Vine Arts Center and MCPA are especially pleased to showcase a special guest performance by Louis Alemayehu-- poet, musician, activist, educator and community elder. A founding member of the poetry/jazz ensemble Ancestor Energy and of the Native Arts Circle, the oldest Native American artists organization in the Upper Midwest, Louis' life work bridges a wide spectrum of arts and activism for progressive social change.
"The purpose of my writing and performing has always been healing," he says. "Poetry is a tool for healing."
His performances encompass art as ritual, weaving jazz, chant, poetry and song in an incantatory style which creates a sense of sacred space. Moving within many cultures to create connections and inspire sustainability and creative action, Louis affirms: "I feel I have a responsibility to be a kind of bridge and a translator between communities, to help people see where the common ground is. Everything is related to everything else."
Louis has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his pioneering work as a spoken word artist, creative writer, social activist and multicultural mentor, among these the "Urban Griot" award bestowed by the Minnesota Spoken Word Association in 2009, the "Diverse Visions" award bestowed by Intermedia Arts, and many others. In 2012 Alemayehu’s poem and spoken word performance of Akhenaten’s Dream provided the narrative for the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater’s 38th May Day Festival.
Louis will be accompanied by Joseph Damman, a guitarist and composer from the Twin Cities, Minnesota who plays like nobody else around. His style combines folk, blues, jazz, and various African music into a unique stew with an emphasis on improvisation. Since 2009, Joseph has led a trio performing his original work with Davu Seru on drums and, currently, Chris Bates on bass.
His music embodies a spiritual commitment to caring, healing, and harmony with the natural world. He has performed at the Cedar Cultural Center (opening for Tinariwen and Otaak Band), Square Lake Festival, JT's Jazz Implosion at Icehouse, and the Sound Unseen Festival.
Performance takes place 8 p.m., Friday July 8, 2016.
We are also honored to announce Louis as a featured guest panelist in the special event scheduled for Sunday, July 10, 2016 between 3-5 p.m., a panel on "Cultural Inspiration versus Appropriation" with a special focus on influences appearing in contemporary Pagan arts.
For more information on Louis Alemayehu's work, please click on the images below:
Samples from Ancestor Energy album:
Reading of Akhenaton's Dream poem on Minnesota Public Radio:
Intermedia Arts profile:
Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs profile:
Sacred Salon performance at Minneapolis Institute of Arts:
Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota profile:
Transition Network interview:
Interview with Twin Cities Daily Planet:
