Fire + Fire / Black + Gypsy: The Sounds and Stories of Two Cultures Bound by Rhythm and Race November 19, 2009

As part of the yearlong Extremely Hungary festival, FIRE + FIRE is a collaborative and conceptual music production that will explore and underscore the dual histories of musical expression and political oppression that mark Black American and Roma peoples in, respectively, the USA and Hungary. It will feature an ensemble of 16 performers from both cultures who are both deeply rooted in their ancestral traditions and intensely experimental in their expression of them. The ensemble employs a fusion of spoken word, movement and “jam sessions” to create a brand new vernacular that will spring this tale of two cultures to life.

Hungarian artists: Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Ági Szalóki, Fatima, Mihály Farkas, Richard Farkas, Robert Farkas, Zsolt Farkas, Gusztáv Balogh, Kiégő Izzók

American artists: Melvin Gibbs, Valerie June, Mazz Swift, Latasha Nevada Diggs, David Pleasant, Ayodele Maakheru, Marilys Ernst

Curated by Andrea Gáncs (Hungary) and culture critic Greg Tate (USA), in collaboration with Pulitzer-prize nominee Eisa Davis, bassist Melvin Gibbs, and choreographer/director Gabri Christa

Official Website: http://extremelyhungary.org/fire/