Please join the Illinois Global Institute for a night of international music as a part of this year's International Education Week. This performance will include sets by local Congolese rumba musician Jean Rene Balekita and his group Bomoyi, the Illinois Flamenco-Jazz Collective featuring David Chiriboga, and Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble Bloco Gavião.
This event is free and open to the public.
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Jean Rene Balekita & Bomoyi (Congolese Rumba Group)
Jean Rene Balekita is the founder of the musical group Bomoyi, which performs original songs blending Congolese Rumba and Gospel styles. Bomoyi has released popular recordings and musical videos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which resulted in musical tours through Europe and the United States in 2009. When Bomoyi returned to the United States in 2015, Balekita settled in Champaign-Urbana and has performed in a number of local venues, from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to the Rose Bowl Tavern. Balekita is committed to sharing the cultural arts of his country and reaching people from different socio-cultural backgrounds.
The Illinos Flamenco-Jazz Collective ft. David Chiriboga
Founded in the spring of 2020, the Illinois Flamenco-Jazz Collective is a student-led project at the University of Illinois that is working to establish a music and dance ensemble dedicated to high-quality authentic and innovative Flamenco performance and education. This performance will feature David Chiriboga, a full-time professional Flamenco guitarist based in Chicago.
Bloco Gavião
An Afro-Brazilian inspired community drum ensemble developed in collaboration with Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande-Illinois committed to promoting access to the beauty and richness of Afro-Brazilian musical traditions.