Schimmel Center Blog

Sensual, emotive, spirited and poignant — all four words describe Fatoumata Diawara’s music to the tee. A native of Ivory Coast, Diawara’s life is filled with interesting tidbits; profiled by The Guardian, Diawara began as a child actress at age 9, culminating in a few feature films (including Dani Kouyata’s Sia, le rêve du python) as well as leaving to France to join the theatre company Royale de Luxe. Ultimately, the talent found her calling within music, calling it “a medicine.” It is within this music, inspired by traditional Wassoulou music of her childhood, which Diawara found her calling, and if the talent and passion that radiates from her voice with each new song is any hint, it is a calling that is a perfect fit.

Diawara’s voice is the highlight of her performances and it shines through her band’s instrumentation; the simplicity of the composition allows the music and voice to blend into one spectacular force. Fatoumata Diawara will be a great musical talent that will wow her audience when she takes the Schimmel stage on September 28.

See the videos of Diawara’s performing  following the break and you will be wooed by her charm and her voice as much as many others have already been.

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Fanfare Ciocărlia, the riveting 12-piece Romanian brass orchestra, will be kicking off the 2012-2013 season of the Pace Presents series at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. In keeping with the series’ theme of bringing internationally-acclaimed talent to the Schimmel, the popular Gypsy band’s performance on Sept. 22 will be sure to bring in unprecedented musical speed, flair and finesse to our stage.

If there is one thing to take away from a first listen to Fanfare Ciocărlia, it would be the Gypsy music that the orchestra calls its inspiration is anything but slow and steady — breakneck brass, emanating from trumpets, horns, tubas and drums, tear through a complicated weaving of inescapable melody. More folk-band-at-a-dance-club than chamber music concerto, the orchestra’s instrumentation is perfect for rhythm and groove music, so rather than sitting idly by as the band plays, do not be surprised if you find yourself dancing with your neighbors throughout the band’s set. Unsurprisingly, the 12-piece has been an influence to some electronic artists, even having songs being sampled in musician’s work.

Just one listen and you’ll be hooked by Fanfare Ciocărlia eclectic sense of cadence and staccato, culminating in a high intensity — and highly enjoyable — night of Baltic Gypsy music. Follow the break to find videos of Fanfare Ciocărlia performing at the 2009 Reperkusion festival in Galicia, Spain

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The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts is pleased to bring you the 2012-2013 Pace Presents series! Seeking to enrich and engage our audiences by bringing world class entertainment to Lower Manhattan, this year’s series brings a collection of internationally-acclaimed talent in the areas of music, dance, theatre, lectures and film. We have a phenomenal season planned this year and we are excited to introduce you to each performer in the coming weeks.

This blog will serve as a wealth of information for each performance we have scheduled for this year’s series, and we’ll be sure to update it with new live videos, recordings, interviews, features and photos of what to expect on stage at the Schimmel Center.

For those interested in attending multiple performances within the same genre of entertainment, we are proud to offer a new subscription rate for this year’s series. Sorted into genres such as world music, cabaret, dance, lecture, music and theatre, a subscription offers tickets to every performance within each topic for a discounted price — perfect for those who want to enjoy the full of experience of what the Pace Presents series has to offer! We also offer a discounted price if you create your own subscription, by selecting four or more performances of your choosing. More information on both types of subscription offers can be found on our Subscriptions page.

Check back with us in the next few weeks for some information on our approaching performances, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and get ready for a marvelous year of breathtaking talent.