On October 10, the Center for the Arts honors Indigenous Peoples鈥 Day, and looks forward to upcoming performances this season by Pura F茅 with Silkroad Ensemble and . In addition to their respective Great Performances at Mason events this spring, the companies will participate in the Mason Artist-in-Residence program, working closely with the community through classes, workshops, and discussions.
On January 29, the GRAMMY Award-winning , founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, debuts their newest program Uplifted Voices at the Center, the first performance as part of their three-year arc as a Mason Artist-in-Residence. Championing women and non-binary members of the Silkroad Ensemble alongside special guest Tuscarora/Ta铆no musician Pura F茅, Uplifted Voices weaves a musical tapestry connecting the sounds and rhythms of indigenous North America to the World. The San Francisco Chronicle said of artist and activist Pura F茅, whose name means 鈥淧ure faith鈥: 鈥淔abulous ... astonishing ... playing searing, slicing, lap-style bottleneck guitar, Tuscarora tribe descendant Pura F茅 blends world beat rhythms with Southern blues and her own powerful vocals.鈥
Drawing inspiration from the folk and ancestral music of Japan, China, Armenia, Ireland, the Hebrides, and native populations across North America, the Silkroad ensemble shines a light on previously under-recognized voices from across the globe with this program, to change our perspective of the history and migration of music. Silkroad Ensemble鈥檚 radical cultural collaboration seeks to build bridges of understanding to combat fear and build a more hopeful and inclusive world. Today, under the artistic direction of celebrated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens, the Silkroad Ensemble leads social impact initiatives and educational programming alongside the creation of new music that celebrates the exchange of ideas, tradition, and innovation across borders.
Concluding the Center for the Arts鈥 Great Performances at Mason 2022-2023 season, Indigenous Enterprise performs on April 29. is on a mission to proudly share their heritage and culture through explosively joyous authentic dance and song. Comprised of champion dancers from Native American and Canadian tribes and Nations, this group first stunned crowds at the Sydney Opera House in 2018 and has been on the rise since. 鈥淚ndigenous Enterprise is rooted in tradition but also has hip-hop influences, discernible in footwork, bounce, and especially attitude,鈥 writes The New York Times. They have appeared in music videos, NBC鈥橲 World of Dance, and President Biden鈥檚 virtual inauguration parade. The group鈥檚 newest work, Indigenous Liberation, recently debuted at The Joyce Theater to glowing praise. 鈥淚n their traditional regalia, these dancers freestyle as the young people they are,鈥 says The New Yorker. Indigenous Liberation invites its audience to revel in the pageantry, history, and kaleidoscope of colors in a celebration of what lies at the heart of these powerful traditions.
Originally proposed by Indigenous peoples at the 1977 United Nations conference, Indigenous Peoples鈥 Day has become a crucial part of American culture and identity. The Center for the Arts聽looks forward to promoting the legacy and history of Indigenous peoples now and always.