Mukana in concert @ The Mount
Date/Time
Location
The Mount (2 Plunkett St., Lenox, MA 01240, Lenox MA)
Mukana, meaning opportunity in the Shona language of Zimbawe, brings an eclectic gathering of world-class musicians from Chile, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Brazil and U.S. to perform live at The Mount. Fusing traditional songs and rhythms with jazz and sublime arrangements, Mukana creates music that compels you to your feet in a joyful celebration of global community.
Mukana is Zimbabwean singer/songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist Tendai Muparutsa, Artist in Residence in African Music Performance at Williams College, Chilean singer/songwriter Natalia Bernal, Haitian singer Nadine Niles (of the powerhouse Haitian roots band Lakou Mizik), Guitarist/musical director Jason Ennis, Saxophonist/arranger Michael Zsoldosand drummer Conor Meehan, with Bassists Itaiguara Brandão or Gregg August.
Tendai Muparutsa is an internationally known performer, music educator, ethnomusicologist and bandleader. He participates in a multitude of Zimbabwean and African music circles in North America, and collaborates with musicians and instructors from all over Africa. His work encompasses everything from performing with afro-pop groups to teaching at African music camps to directing mbira, marimba and dance ensembles. His high energy, humor and passion for sharing African music delight audiences and students alike. Tendai co-directs Kusika and the Zambezi Marimba Band
Tendai’s research has been diverse and his passions are many. He has explored, through both academic study and personal experience, the following: the music of Southern Africa; general music education with an emphasis on multicultural philosophy; popular music; jazz history; music and gender; African and African-American music collaborations in diasporas; and African choral music styles and how they interact with North American styles. His enthusiasm for cross-cultural music experiences results in many rich and exciting collaborative projects.
Jazz guitarist Jason Ennis brings a diverse background in jazz, blues, Brazilian music and classical music have made him highly in demand as a soloist, sideman, bandleader and musical director. A graduate of Middlebury College (BA in music), Jason attended Berklee College of Music (Boston) and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Since Fall of 2015, Ennis has been a Lecturer in Music at Dartmouth College, where he teaches jazz, world and popular guitar styles. Now living in Pittsfield,he teaches guitar privately and at the Berkshire Music School, is a faculty member at Interplay Jazz in Woodstock, Vermont and has given workshops at colleges and Universities throughout the US and Chile.