Building a Bridge to Haiti October 15, 2011

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Neges Foundation's work rebuilding Leogane, Haiti.

Featuring:
Live music by Bonga and the Jean Rohe Band
Cash Bar and Desserts
A Silent Auction with many exciting items from the community and much more.

About the Artists:
Bonga Gaston Jean-Baptiste, known as "Bonga", is a musical virtuoso who has been performing and studying traditional Haitian drum, dance and song since the age of seven. Bonga is regarded as a master of the Afro Haitian drum, sought-after for his extensive repertoire of pan-African rhythms. A dynamic performer, accompanist, session player and educator, Bonga works on stage, in the recording studio, and in educational settings. He is one of the few drum experts and craftsmen outside of Haiti who continues to build traditional drums using techniques that are centuries old.

His drums opened the NY premiere of the Rolling Stones "Voodoo Lounge" tour and he is prominently featured on recordings by Wyclef Jean and Salif Keita. Bonga's first CD, Kanzo (2000), incorporates elements of jazz, blues, and funk to create a dynamic version of mizik rasin. The recording features Lou Reed, bassist Fernando Saunders, and trumpeter Frank London. Bonga's second CD, Ayiti Afrika (2006), received critical acclaim. Featuring cellist Rufus Cappadocia, multi instrumentalist Peck Allmond and Guinean balafonist, Famoro Dioubate, Ayiti Afrika explores the African roots of Haitian music.

To read more about Bonga click here: http://www.bongamusic.org/bio.php

The Jeane Rohe Band is celebrating their debut album, Lead Me Home, and Jean Rohe is quickly becoming a gem of New York City's jazz and Brazilian music scene. After winning both the audience favorite and second place award at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006, Jean assembled an unusual sextet, featuring accordion, clarinet, and South American percussion. The resulting project involves the full breadth of Jean's stylistic attractions, challenging traditional boundaries around musical genres. Her original compositions and fresh arrangements of songs from Latin America explore the intersections of jazz, North American folk music, Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian traditions. Her singing and compositions have now filled venues from the Birdland to Havana's Teatro Nacional.

To read more about Jean Rohe and her band click here: http://www.jeanrohe.com/live/