Previews: ARTS LEGACY REMIX: MABUHAY FIESTA at Straz Center's Riverwalk

The Straz Center launched The Straz Arts Legacy REMIX Project, a monthly free show featuring performers from various art forms to honor the diverse cultures of Tampa Bay.

In conjunction with the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, tonight, on February 23, The Straz Arts Legacy REMIX Project will be live on the Riverwalk Stage, honoring Filipino history and its people.

Arts Legacy REMIX: Mabuhay Fiesta will celebrate Filipino culture with its colorful art, style, songs live on the Riverwalk Stage, and cuisine. Joey Omila, founding director of the Philippine Cultural Foundation, Inc. and director of the dance company, will speak about the Philippines, and the audience will witness the emotional depth and diversity of the culture’s stories expressed in various artistic ways in a 90-minute show.

The second celebration in 2024 will be a presentation of Philippine folk dances by the Philippine Performing Arts Company and INDAK PAMBATA, bamboo sounds by the music of the Musikong Kawayan Bamboo Ensemble, and songs by the Philippine Choral group. Songs will be both in English and Filipino. Don Bronto, the top concert Filipino singing artist in Tampa, will also be a guest at the event. Artwork from two local internationally award-winning artists, Arnel Artus and Gary Carabio, will be featured, and a food truck and a Philippines merchandise vendor will be on site for guests to purchase food and souvenirs.

Omila says, “All of the performers are coming from the biggest Phillippine’s organization in the Bay area, the Philippine Cultural Foundation. Under that, we have the band and orchestra, which will be playing, and singers and dancers of many Philippine dances. We have children that we teach at the Foundation who will also be performing Philippine folk dances.”

When asked what he hopes the audience enjoys most about the performance, he replies,
“It will be a lovely, lively performance. Phillipines are known for being the smiling people. They will learn the history of the Philipines in a brief manner. We are presenting the most world-famous dance, a prince and princess – the wedding dance. Our conductor is one of the youngest conductors of the Philippines who came to America to be with the Foundation. They will learn why our culture is so exciting. It will be an evening with the Philippines. It’s really going to be nice.”

The Straz Arts Legacy REMIX is outside the Straz Riverwalk on Friday, February 23, at 730 pm. To learn more, visit https://www.strazcenter.org/events/2324-season/arts-legacy-remix/a-celebration-of-filipino-culture/. The event is weather permitting.

To post a comment, you must register and login.