On Saturday, May 21, the Whallonsburg Grange Hall will present the inspiring documentary film When Voices Meet, followed by a live performance by Sharon Katz & The Peace Train, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
In 1992 following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, two anti-apartheid activists, Sharon Katz and Nonhlanhla Wanda, brought together nearly 500 children to perform as the first multiracial, multilingual choir in South Africa. The concerts, called “When Voices Meet,” sang to the soul of a divided nation and promoted a peaceful transition to democracy. The young performers then took to the rails as The Peace Train and traveled across South Africa with their message and their music. The award-winning film, When Voices Meet documents the trials and triumphs of those musician activists and young choir members and their reunion, 20 years later. The film has won Best Picture and Audience Favorite awards at a dozen international festivals.
Following the film, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train will perform a live concert of their Grammy-nominated, Afro-Pop-Jazz-Roots fusion. Exhilarating rhythms played by these world-class musicians, exotic harmonies and authentic Zulu dance combine with a message that goes straight to the heart. Their credits include performances and CDs with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sting, Tina Turner, and Miriam Makeba, among others.
“Heavenly. Great ambassadors. You have to get up and dance.” -Joni Mitchell
“Watch & listen to Sharon Katz & The Peace Train. They are changing the world through their music and organization.” – Pete Seeger
Tickets are $12 at the door, with a special price of $5 for those under 16. All ages are welcome. The Grange is located at 1610 NYS Route 22 in Whallonsburg, New York, 5 miles south of the Essex ferry dock. For more information, visit www.thegrangehall.info.
This project is made possible, in part, with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.
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