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Benny
Cruz Y La Buena
Vida
Benny Cruz Y La
Buena Vida has
become known as
the
“Ambassadors of
Latin Music” in
the Midwest.
Their high-energy
performances
include salsa,
merengue, mambo,
cha-cha and other
Latin American
rhythms. They
have performed at
the Henry Ford
Museum,
Crossroads
Village, Detroit
Historical
Museum, Detroit
Institute of
Arts, Detroit
African Museum,
Tiger Stadium,
Cobo Hall and the
Pontiac
Silverdome, to
name a few. Benny
Cruz, a certified
vocal music
educator, has
given Latin music
workshops at
major
universities,
school districts
and libraries in
Michigan. The
hands-on
workshops take
the audience on a
musical tour to
learn about the
rhythms
associated with
Spain, Mexico,
Cuba, the
Dominican
Republic,
Colombia and
Puerto Rico.
“The New
Year’s Eve
Jubilee was
fabulous! Your
family is such a
professional
group!” (Jayne
Haas, New
Year’s Eve
Jubilee
representative)
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Biakuye:
Music and Dance
Ensemble
Among the Akan
people of Ghana,
West Africa,
Biakuye means
unity. It is the
spirit of unity
that brings the
Ghanaian and
American members
of Biakuye
together to
perform
traditional
African music and
dance. Biakuye
educates
audiences about
African culture
and its global
influence in
performances that
entertain the
ears and eyes
through music,
dance and
costumes.
Biakuye’s
presentations
include workshops
that engage the
audience in music
and dance
participation as
well as concert
performances.
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Dulcimer
Days with
Wanda Degen
Award-winning
folk musician and
singer Wanda
Degen presents an
educational and
entertaining
program featuring
traditional and
contemporary
songs and
instrumentals
with the autoharp
and hammered and
mountain
dulcimers.
Specializing in
participatory
family concerts,
she performs for
preschoolers,
senior citizens
and all ages in
between. Themes
for a program
include
Appalachian
Spring, Dulcimers
& Dinosaurs,
Michigan in Song,
Dulcimer Days
Patchwork (a
medley of the
above) or A
Traditional
Christmas.
Wanda owns ten
mountain
dulcimers she can
bring for
hands-on
instruction. She
offers a favorite
workshop for
festivals and in
the classroom
visitations.
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Gemini
The Detroit
News said,
“If the Pied
Piper had been
twins, odds are
he would have
been Gemini.”
San and Laz are a
musical
celebration for
children and the
whole family! The
twin brothers’
beautiful voices,
stage full of
instruments,
sparkling
original songs
and traditional
music from around
the world make
for a truly
delightful show.
Gemini’s
recordings have
won awards from
the American
Library
Association,
NAPPA, Early
Childhood News
and Parents’
Choice
magazine. In
2000, Gemini
began their 27th
year of
performing
throughout the
country in
schools, concert
halls (sometimes
with symphony
orchestras) and
festivals, often
involving local
children’s
choirs in their
concerts.
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Griz
Prusik
Singer-songwriter
Griz Prusik has
appeared at pow
wows, shipping
and lighthouse
festivals, art
fairs and
concerts halls
all the way from
the rugged
shipwreck shores
of Lake Superior
to the quiet
manatee-haunted
rivers and coves
of Tampa Bay. A
veteran of
television and
radio, he has
written over 300
songs and has
four compact
discs to his
credit.
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Hayden
Carruth: The
Roots of American
Song
Music educator by
trade and
performing
ethnomusicologist
at heart, Hayden
Carruth brings
together
passionate
musicality and
technical
expertise to
trace the roots
of American song.
With autoharp,
banjo, bottleneck
and other
guitars,
harmonica and
whistles, this
songwriter and
collector crafts
lively
performances that
integrate
entertainment,
education and
inspiration. A
seasoned
performer with
hundreds of
concerts across
the country to
his credit, Mr.
Carruth is a
popular choice
for concerts,
workshops, school
programs and
festivals.
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Jabali
Afrika
Jabali Afrika
from East
Africa’s Kenya
is a truly
multifaceted
group with its
own unique
mixture of fusion
and African
rhythms. Original
compositions and
traditional
African music
come alive on a
wide variety of
instruments,
accompanied by
vocal harmonies
that form the
foundation of
modern rock,
jazz, blues and
more. Add
talented dancing
and choreography,
topped off with
stunning African
tribal costumes,
and you have a
multicultural
experience that
will leave your
entire audience
enriched,
educated and
entertained.
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Kevin
Collins
Kevin Collins is
a respected
percussionist who
shares his love
of African music
through lively,
participatory
performances. He
brings with him
an impressive
collection of
traditional
percussion
instruments from
Africa. Children
and adults will
find his
performances
entertaining and
educational as
they learn what a
“DeJemba” is
and get the
chance to play!
In addition to
his professional
work performing
with big bands
and his own group
“The Music
Mechanics,”
Collins works
extensively with
children. He
directs an
ongoing African
Drum and Dance
Troupe in Flint.
He has presented
many concerts and
participated in
arts education
programs in Flint
and throughout
Michigan. His
experience and
enthusiasm
combine to
provide a unique
musical
experience.
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Les
Ross,
Sr.
Les
Ross,
Sr.
plays
traditional
Finnish-American/Scandinavian
folk
and
dance
music
on
harmonica,
including
haunting
waltzes,
lively
jenkkas,
rockin’
schottisches,
melancholy
immigrant
love
songs
and
up-tempo
polkas—music
that
was
popular
in the
“old
halls”
years
ago.
Typically
accompanied
by his
band,
Ja Ystävät
(and
friends),
he
plays
in a
unique
northwoods
or
lumberjack
style,
an
almost
lost
old-time
method.
“Les
is one
of the
few
remaining
masters
of the
style,”
according
to the
National
Council
for the
Traditional
Arts (NCTA).
He is
the
only
Finnish-American
folk
artist
and
only
performer
from
the
northern
Great
Lakes
area
invited
by NCTA
to
participate
in the
prestigious
National
Folk
Festival.
His
1998
recording
of
Finnish-American
folk
and
dance
music
led to
numerous
radio,
television
and
festival
appearances,
including
interviews
and
performances
on
Minnesota
Public
Radio
and
NPR’s
All
Things
Considered.
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Oktoben
German Band
An enjoyable
experience awaits
audiences of the
Oktoben German
Band. Performing
a variety of
music including
marches, ethnic
folk songs and
dances like the
Scottish waltz
and polka, the
band chooses the
right combination
of music to make
any performance
memorable.
Programs are
narrated in
English and
German with fun
and interesting
stories behind
many of the
songs.
Oktoben’s music
has been enjoyed
at Octoberfests,
ethic festivals,
art fairs,
private parties
and community
concerts.
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Ourselves
The down-home
music sung and
played by this
family group
evokes memories
of a time when
music was created
and performed in
kitchens and
parlors,
community halls
or fresh-swept
barns. They
perform
renditions of
songs from
Ireland,
Michigan, Britain
and Appalachia,
accompanied by
varying
combinations of
mandolin, flute,
tin whistle,
dulcimer,
concertina,
fiddle,
harmonica,
guitar, bodhran
and bones.
Ourselves gladly
plays
“unplugged”
for quiet
locations but
will bring a
sound system as
needed.
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Owain
Phyfe
Singer and
recording artist
Owain Phyfe has
become a popular
phenomenon by
taking the music
and lyrics of
Renaissance times
and bringing
their full
content and
emotions into the
lap of the 21st
century. Whether
as a solo
performer
accompanying
himself on the
ancient
guitar-like
instrument known
as the chitarra
battente or
with his “New
World Renaissance
Band,” Owain
Phyfe sincerely
communicates
songs in a dozen
different
languages, from
the very distant
past, in what The
New Age Journal
describes as “a
timeless alchemy
of emotional
relevance.”
Phyfe refers to
the passion for
this bardic
adventure as
“musical
chivalry.” Gramophone
Magazine puts
it more simply:
“Owain Phyfe
has a fabulous
voice.”
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Prevas
Brothers
The Prevas
Brothers—Nikolaos,
Panayiotis and
Aristides—have
been composing
and publicly
performing Greek
folk music in
their own unique
style since 1955.
They are
Michigan’s
first
Greek-American
instrumental and
vocal ensemble.
The Prevas
Brothers have
performed
throughout
America, Canada
and Greece and on
television, radio
and recordings.
They have
received awards
from the United
States Army and
the American Red
Cross for
charitable
appearances. They
also explain the
songs in English.
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SongSister
Julie Austin
& David
Mosher
SongSister Julie
Austin, “Best
Children’s
Per-former”
(Metro Parent
Magazine), and
her SongBrother,
David Mosher,
feature a unique
blend of
humorous,
energetic and
irresistible
children’s
music in a
sing-along,
move-along
concert,
guaranteed to
have your hands
clapping, toes
tapping and
fingers snapping!
Julie sings,
tells stories and
accompanies
herself on
guitar, jawharp
and autoharp
while David joins
her on fiddle,
banjo, mandolin,
bass, guitar and
vocals. All songs
are interactive,
with audiences
dancing, moving,
singing and using
gestures or sign
language. Since
1986, Austin has
traveled
throughout the
country as a
Wolftrap Master
Artist, a
High/Scope
consultant and an
early childhood
specialist. She
has made several
nationally
acclaimed
recordings,
including 1999
Parent’s Choice
Silver Honor’s
Winner,
Fandagumbo, which
was produced by
David Mosher.
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The
Collecting
Consort
The Collecting
Consort’s fresh
and expressive
performances
captivate
audiences of all
ages. This
talented duo’s
personal and
gentle warmth
creates an
instant rapport
for you as they
entertain and
educate through a
sensitive blend
of music, drama,
stories and
narration. Celtic
harp, keyboard,
hammered
dulcimer,
whistles and
flutes touch your
heart with
appealing
arrangements of
familiar folk,
classical and
contemporary
music. Their
concerts and
school programs
may explore your
special themes,
recreate your
local history or
enhance the
“Character
Counts”
pillars.
Workshops/residencies
for groups
(including
special and
alternative
education)
creatively
explore all
artistic media.
They have
released 16
commercial
recordings and
produced numerous
radio specials.
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The
Gratitude Steel
Band
The Gratitude
Steel Band/Eguana-En-Ekele
(Yoraba language)
has six shows to
choose from:
Caribbean,
Reggae, African,
Classical,
Hawaiian and
World Jazz.
Students learn
about the history
of the steel
drums, music
style, geographic
locations and
composer
contributions.
This information
is scaled to
grade levels
K–12 and all
ages. Hands-on
experience and
visual aids are
included in these
fun programs.
This fantastic
array of cultural
music enhances
fun, social
understanding and
cultural
awareness. All
shows end with or
include limbo and
conga line fun.
Join the Conga
Train!
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The
Storytellers
The Storytellers
enhance the art
of storytelling
with world music.
Their highly
acclaimed
concerts for
children and
families feature
heart-warming
tales, beautiful
music, a bit of
humor and some
very interesting
musical
instruments.
Their unique
instrumentation
includes
didgeridoo, steel
drums, donno, udu,
cuica, djembe’,
m’bira,
berimbau,
balafone and
more. The
Storytellers have
toured
extensively for
over 20 years,
showcasing Audrey
Allison’s
wonderful,
animated style of
oratory. Study
guides available
for K–6
schools.
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Tiana
Marquez
Tiana Marquez
performances
feature
African-American
spirituals and
original songs,
all interwoven
with stories she
has created. She
offers a
selection of
programs that
entertain and
teach
multicultural
audiences
important aspects
of
African-American
history. Schools,
libraries and
educational
institutions are
especially
interested in
these programs.
She also has
performed
concerts and
sacred music at
church, community
and civic
programs. She
holds a
master’s degree
and has released
four albums.
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Tom
and Chris Kastle
The Kastles grew
up in Chicago,
cutting their
professional
teeth at
legendary venues
such as the Earl
of Old Town. They
played pubs while
pursuing graduate
degrees in human
ecology, then
traveled to
Europe to collect
songs and
stories. In 1985,
they became
immersed in the
history, ecology
and culture of
the Great Lakes,
serving as crew
and later
instructors and
captain aboard
tall ships. Their
experiences are
documented in
brilliant
performances and
critically
acclaimed
recordings.
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Tom
Hodgson: Music
for Mother Earth
Take a musical
journey on the
spaceship earth.
Learn how it
works and what
can be done in
school and at
home to keep it
clean and green
for all to enjoy.
This is an ideal
program for
elementary school
assemblies, youth
groups, nature
centers,
libraries and
family-oriented
festivals.
Audience
participation is
encouraged.
Supporting
materials are
included. The
program, Music
to Celebrate the
Great Outdoors,
is also available
for general
audiences.
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