Ka Mau, Aerial Crew & Kobagi Kecak @ Bali Spirit Festival

Directed and co-choreographed by Kamau Abayomi

UPLIFT is on again this Saturday, April 28th

The Ubud Renaissance continues this Saturday night. If you missed the last one, you don’t wanna miss this one. Expect the unexpected, Live Mysteries stylin’.

Here is footage of the last event: https://vimeo.com/39993092

See you Saturday!!!

Sat, March 24th…UPLIFT @ the deeply beautiful new restaurant Betelnut in Ubud

After a 3 year hiatus, Live Mysteries returns with another night of unpredictable premeditated freestyles in music, song, movement and visuals. If you are unfamiliar with how Live Mysteries gets down, a few years ago the legendary Home Cafe in Seminyak was in full swing with the best of underground flava. Live Mysteries was a concept created by Ka Mau and was conducted monthly at Home Cafe (and one at Art Cafe) which brought together the slew of artistic expressions in Bali that tend to stay in their own respective worlds. Live Hiphop/Rock/Ragga/Improv band music with poetry and djing, dance performances, photo exhibitions, drumming, live painting and even story-telling by a slew of talented local and ex-pat artists.

The Live Mysteries flava has returned and first time, the expression will vibrate in Ubud with the potential monthly gathering entitled, ‘Uplift’. Taking down the walls that divide the arts into boxes is nothing new for Live Mysteries. Now coming together with Truecreativeactivity.com, the added intention is to bring down the walls that divide generations and communities. Uplift will present feature performances by artists young and old, ex-pat and Indonesian, in the spirit of progression in the creation of new traditions in community creativity and sharing. Uplift will be an early evening event to allow for those whom may not be inclined towards late nights (youth and pretty much most of Ubud folks) to enjoy the benefits of live music, dance, performance.

Betelnut is a restaurant, (or as they say, “Noodle and Satay Bar and Music Lounge”), with delicious food and very good feng shui. It is a ridiculously beautiful and perfect space for Live Mysteries to get loose with and explore creatively.

Take a look at the space here: Betelnut in Ubud

More Info Coming soon. You can also check the facebook page: UPLIFT

PBG at @America in Jakarta

Represented last weekend at American cultural center in Jakarta, @America. http://magz.hiphopheroes.net/info/news/pitch-black-gold-menyebarkan-hip-hop-pada-para-pemuda-bali.html

Here is the entire performance and interview. It starts around the 5:30 mark. I perform an opening set, then is the interview and the 2nd set starts around the 46:30 mark.

Enjoy:  Ka Mau at @America Jakarta

There Is No 2morrow (preview event)

Big thanks and shout to everyone who came out to support the event last weekend. it was much fun despite being shutdown early by the banjar police. We are in the process of looking for a professional performance theater in which to present the full performance once completed. If you would like to help in the process, please contact: pitchblackgold@gmail.com Updates soon. Peace

There Is No 2morrow….Friday, Oct 21st @ Word of Mouth, 9 pm

What if you woke up one morning to the governments of the world announcing  that a comet was going to smash into the Earth not long after sunset  that day and humanity would go the way of the dinosaurs? There Is No 2morrow is a one act cinematic play that uses dance theater, poetry, visual media and music to show how a few individuals, couples and groups living in Bali personally and collectively live out their last day alive.

So this is the concept that came up with about 2 months ago during a night of insomnia. I was thinking about all speculation concerning Mayan prophecy, Dec 2012 or Oct 28th, 2011, Hopi prophecy, Comet Elenin and just the overall state of things at this period and i thought it would be dope to do a performance production that speaks to this time of transition. Anyone who has even the slightest concern for humanity and this planet can see that we are at a crucial crossroad, with some serious choices to be made, but still many of us are living our lives with careless concern as if we will last forever in this form. We take our lives and the lives of others for granted and continuously waste our days away repeating experiencing in pursuit of things that have no real meaning to who we are and what we were born to do. We often ride winds with no destination and “go with the flow” without considering fully the direction of the flow. We also often fail to go with the flows that count in our progress as spiritual and human beings, choosing not to walk through doors of opportunity and learning because the door wasn’t the right color, squeaked when others walked through or had a dirty key. Then there is “the 1%” who have been running the game thus far, satisfying all their pathological urges as the expense of the rest of the world and the actual planet itself.  I think this clip is a good metaphor of the situation we are in and what needs to happen….the Spurs rep the current powers that be and Traci reps the rest of humanity;

Through dance, song, poetry and visual arts, There Is No 2morrow explores moments in life in the face of impending death. This Friday’s show will be excerpts from the show which is still a work in progress, as I have more visual shooting to do, pieces to choreograph, flakey dancer’s asses to kick and costumes to get, as well as finding a larger venue with a stage and lighting that can fulfill the vision i have.  I hope to present the full production at the end of November, Inshallah.

Performers will include the 2011 Indonesian B-Boy (Breakdance) Champions, Aerial Crew. Hiphop dance crews G.O.G., Beautiful Game and Peaz Makerz Bali along with vocal presentations by Sausan, Soloman and i may do something as well. There are some other performance surprises in store, but you may need to wait until the full show.

Myself, along with Soloman will be keeping the party flowing musically on the DJ tip. So come thru, have some drinks, mingle, dance and enjoy the birth of another level of performance production for Bali.

Peace,

Ka Mau (PitchBlackGold)

If you want any more info, shoot me an email: pitchblackgold@gmail.com  or twitter: http://twitter.com/PitchBlackGold

Aerial Crew Training Program Auditions

Aerial Crew performing Circus Routine

****Audition for Professional Hiphop Dance Theater Program****

Friday, August 19th 2011 6:00pm

10 children will be selected and offered the opportunity to join the Aerial Crew/Jeet Kun Dope training program and receive instruction in the arts of:

Hip-Hop Dance (Breaking, Popping, Freestyle, Etc.)
House Dance
Rap, Rhythm & Poetry Performance
Character Development

Children accepted will also perform in the performance production “There Is No 2morrow” written, directed & choreographed by Ka Mau, showing on September 30th, Oct 1st, Oct 2nd at Word of Mouth in Seminyak

Location: @ Mirah Studio – Jl Patih Jelantik no. 81, 3rd Floor, Kuta
(near Istana Plaza Kuta Galleria. Turn right from Jl. Dewi Sri and then left down the small hill immediately after Dapur Alam restaurant. Turn left again into the Mirah parking lot. 3rd floor of Studio 81 on rightside)

Requirements:

–Auditions are for Boys and Girls Age 9 – 13 yrs. old

–Please prepare a 45 second to 1 minute solo dance routine to show the selection judges. Dancers may perform as a duo or trio but will be selected based on their individual performance. From the solo round, judges will select dancers to learn a short choreographed routine. After the choreography round, a maximum of 10 dancers will be selected and offered the opportunity to join the foundation program*.
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*Foundational program students are required to attend sessions 3 days per week, 2 hours per session for the 2 month program. Upon completion of the program, students will have a video portfolio of their creative works individually and collectively and will receive honorary acceptance as an Aerial Crew Disciple. Graduates may continue training in the higher level of courses if they choose and receive further performance opportunities. The fee for entrance into the 2 month training program is Rp. 1,500,000

Tru Karya Cipta Afterschool Program Sign-Ups Begin This Week!!!

Each One Teach One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace and Love. We are pleased to announce that TKC will be beginning Afterschool Programs starting in April!!! Courses in hiphop dance, house dance, b-boying/girling (breakdance), rapping, poetry writing & performance, facilitated by Kamau Abayomi & Aerial Crew will be available to youth in select schools and sites in the Seminyak/Kerobokan/Denpasar area and the Ubud area. If you are interested in bringing TKC to your child’s school, please contact Kamau at: pitchblackgold@gmail.com

MORE INFO COMING SOON!!!!!

Beginning April 11th at SLK:

Hiphop/House/Pop Dance – Monday 3:00 – 4:30 (Grade 4 – 9): Children will learn dance in the styles seen in music videos by Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and in movies like Step Up. Students will also learn how to create their own unique conceptualchoreography, which will be performed at the end of the school year. This class is perfect for children who want to improve their versatility in dance, their dance performance and find their unique dance character.

Breaking, Rapping, Performance & Hip-Hop Culture – Wednesdays 3:00 – 5:00 (Grade 4– 9): Students will learn the history of Hip-Hop culture, dance and rap music.  The b-boy/b-girl (breakdancing) focus will be on the foundation moves of b-boying/b-girling which are top-rocking, down-rocking, footwork and freezes. Students who complete the course will have a basic knowledge of the history of Hip-Hop culture and Hip-hop dance, the fundamentals of b-boying/b-girling and the ability to dance in any breaking circle.

Using the 30+ years of rap history, students will learn the fundamentals of how to write and perform raps in a variety of rhythmic styles and cadences. Students will also learn about rap song writing structures measured in “bars” and the art of giving a dynamic vocal performance. Students who complete this course will have a basic knowledge of Hip-Hop history and rap music and will know how to write and recite raps to music and perform. This class is perfect for those who want to build their performance confidence and charisma vocally and through movement.

*At the end of the school year there will be a performance showcase!

**Special Consideration can be made for students below 4^th grade who show are greatly interested and already have basic dance ability ***

For Sign-ups and further details please contact Kamau at: pitchblackgold@gmail.com

 

What It Means To Truly Serve

ON MUTHA*$%#IN’ POINT!!!!

…….nothing further.

Saturday Dec 11th: I MANIFEST

First I must say Selamat Galungan & Kuningan to all the Bali Community, meaning everyone who lives in Bali and experiences this beautiful island as their home. The victory of virtue over evil is such a beautiful holiday to celebrate and here in Bali it is done twice a year.  Six months ago, i set up the True Creative Activity site  good week or so before this same very holiday, with the intention of bringing to light creative people, ideas and expression, and to serve as a space for people to get info on the Tru Karya Cipta urban arts program here in Bali. You can read above about all of our goals and objectives, one of which is opening a center dedicated to using performance and media arts as a tool for personal and community empowerment.

This coming Saturday Dec 11th, is our first official fundraising event. We are blessed to be partnering with Serambi Arts Antida (Thanks Anom & Wayan!) & Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (Thanks auntie Janet!) in presenting I MANIFEST a showcase of the Bali Hiphop Community in the spirit of Peace, Love, Unity & Community Building.

I MANIFEST is a declaration of personal power in bringing something into existence. I-statements are always power statements that charge and energize whatever words that follow the word “I”. When an I-statement has the full intention, focus, clarity and emotional energy fueling it, the I-statement will be experienced as reality for the person making the statement. When individuals who own their personal power of manifesting come together, a collective power of manifestation gets charged. As the collective power of manifestation gets focused and clear, I MANIFEST becomes synonymous with WE MANIFEST. Hope to see you Saturday…(Starts at 7pm)

Peace and Love,

PBG