Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair

African American Museum, at Fair Park
Saturday August 20, 20005
Where: Auditorium
Admission is FREE

10:00 am Akin Babantunde
11:00 am New Arts Six
12:00 pm Kumaasi
1:00 pm Dallas Black Dance
3:00 pm Percussion Things

AKIN BABATUNDE (10:00 am)
Mr. Babatundé is an accomplished actor, director, writer whose theatrical career span the Broadway to off-Broadway, regional film and T.V. He has been a resident company member of several prestigious theatrical institutions throughout the country Trinity Repertory Company-Providence, R.I., Alley Theater-Houston, Texas, La Mama Theater- N.Y. and the Dallas Theater Center. He has served as founder and artistic director of Vivid Theater Ensemble of Dallas. Although Mr. Babatundé has a national presence he chooses Dallas as his artistic base and continues to mentor aspiring artists throughout the Metroplex. He was the first African- American to direct for the Dallas Shakespeare Festival in the celebrated diverse production of “Taming of the Shrew” in 1993. As a writer Mr. Babatundé’s work has been commissioned by Florida Stage and Teen Pregnancy of Broward County, La Mama Theater; Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs / Arts Council; Cuney, Texas; Brown University; Black Academy of Arts and Letters; Documentary Arts; and Core Ensemble (internationally celebrated chamber ensemble). His most recent work “Shakespeare-Midnight Echoes” tours throughout the Dallas Metroplex paying homage to black performing artists who mastered the bard (Shakespeare) from slavery to the present.

In the South Florida area he has performed at Florida Stage, Caldwell Theater and tours extensively with Core Ensemble in his one man show Of Ebony Embers: Vignettes of the Harlem renaissance. His one man show he along with his brother celebrated actor Obba Babatundé entitled wrote Before the Second Set: A Visit with Satchmo has received critical acclaim at theaters across the country. His direction of Blind Lemon: Prince of Country Blues at Addison Center Theater, starring national recording artist David Peaston, garnered him a best director nomination, and along with co-writer Alan Govenar, the 2001 Leon Rabin Award for best new play. Their new version Blind Lemon Blues recently had a successful European tour in Paris and Switzerland and received rave notices in the July 16th New York premiere at Central Park’s Summer Stage. He was a featured baritone soloist at the Dallas Museum of Art in the Dallas premiere of Duke Ellington’s Sacred concert. His work has been awarded with a "D Magazine" citation, "Providence Journal", "Dallas Observer" Best-of-the-Best best actor award (the first African-American to receive this distinction), 1991 and 2004 Dallas Critics Forum Award, KRLD community service award and the 2004 Legacy of Success / Alvin Ailey Performing Arts Award.

NEW ARTS SIX (11:00 am)
Six African-American women who saw a need to revitalize the musical legacy of their culture founded new Arts Six in 1981. The identification of this need led them to explore and develop a repertoire of the ethnic folk music of African-Americans--the Negro Spiritual. The ensemble has produced original works utilizing spirituals to musically record a page of history and folk tradition. Individually and collectively, the ensemble members come with extensive musical training in classical music, opera, musical theatre, and education. The incredible voices and vibrant personalities of these performers have thrilled audiences all over America. They relate the strength, dignity and courage of the African American women throughout history.

KUMAASI (12:00 noon)

A collective of African artists who share the vision and purpose of reclaiming and re-instituting Traditional West African culture through the music and dance of this rich and diverse region of our ancestral homeland. We are both students and teachers of African culture and through our performances we endeavor to function as ambassadors whose primary purpose is to present West African cultural expressions as respectfully and lovingly as possible. KUMAASI African Ensemble is just beginning!!!

DALLAS BLACK DANCE (1:00 pm)
Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams to provide dance opportunities for minority students, DBDT now serves the entire community through its performances and educational programs. With a repertory of modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works, DBDT’s professional ensemble has performed all over the world, including South Africa, Mexico and Europe, as well as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

PERCUSSION THINGS (3:00 pm)
Len Barnett, Director of Percussion Things hails from Memphis Tennessee, where he was immersed since early childhood in the American musical traditions of Jazz, Blues, and R&B. Mr. Barnett has shared the stage with many well-known performers, including Cab Calloway, Kirk Whalum, gospel artist Kirk Franklin, Joe McBride, Joe Vincelli, and a host of others. He is also an accomplished pianist. Percussion Things is a collaborative effort under the direction of Len Barnett, drawing on the rich pool of professional percussionists in and around the Dallas area Group size varies from 2 to 12 (most often 3 to 5) and utilizes various seasoned and capable percussionists on a loosely rotating basis.