After the Fireside Chat was completed. Guests indulged in Tanzanian appetizers. They then moved to the first level to experience the music, the dance, the culture and creativeness.
The Experience Tanzania NYC Fest, an immersive cultural Fest in New York City brought to you by Curious on Tanzania. The fest took place at Punto Space in New York City on June 15th, bringing the Tanzanian experiences to the people of NYC and beyond, through music, dance, talks/chats, food, culture, travel and more.
Juliana, Swahili Musical Drama - Juliana, depicts and traces the footprints of how it is believed HIV/Aids virus first entered Kagera Region in Tanzania after the fall of the infamous Dictator Iddi Amin of Uganda, in the late 1970s to early 1980s. This 2-hour musical drama showcases more that 13 difference tribal and modern performances telling the story of the people. At the Fest, a glimpse of the drama was showcased to the audience with a goal of one day bringing the full drama to life around theaters in the USA.
Starting Eto'o Tsana (in black) - a New York City Harlem native Afro-Puerto Rican choreographer, dancer, singer, and dance educator. Two years ago, Eto’o traveled with us to join the cast in Tanzania for the premier showcase of the play in at the Zanzibar Film Festival.
Model Remi dressed in maasai warrior traditional wear.
The musical drama was written and produced by Ma Vicky Rugakingira, a Tanzanian, mother of five, who said “This is a story I lived. From the time I was in High School (in Kagera) when the War started throughout my young adult life and later, I experienced the disease take many people I knew and yes - loved ones”.
The Musical Drama aims to entertain, educate and share a part of Tanzanian history which took place in Kagera region during the early 1980's of Nyerere era.
The live music
Singing the theme song, "Safari" to Juliana Swahili Drama was Tina and Koku Gonza.
Koku Gonza (on the right) and the band. Koku Gonza, a the daughter of a Tanzanian folk. Koku Gonza's sound is often compared to legends like Sade, Zap Mama, Saida Karoli and Mariam Makeba as well as contemporary artists like Corinne Bailey Rae, Sia and Lianne La Havas. She traveled to Tanzania with us in 2016 to connect with ro ots.
Ms. Tina Kakolaki (on the left) - a singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Bukoba, Tanzania. As a child, Tina would sing lullabies to her doll such as Chwi chwi chwi (one of the tracks on her third album) which was commonly sung by mothers to put their babies to sleep.
Photos from the Performance:
To the right: Meet Marianna Painesi, a who traveled all the way from Greece. Marianna is a Tanzanian-Greek model who was featured as a contestant on the third season of Greece's Next Top Model in 2018.
Models: Marriana, Taz-marr, Tyriek, Shakia and Nadja
Experience Tanzania NYC Fest organizers
In partnership with:
Curated Vibes Group - an experiential event agency that assist us in the success of this event.
The Global Taste - a digital platform about Food x Travl x Cultre. Our aim is to highlight the endless beauty of people, places and perception.
Thank you Sponsors:
Juliana, Swahili Musical Drama
Pictures from the Fest 2019
