Batoto Yetu’s Black History Month Events

MULTIMEDIA ART EXHIBITION
“When I Went to Sleep”

January 16 – February 28, 2020
Aaron Davis Hall, City College, NY

“When I went to sleep” is a breathtaking cultural, Mixed-Media installation of history and art. The exhibition is Júlio T. Leitão’s reinterpretation and exploration of the Chokwe and Luba traditions of Congo and Angola. Júlio links these traditions to his life in New York, where he has resided for nearly 30 years. Through sculpture, life-size ritual masquerade costumes, and photographs, Júlio reveals how colonization, racism, sexism, and other socioeconomic factors have effects both seen and unseen.

PERFORMANCE
“The Life and Spirit of a Warrior Queen: Nzinga Mbandi of Matamba”

February 7 & 8, 2020
Aaron Davis Hall, City College, NY

Determined to bring their memory back, the healer takes them on a journey of their original freedom, subsequent bondage, and then restoration of freedom. He begins the story in 1480 with the arrival of Portuguese sailors, the tenets of Christianity they brought with them, and the eventual enslavement of the Mbundu people. Warrior Queen Nzinga Mbandi provided leadership to her people in their fight against the slave trade for more than 30 years. This exhilarating performance advances the story through the centuries, connecting finally with our modern day.

This one hour and forty-five-minute production features 20 dancers/actors (ages 4-25), five musicians, large African (animal and mystical) masks, and beautifully designed costumes against a backdrop of mixed media projections and set to a dramatic mix of traditional African drumming and contemporary rhythms. Through this immersive theatrical experience, the roots of slavery are explored along with its impact on modern culture and the African diaspora.

TICKETS COMING SOON