Friday, February 8, 2013

Dieneba Seck and Sekou Kouyate's Travel to Brown Confirmed

We are overjoyed to confirm Dieneba Seck and Sekou Kouyate's travel to Brown for Rhythm of Change 2013.




Dieneba Seck has gained world recognition for fusing political activism with original songwriting and for music that is part of the resistance movement against the ongoing political insurrection in Mali. Dieneba will headline the festival with a concert on Saturday, February 23, in Ashamu Studio, entitled Songs of Resistance/Bodies of Resilience. She will also give workshops for the community on Saturday and Sunday on Malian song and the role of artists in combating oppression and censorship by fundamentalist regimes.




Sekou Kouyate is a world-reknowned griot singer, instrumentalist, and storyteller. He quickly rose to fame in Mali’s music scene, working alongside Salif Keita as a member of the country’s prominent “Rail Band.” He ultimately went solo, creating his own band of five members, one of whom was his future wife, Dieneba Seck. Their two major hits, “Diagneba” and “Koulikoro,” catapulted them into the international music scene, and Sekou now works and lives between Paris and Mali. He arranged Dieneba’s album “Djourou” in 2000 and the two of them have recorded a duet: "Sekou ni Dieneba" ("Sekou and Dieneba").

Read more about Dieneba's life and career at National Geographic World Music, and listen to some of the music that has entranced Mali here.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Hip Hop 4: Empowering Youth


The Cypher Jam to take place on Saturday and Sunday of Rhythm of Change will feature artists from our very own Brown community. Hip Hop 4 is a nonprofit organization started by Pierre Arreola '13 and Emily Goldman '14 that works to improve conditions in underserved communities across the country by utilizing Hip Hop as a platform for social development. Check out Hip Hop 4's amazing work here, then come dance with them at Rhythm of Change 2013!



Hip Hop 4 from THE GR818ERS on Vimeo.