AfroSolo International Arts Festival

AfroSolo Theatre Company joins the San Francisco International Arts Festival (SFIAF) in presenting AfroSolo International, an extraordinary celebration of the art, culture, intellect and creativity of people of African descent. The festival features Marc Bamuthi Joseph (USA), Nawal (Comoros Islands), SuAndi (England), Yossi Vassa (Ethiopia/Israel) and Brian Freeman (USA).

Thursday, May 24, at 8:00pm
AfroSolo International kicks off with an incredible Gala Opening with special excerpted performances by SuAndi, Nawal, Yossi Vassa and Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Following the performances, enjoy food, drinks, music and fellowship in the AAACC International Lounge.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph (USA), The Spoken Word
Sat, May 26 at 7:00pm & Sun, May 27 at 4:30pm
Representing the Bay Area, spoken word artist Joseph is one of an emerging class of hip-hop theater artists who combines a variety of art forms in his work. He performs excerpts from his works “Word Becomes Flesh” and “Scourge,” as well as new material from the 2008 premiere “The Breaks.”

Nawal (Comoros Islands)
Fri, May 25 at 9:30pm & Sat, May 26 at 11:00pm
Celebrating the release of her second CD, Aman (peace of the soul), singer and composer Nawal kicks off her US tour on the AfroSolo stage. Nawal originates from the Comoros Islands located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. Between traditional and contemporary, her music weaves a rich dialog of cultures, a reflection of the diverse character of life in her native islands. Indo-Arabian-Persian music meets Bantu polyphonies.

SuAndi (England), The Story of M
Fri, May 25 at 7:00pm & Sat, May 26 at 9:30pm
Through poetic language, SuAndi weaves a loving story of growing up in England. It pays homage to her mother, who reared two children in a time when England simply wasn’t prepared to acknowledge its Black population. She raised them with a smile on her face, pumped by her warrior heart. SuAndi’s humor is sharp and witty but at times she may move you to tears.

Yossi Vassa (Ethiopia/Israel) It Sounds Better in Amharic
Sat, May 26 at 4:30pm & Sun, May 27 at 7:00pm
Yossi shares the moving, personal account of his 450 mile journey on foot from Ethiopia to a refugee camp in the Sudan and from there to Israel. The show portrays nostalgic memories of life in Ethiopia interspersed with a hilarious perspective on lifestyle adjustments made by Ethiopians living in Israel. Presented in collaboration with the Israel Center.

Brian Freeman (USA), Here and There
Sat & Sun, May 26 & 27 at 2:00pm
In collaboration with Magic Theater, AfroSolo International presents a staged reading of Brian’s latest work, Here and There, a play about AIDS in South Africa. The show is an upbeat and passionate examination of the AIDS crisis as seen through the eyes of activists involved in reforming the treatment and cultural acceptance of the disease.