Join us for another installment of Sacred Traditions, our series dedicated to advocating for the education and preservation of African-based Spirituality. This upcoming program commemorates the feast day of the orisha Sangó, lord of drum and dance, social justice warrior and lord of lightning and thunder.
Last year, we honored Sangó in the Lucumi tradition of Cuba with our presentation of El Nuevo Oro, and we continue our Diasporic journey for this year’s celebration by highlighting the Sangó Baptist tradition of Trinidad and Tobago.
CCCADI Executive Director, Melody Capote and Michael Manswell, Creative Director of Something Positive, explore the Sangó Baptist tradition, its origins, distinctions, and connections to other African-based Spirituality. Melody and Michael take a look back at a past collaboration between CCCADI and Something Positive in 2015, a musical presentation that also highlighted Sangó within the program Ache Lavagem da Rua at Lincoln Center Out of Doors.
This discussion and retrospective will be followed by a performance by Something Positive especially designed for Sangó’s feast day (December 4th).
You can view the program here on December 10th or view it via CCCADI Facebook or Youtube.
Guest speaker & artist group
Michael Manswell, Artistic Director, Dancer, Singer, Teaching Artist, Choreographer
Michael began his performance life as a storyteller at Arts Festivals in his native Trinidad & Tobago. He studied music with Lindy-Anne Bodden-Ritch and at Brooklyn College (CUNY). He has toured Europe, the UK, and the Caribbean as a singer and has performed in productions of opera and oratorio including the works of Purcell, Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss.
He studied dance at the Trinidad Dance Theater with Eugene Joseph training in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Ballroom, and Folkloric styles. Michael worked with the Tony award winning Geoffrey Holder on “Dougla II” and “La Valse des Bakas.” He has created several works currently in the repertoire of Something Positive Inc, the performing company he now directs. Michael has performed with the company in Morocco, Ivory Coast, Belize, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
An avid folklorist and an Orisha devotee, Mr. Manswell presents lectures and workshops in dance, music, and traditional sacred practice, and works closely with the Caribbean Cultural Center and the Interfaith Center in their programs.
One of “Brooklyn’s Black Men of Distinction 2000” and one of “Brooklyn’s Black Dance Kings (2010)”, Michael is currently Prof (Dance) at Lehman College (CUNY) and teaches for Something Positive Inc, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), Abun-Dance Academy and E.M Techniques.
Something Positive
Something Positive is a performing arts and education organization dedicated to the art and culture of the African Diaspora and its cross-cultural influences. Utilizing a unique blend of dance, music, poetry, storytelling, and theater, Something Positive specializes in multi-media performance art presentations.
Founded by Cheryl Byron, the ensemble has been performing for over three decades both nationally and internationally a repertoire of original material at venues such as the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts (LIU Brooklyn Campus), Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Lincoln Center, African Burial Ground National Monument, The Schomburg Center, El Teatro Mellico Salazar (Costa Rica), Trinidad & Tobago Emancipation Celebration, Dance X International (Belize), Visa for Music (Morocco), MASA (Cote d’Ivoire) and were staple performers at the annual Dimanche Gras for the West Indian American Carnival Association (WIADCA) for more than twenty years. In addition to participating with other community and international organizations in exhibitions, conferences, tours, conventions and various educational programs, the company works in collaboration with several organizations including the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) and Purelements, An Evolution in Dance.
This program is made possible by funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.