Join us on Thursday 23rd March for the next event of this year’s New Jersey Folk Festival! We will be celebrating the power of digital storytelling with an evening showcasing the incredible work done by our community producers and talented local artists.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the New Jersey Folk Festival was unable to take place in person, our focus shifted to the digital arts. Out of this came the NJFF podcast series, which highlights local artists that specialise in traditional, handmade and sustainable artistic practises. Community members were trained in podcast production techniques and partnered with these local artists to each create their own individual podcast episode highlighting their chosen art form.
This evening will feature a panel discussion with three of these pairs, in which our community and student producers will describe the process of creating a podcast and of bringing artists’ stories to life. There will also be demonstrations from local artists Maria Vivar and Denise Hall, as well as an interactive performance of traditional puerto rican music from musician Nelson Báez and his band Cimarrones.
The podcast launch event will take place on March 23rd at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Centre from 6:30-8:30pm.
This event is free and open to all, but you can register for tickets using the link provided below to reserve a place!
MEET THE PANELISTS
Maria Vivar
Maria Vivar is an activist and artist from New Brunswick’s Oaxacan community. She has actively participated in many inter-cultural celebrations and educational opportunities with the Center for Latino Arts and Culture on the Rutgers Campus, and is a leader in Lazos America Unida, a Latino arts and cultural organization in New Brunswick.
Denise Hall
Denise Hall is a stay at home mom of two with a deep need to create. She cares about the planet and what she and her family consumes. Denise finds inspiration for her products in her daily life, especially when it comes to caring for the needs of her skin in pregnancy or in Winter. Visit her Facebook here.
Nelson Báez and the Cimarrones
New Jersey artist Nelson Báez will be one of our panellists for the event. He is a member of the Cimarrones who will be performing with him at the podcast launch.
Cimarrones was established in the fall of 2009 in response to the underrepresentation of Bomba and Plena in New Jersey, and is one of the most sought after ensembles of these music styles in New Jersey. Cimarrones has performed and instructed in very diverse venues including K-12 schools, weddings, sweet sixteen parties, libraries, night clubs, churches, seniors centres and inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres.
Cimarrones released its first CD, Viejos Tiempos, in April of 2009, a compilation of traditional Bomba, Colombian Bullerengue songs interpreted in Bomba and fusion with Hip Hop and Reggaeton. Watch Cimarrones here.
One of the reasons that Cimarrones is so well sought out is their ability to engage the audience, create high energy and educate them at the same time. Nelson Baez, founder and director of Cimarrones says “At our performances we believe that we are not there to entertain but rather to build community with our audiences. Our audiences are expected to participate either by playing an instrument, singing, or dancing which is the essence of Bomba.” Visit their website for more information.
Madeline Lora
Madeline Lora is the arts and education coordinator at Passaic County Community College. She works on behalf of the Folklife Center of Northern NJ and the Theater and Poetry Project to develop programming for the Paterson Public Schools.
Stephanie Devito
Stephanie Devito is a writer & theater professional dedicated to storytelling of all kinds. As a Community Producer for the NJ Folk Festival, Stephanie set out to share the talents of her community in the Society for Creative Anachronism. A recreational, historical reenactment group, participants of the SCA engage in a variety of arts and sciences from the medieval era. Being part of such an industrious, and creative group has encouraged Stephanie to discover the history behind our everyday objects and consider how even the simplest of things have lived stories lived.
Emma Young
Emma Young worked on the NJFF team as the Artist in Residence and Interactive Activities coordinator from 2019 to 2021 during her junior and senior years of college. In May 2021, Emma graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in American studies with a focus on Public history and Curation. Now she works as an educator at Historic Speedwell and Cooper Gristmill in Morristown, New Jersey, and is pursuing a career in Museum Education.
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