Press Releases

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 12 May 2009 00:00

For Immediate Release

Contact: Isabelle Kalubi
Events Manager, Afrika Yetu
C: 513.417.7215
nikalubi@gmail.com

LOKUA KANZA IN CONCERT TO BENEFIT
RAPE VICTIMS IN THE CONGO

WHO: Lokua Kanza
WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 8PM
WHERE: 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Rd, Cincinnati OH 45209

Afrika Yetu Inc. presents LOKUA KANZA, one of the most accomplished Congolese recording artists on the scene to the city of Cincinnati. On a rare US tour with his band this summer, Lokua Kanza will be making his Cincinnati debut on Thursday May 28, 2009, 8PM at the 20th Century Theater.

He is a prolific singer, songwriter, and composer known for his soulful folksy sound, unusual in the land of Soukous. Lokua's music incorporates many natural sounds from the Congo rainforest including the symphonic chants of the Twa as well as his own pop melancholic acoustic style of Soukous Music. He has worked and performed with the top names in the business such as Siedah Garrett, Lamont Dozier, Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Youssou N’Dour, and Angélique Kidjo to name a few. He also made a special appearance on Saturday Night Live with Natalie Merchant.

Featuring WACONGO Dance Company, a traditional performing dance group from the Democratic Republic of Congo, this concert aims to promote awareness and raise funds for the hundreds of thousand women and girls in conflict zones who are kidnapped, tortured, brutally raped and sexually enslaved daily in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s intractable civil war.

Afrika Yetu is an organization committed to introducing popular indigenous African artists to the Pittsburgh Community. Afrika Yetu’s objective is to develop and showcase the contemporary and traditional aspects of African music and Art. Additionally, Afrika Yetu, as an organization in the performing arts, promotes African Music and Arts in the City of Pittsburgh and across the nation, as a way to not only unite the various ethnicities, but also to educate people about the African continent’s history and richness, to build bridges of mutual understanding.

Tickets for the LOKUA KANZA in concert with WACONGO concert are $50 VIP (which includes dinner and meet-and-greet with Lokua Kanza), $30 General Admission and $15 for students, and are available at Afrika Yetu by calling 412.281.3100 or online at www.afrikayetu.org. Tickets are also available at 20th Century Theater by calling 513.731.8000.

For more information, please visit www.afrikayetu.org or call the Afrika Yetu office at 412.281.3100

Additional information on LOKUA KANZA and/or Afrika Yetu is available upon request and on the Afrika Yetu’s website at www.afrikayetu.org or at www.Lokua-kanza.com