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Charlotte Latin Dance gives salsa lessons to the crowd at the first Puerto Rican Festival.
Posted: November 18th, 2009 James Willamor
Click here for more photos by James Willamor.
Plaza Fiesta Carolinas indoor version of a traditional Latin plaza provided a street party atmosphere Nov. 15 for Charlotte's first Puerto Rican Festival.
The event, celebrating Columbus’ discovery of Puerto Rico, featured traditional music, dance and food. Plaza Fiesta Carolinas is at 3700 Avenue of the Carolinas in Fort Mill.
It was kicked off by Jesus Sierra who performed both the United States and Puerto Rican anthems.
The band Coquies de Charlotte performed several popular folk songs, including “En Mi Viejo San Juan,” to which the crowd waved Puerto Rican flags and sang along. Kenneth Vega, one of the musicians, said the band was performing together for the first time.
Charlotte Latin Dance was able to get the entire crowd moving to Latin tunes. After performing a salsa demonstration, dancer Ash Dalnoot took the stage to give a lesson in salsa dancing while the other dancers joined the crowd in following along.
Posted: November 16th, 2009 Ayofemi Kirby
On Saturday, the beat of drums, singing and dancing filled the oft-quiet halls of the Charlotte Museum of History.
In honor of American Indian Heritage month, the museum opened its doors for Charlotte’s first American Indian Celebration.
Native American performers and storytellers wore costumes adorned with feathers, precious stones and vibrant colors, while attendees of all ages wore jewelry, hairpieces and clothing influenced by Native American traditions.
The day brought visitors from around the state to celebrate the culture of the country’s indigenous people.
“It’s important to celebrate Indian Heritage month in North Carolina,” said Ronda Jones Hughes who traveled from Robeson County for the event.
Hughes is the CEO of Red Path Child and Family Agency and a member of the Lumbee tribe. Her organization encourages Native American families to become foster parents.
“More than half of foster children in Robeson County are Native American,” she said.
Organizers of Saturday’s celebration hoped participants would gain a greater sense of awareness about North Carolina’s Native American community and leave wanting to learn more.
“If you look at the origins of Charlotte, the Catawba land was formed at the trade crossroads and that started with American Indians,” said William Lowry, lead organizer for the event. “But that’s not always how it is told.”
The idea for the day’s celebration developed from a series of community conversations around “We Shall Remain,” a multimedia television series on Native American history that aired on PBS.
“By being here, we hope everyone gets an accurate picture of our culture and our history,” Lowry said. “And we hope that they leave with a desire to learn and to tell the entire story. “
Watch video of dancers from the event below.
Posted: November 13th, 2009 Aleigh Acerni
Throughout November, the Crossroads Charlotte Correspondents will spotlight individuals who deserve thanks for what they do to improve the city's social capital.
About Alan
Alan Kaufman moved to Charlotte in 1978 because he was “so impressed by the city and the potential for growth here.” As his vision of a growing city became a reality, he helped it along.
Kaufman is the city’s most musical jack-of-all-trades. He’s arranged music for and performed with a long list of groups including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, The Embers, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. He also can rattle off a staggering number of well-known acts that he’s accompanied – Luciano Pavarotti, Johnny Cash, Bernadette Peters and Clay Aiken all make the list. His most treasured gig, though, is working as the band director for Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools since 1993.
One of Charlotte’s most versatile musicians, Kaufman plays more instruments than you can count on one hand, and he can fit the mood of any of Charlotte’s diverse atmospheres – one night you could find him playing at an Italian wedding, and the next, leading his students through a performance of the national anthem at a Charlotte Bobcats game.
Why he does what he does?
“I felt like giving something back. I’m able to share all my experiences with the kids; it’s another outlet for musical expression.”
What's next?
Kaufman will perform with the Charlotte Jazz Orchestra in the Halton Theater on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Know someone who is a connector for a community?
Nominate that person to be profiled by a Crossroads Charlotte Correspondent. Email his or her name, phone number and email address and a brief description of what they do to Crossroads Charlotte. If your nominee is selected, you will be contacted by a correspondent.
Posted: November 11th, 2009 Liz Barrett
This past weekend at the Levine Museum of the New South, the Charlotte Symphony competed against a gorgeous fall Sunday and a Panthers game and easily packed an enthusiastic crowd into the Museum performance space. The event “We Are What We Sing: Music and Cultural Identity” explored the role music plays in serving as a bridge to cultural understanding and featured performances by the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project, CPCC Early Music Consort, Charlotte Symphony Musicians, and the Piedmont Open IB Middle School Chorale. Anthropologist Dr. Richard Chacon of Winthrop University opened the event by sharing some experiences where music has provided common ground for people of diverse backgrounds.
The performances explored music of Peruvian, Japanese, Spanish and Catawba Native American tradition and ranged from solo operatic singing to an all female drum group. With musical expressions representing cultures from around the world, the performances brought together a cross section of local Charlotteans for an enjoyable afternoon of the arts.
The program was made free to the public through a Front Porch Grant and is part of the larger Orchestra on Campus 2009 series, a project that encourages collaboration among students and professionals from different disciplines and provides students with hands-on learning in the arts.
See more photos of the event on Flickr.
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