Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange - Season 15
Season 15
Public television's longest-running series devoted to showcasing content about the Black experience is back for its 15th season! AfroPoP's five episodes feature stories that celebrate the art, culture and creative of people of African descent. Poignantly told, each reminds us that, despite the hardships people of African descent face globally, our spirit of ingenuity burns bright.
Episodes
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters
Filmmakers Rosalynde LeBlanc and Tom Hurwitz trace the history and legacy of choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones' ballet, "D-Man in the Waters." Emerging in the age of AIDS, the 1989 ballet gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that Jones and colleagues experienced as AIDS took the life of their beloved co-founder Arnie Zane and other troupe members.
Queen Kidjo
Claire Duguet's film is a guided tour of the life and indomitable spirit of international music icon and activist Angélique Kidjo. Featuring archival footage of the artist appearing with superstars Miriam Makeba, Celia Cruz, Youssou N'dour, Ziggy Marley, Philip Glass, and Peter Gabriel, the film also includes cameo appearances by contemporary music stars including Alicia Keys and Yemi Alade.
Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts
Born into slavery in 1853, Bill Traylor spent most of his life working the land in rural Alabama. He began drawing and painting in his later years, often with found materials. This film, by Jeffrey Wolf and Daphne McWilliams, is a compelling narrative about a man who, despite the hardships of legalized racism, produced a body of work exhibited in today's leading museums and collections worldwide.
The Sound of Masks
Mapiko is a traditional masked dance performed by the Makonde men of Northern Mozambique. Filmmaker Sara CF de Gouveia's film follows Atanásio Nyusi, a compelling storyteller and legendary Mapiko dancer, taking us on a visually dramatic journey through Mozambique's past (including Mapiko's role as a tool to challenge colonization during the Mozambican War of Independence) and its vibrant present.
Rewind & Play
Improvisational pianist and composer Thelonious Monk is among the 20th century's most revered jazz luminaries. This film by Alain Gomis, features raw footage from an interview the artist gave to French state television in 1969. It shows Monk in the grip of a violent factory of stereotypes, offering an unfiltered glimpse at the racial indignities some artistic geniuses are asked to endure.
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