Press Release July 13, 2013
Oakland Public Conservatory of Music
Youth to Represent U. S. in Lima, Peru
CORRECTION:
Paul Adan, piano student, was not included in original email.
That correction has been made.
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OAKLAND, CA July 12, 2013 - Young musicians of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music have been chosen to represent the United States at the 5th Encuentro Internacional de Musica y Danza Afrodescendiente.
The
Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPC) has been invited to Peru as
the official representative from the U.S. in a very important cultural
exchange that highlights the music and dance of Africans in the
Diaspora, August 5 -11, 2013.
The
city of Lima will hold the Seminar for Afrodescendants and Cultural
Paradigms and the 1st Festival of Music and Dance of Afro-descendants.
With the help of Cotitonach Productions and the Center of Ethnic Studies
(CEDET) in Lima, the U. S. Embassy in Peru is supporting OPC's trip to
Peru. This
action taken by the U.S. Embassy in Lima is unprecedented. In the past
the embassy has covered costs for one person, but to cover all expenses
for four persons breaks the paradigm.
The journey is the
outcome of a growing relationship between OPC and world-renowned
Afro-Peruvian musician, Juan Medrano Cotito. Cotito was
artist-in-residence at OPC's Summer Music Academy in 2011 and 2012. He
and his wife, Nachi Bustamante, spent 4 weeks OPC last summer and upon
their return to Lima in August they quickly got busy working on
garnering support from the American Embassy in Lima to bring OPC
students Amina Scott, Paul Adan, Ayinde Webb, Vinkya Hunter, Carolina
Gonzalez, Tracy Fitzsimmons, Victor McElhaney, Adam Lankford and
Founding Director, Angela Wellman, to share the vibrant story of the
Public Conservatory. Cotito's desire is to share the story of OPC with
the Afro-Peruvians and especially with the Afro-Peruvian youth. He says,
"We want our youth to learn from OPC youth and see what they, too, can
accomplish." OPC's activities will include concerts and workshops in
Lima, Chincha and the José María Arguedas National School of Folklore.
Ms.
Wellman will also present a scholarly paper at the Fifth Seminario
Internacional: Paradigmas Culturales de los Afrodescendientes. Her
paper, Music of the People, for the People, by the People: The Birth
of the Public Conservatory Movement. Musica de la Gente, para la Gente,
por la Gente: El Nacimiento del Movimiento del Conservatorio Publico, introduces
the Public Conservatory Movement and focuses on the creation of the
first Public Conservatory of Music, she established in 2005 in Oakland,
CA. Ms. Wellman hopes to open other Public Conservatories of Music in
other cities. About the Public Conservatory Movement, Wellman explains,
"It is a movement that seeks to illuminate, through intensive music
education, the musical contributions of African descendants in the
Americas. I hope to open other Public Conservatories in other cities.
OPC is the first."
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To
raise funds for their travel expenses, OPC has mounted a campaign on
Indiegogo. To donate go to:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/send-oakland-youth-music-ambassadors-to-peru/x/393604
Angela Wellman and the youth musicians are available for interviews.
To schedule, call Laurie Cahn: (415) 608-4092
The
Oakland Public Conservatory of Music opens the world of music to all
through access to quality instruction in a nurturing environment. OPC
provides economical study in a variety of musical arts. OPC values
rigor, innovation and scholarship in its quest to preserve the musical
traditions of Oakland. Its music and educational process resonates with
the aspirations of the community and its native artists by reclaiming
spirit and culture, illuminating ancestral authenticity.
Contact OPC
On the web: http://www.opcmusic
Email: info@opcmusic.org
Phone: (510) 836-4649
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