginson, actor Ron Kunene, National Black Theatre CEO Sade Lythcott, South African Consul General George Monyemangene and producer Voza Rivers. There will also be a Woza Albert! commemoration and a performance by the SAHAVO Choir.

This event is free and open to the public, with first admittance given to those who have registered. For more details visit www.apollotheater.org.

Live Wire - Africa Now! South Africa

Thursday, October 9, 2014, 6:30 p.m.
Apollo Soundstage

This panel discussion with participating Africa Now! South Africa artists will explore themes of cultural identity and South Africa's role in global cultural exchange. Ethnomusicologist and University of Pittsburgh professor, Gavin Steingo, looks at the post-Apartheid music scene in South Africa with some of the artists at its forefront - singer Simphiwe Dana, hip hop artist Tumi Molekane, and members of the a capella group, The Soil.

This event is free and open to the public with first admittance given to those who have registered. For more details visit www.apolloeducation.org

School Day Live - Africa Now! South Africa
Featuring The Soil and Tumi Molekane

Friday, October 10, 2014, 11:30 a.m.
Apollo Mainstage

School Day Live performances extend the "Apollo Experience" to new generations of theater-goers while providing exciting opportunities to learn about the arts, history and culture. This School Day Live will feature award winning a capella group, The Soil and hip hop artist Tumi Molekane.

Tickets are $7p/p. For tickets and more details visit www.apolloeducation.org Tickets on sale now.

Family Workshop - Africa Now! South Africa
Vickie Frémont/Recycled Art Workshop

Sunday, October 12, 2014, 1 p.m.
Apollo Soundstage

Artist and designer Vickie Frémont brings her Recycled Art Program to the Apollo. Participants will use recycled materials to craft dolls and other objects inspired by South African music and culture.

This event is free and open to the public with first admittance given to those who have registered. For more details visit www.apolloeducation.org.

Additional Festival Activities:

Africa Now! South Africa- Film Screenings

Saturday, October 11, 2014, 1p.m. and 4p.m.,
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Malcolm X Blvd.)

Two South African films, Felix and Miners Shot Down, will be presented as part of the Liberation Series, in partnership with the New York African Film Festival, World Music Institute and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Film Screening: Felix (Family Friendly)
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 1p.m.
Felix is an awarding winning, feel-good South African family film about 14-year-old Felix Xaba, who dreams of becoming a saxophonist like his late father. Unfortunately for Felix, his mother Lindiwe (Sokhulu) thinks jazz is the devil's music. When Felix leaves his township friends to take up a scholarship at an elitist private school, he defies his mother and turns to two aging members of his father's old band (Thapelo Mofokeng and Royston Stoffels) to help him prepare for the school jazz concert. Free.

Film Screening: Miners Shot Down (Documentary)
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 4p.m.
In August 2012, mine workers in one of South Africa's biggest platinum mines began a wildcat strike for better wages. Six days later the police used live ammunition to brutally suppress the strike, killing 34 and injuring many more. Using the point of view of the Marikana miners, Miners Shot Down follows the strike from day one, showing the courageous but isolated fight waged by a group of low-paid workers against the combined forces of the mining company Lonmin, the ANC government and their allies in the National Union of Mineworkers. What emerges is collusion at the top, spiraling violence and the country's first post-apartheid massacre. South Africa was never the same again. Free.

Late Night Jam

Friday, October 10, 2014, 12 a.m.
Silvana (300 W 116th Street)
Presented by Shrine World Music Venue, the late night jam features DJ JP Biamby.

Late Night Dance Party

Saturday, October 11, 2014, 12 a.m.
Shrine World Music Venue (2271 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.)
Presented by Shrine World Music Venue, the late night DJ Babatunde and DJ Ouaga will DJ.

MIST Harlem Celebrates South Africa

Sunday, October 12, 2014
MIST Harlem (46 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10026)
Brunch and dance party.
Get social! For exclusive photos, updates and more, use hashtag #AFRICANOW.

About WMI (www.worldmusicinstitute.org) World Music Institute is a not-for-profit concert presenting organization founded in 1985 and dedicated to the presentation of the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world.

WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world's cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled it to be at the forefront of planning and presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI presents a full season of concerts each year in New York City, and arranges national tours by visiting musicians from abroad, as well as US-based artists. WMI's accomplishments and expertise in its field are recognized by major institutions throughout the US and internationally.

WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India. Many artists have been given their U.S. or New York debuts by WMI.

The Apollo Theater - The legendary Apollo Theater - the soul of American culture - plays a vital role in cultivating emerging talents and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation, and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world.

With music at its core, the Apollo's programming extends to dance, theater, performance art, spoken word initiatives, and more. Recent highlights have included James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, which will begin an international tour in 2015, the Africa Now! Festival, and Apollo Club Harlem. The Apollo is a presenting organization that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and music work. The Apollo's vision is global and includes touring and a digital media presence. The Apollo's work is organized around a set of core initiatives: Apollo Music (African American and culturally diverse artists); Signature programs (Amateur Night, Salon Series and the Apollo Music Café); Legacy Series (work that celebrates and extends our legacy in a more contemporary way); Global Festival (international and U.S. based artists presentations focused under a specific theme); Special Projects (multidisciplinary work with partner organizations).

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms, and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres - including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Unlocking the Truth, Miri Ben Ari, D'Angelo, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo's forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. The Apollo's 2014-2015 season is made possible by lead support from Citi, the Coca-Cola Company, Troy and Keisha Dixon, Folonari Wines and Cavicchioli 1928, the Ford Foundation Fund for Global Programs, the Hearst Foundations, Robert K. Kraft, The Parsons Family Foundation, the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation, JoAnn Price, Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Reginald Van Lee New Works Fund, the Apollo Board of Directors and many other generous donors.

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