Rele Ounto, The Frisner Augustin Memorial Drum Festival

Event Details

Rele Ounto (Call the Drum Spirit), the Second Annual Frisner Augustin Memorial Drum Festival, presented by La Troupe Makandal, celebrates the power and beauty of Haitian roots drumming by presenting some of New York City's finest Haitian drummers and percussionists. The Troupe brings this outstanding cast of musicians to Roulette in Downtown Brooklyn, on Friday, June 26 at 8 PM.

Inspiration for the festival draws from the legacy of Master Drummer Frisner Augustin of Haiti, who practiced his art for forty years within New York's Haitian immigrant community and beyond. Mr. Augustin took on the artistic direction of La Troupe Makandal from 1981 until his passing in 2012. The Troupe dedicated itself to educating and enlightening the public about Haiti through performance of one of its most misunderstood cultural forms: Vodou. Under Mr. Augustin's direction, the company produced programs that represented Vodou as a joyful and healing spiritual practice. The cultural center City Lore inducted him into its People's Hall of Fame, and the National Endowment for the Arts recognized him with its distinguished National Heritage Fellowship.

Rele Ounto 2015 features Sanba Kebyesou, Fanmi Asoto, Rara Solojha, The Makandal Drummers with Taina Ligonde, and a new video short about legendary drummer Ti Roro.

Advance tickets to Rele Ounto are $18 general, $15 students/seniors, and they are available at http://www.makandal.org/memorial-project/drum-festival/. Tickets at the door are $20 general, $18 students/seniors.

Roulette is located at 509 Atlantic Avenue at the corner of 3rd Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Subways: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, and R to Atlantic Avenue-Barclay Center; A, C, and G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn. Train: Long Island Railroad to Atlantic Terminal.

La Troupe Makandal, formed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and established in Brooklyn since 1981, celebrates the performing arts of Haitian Vodou. The Troupe has delighted and enlightened audiences in the U.S. Haiti and beyond. Further information is available at the above URL, or by writing makandal@earthlink.net.

This program is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, and, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts.

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