from Mali - Vieux Farka Toure
As a boy, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure secretly played along to recordings of his legendary father Ali Farka Toure. Ali, who passed away in 2006, feared his son would face the same hardships he had in the music industry. But Toumani Diabaté -- the world’s premiere kora player -- recognized Vieux’s gift and urged Ali to accept his son’s chosen path. Ali agreed, and under Toumani’s guidance, the younger Toure flourished. Rightful heir to the domain, Vieux embodies strains of African tradition that have circled the world, sparked the blues and rock and jazz, and returned home more rooted than ever. See and hear him on YouTube.
from Ireland - Lunasa
Folk Roots called Lúnasa an "Irish music dream team." The layered tapestry that underpins their sound is marked by driving, occasionally jazz-inflected rhythms, impeccable individual musicianship, and an unswerving faith in the music's ability to navigate new territory with the same confidence as it revisits the old. Connoisseurs of the genre count Lúnasa among the top two or three Irish acts in the world today. Hear for yourself on YouTube.
Stand Up Charlottesville for Darfur II
Tickets: $15 - $88. Purchase through the Paramount Theater website.
Half-price rush, subject to availability, begins 3:00 PM Friday at Paramount box office -- 215 East Main Street.
Though all ticket proceeds from this event will go to alleviate suffering in war-torn and drought-ravaged Darfur, local concert-goers will also reap a rich reward as they are transported to musical other-worlds by these two world-class acts.
The event beneficiary, Ireland-based Concern Worldwide, is one of the world’s foremost relief organizations. Praised internationally for its work in Darfur, Concern ties life-saving emergency programming -- provision of food, health supplies, water, and housing -- to innovative, long-term development efforts. One program, for instance, teaches women how to build and use fuel-efficient stoves. Along with reducing respiratory disease, this skill prevents violence towards women who would otherwise leave the safety of camp to collect wood.
Tickets can be purchased through the Paramount Theater website
Sponsored by:
Virginia Organizing Project: virginia-organizing.org
Amnesty International (Group 157, Charlottesville, VA): avenue.org/amnesty
Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT): transportationchoice.org
