ToUMaTa DIawaRa
Fatoumata Diawara (guitar & vocals)
Sam Dickey (guitar)
Shea Pierre (keyboards)
Joshua Brozosky (bass)
ayne Matthews (drums)
Jorge Glem (cuatro)
THE TOWN HALL 123 W 43rd st nyc
director
irector
irector
, Associate Artistic director & Archivist
irector
CINDY BYRAM PR , Publicity
CARL ACAMPORA , Production Manager
ALEX KOVEOS , digital Media Manager
LEIA-LEE DORAN , Principal designer
Cover Photo © Aida Muluneh
Malian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Fatoumata Diawara brings her mesmerizing blend of traditional african music and elements of Western pop, rock, afrobeat, funk and r&b to the town Hall.
One of the most remarkable voices to emerge in world pop in recent years, Fatoumata Diawara’s music boldly blurs the lines between tradition and innovation. i n the arc of a song, she can move from delicate textures and hypnotic grooves to hard-edged rock and back. Not surprisingly, her work has attracted the attention of musicians working on a broad range of styles, leading to collaborations with artists as diverse as Flea ( r ed Hot Chili Peppers), Cuban jazz pianist r oberto Fonseca; singer b obby Womack; singer and songwriter Damon a lbarn (of b lur and Gorillaz fame); jazz master Herbie Hancock, and e thiopian composer and arranger Mulatu a statke, among others.
Living now in i taly after many years based in Paris, France, Diawara sings mostly in b ambara, the national language of Mali, and builds on the tradition of “songs of advice” from the culture of her ancestral Wassoulou region. i n her songs, Diawara has addressed issues such as the pain of emigration; a need for mutual respect; the struggles of a frican women; life under the rule of religious fundamentalists, and the practice of female circumcision.
at her town Hall appearance, fronting a quintet featuring electric guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, Diawara will be featuring songs from her most recent album, fittingly titled Fenfo , which translates as “ s omething to s ay.” Fenfo was nominated for a G ra MM y in the b est World Music a lbum.
i ndeed, her music has a punch — and a conscience.
“ i didn’t want to sing in e nglish or French because i wanted to respect my a frican heritage,” she once explained. “ b ut i wanted a modern sound because that’s the world i live in. i ’m a traditionalist, but i need to experiment, too. you can keep your roots and influences but communicate them in a different style.”
Her main message is hope, she said in a recent interview. i t’s all “about the world, peace, how a frica can be a better place, especially for women, because i am one, and i am a survivor,” she elaborated. “ i want to encourage those who have lost hope.”
i t’s a blend of artistry and social engagement that embodies the spirit of the town Hall’s Global i cons series, part of the programs leading up to the venue’s 100th anniversary celebration next year, and resonates with the history of the hall itself. t he town Hall opened in 1921 as a meeting space to debate the important issues of the day. i t has been the home and birthplace to landmark social, cultural and musical events in a merican life.
b orn in the i vory Coast in 1982 to Malian parents, Diawara grew up in b amako, Mali’s capital. s he went to live with an aunt who was an actress, which eventually led to her appearing on film and becoming a celebrated child star. i n what sounds like an old Hollywood script, defying the wishes of her parents who wanted her to marry, Diawara, then 19, joined a French street theatre company and fled b amako a step ahead of the police who had been told she had been kidnapped. i t was during her time with the theater company that her music-making grew from pasttime to passion and a new career.
Diawara’s singing became a feature of the company’s performances and soon she began appearing in the clubs and cafes of Paris. t hat led to her working with jazz singer Dee Dee b ridgewater and Malian superstar Oumou s angaré and, eventually, to her debut album, Fatou , in 2011, which she produced and for which she wrote all the songs in addition to playing guitar and percussion.
“ i started writing songs first—it wasn’t my idea to play an instrument, because, in Mali, that’s not common,” she told sheshredsmag.com last year. “Women normally don’t play instruments. you don’t grow up to be something like this. b ut i was too dependent on other people when i began performing, and i don’t like that. i like to be independent if i can. i t was becoming necessary to play and perform without a band. s o i went to the market, bought a book, and began learning.”
i n parallel, she also continued her career as an actor, including a role in the 2014 film Timbuktu , which received both ba F ta and a cademy award nominations and won b est Film at the 11th a frica Movie a cademy awards. Film work continues — but she leaves no doubts about where her creative heart is.
“ i ’m still making movies, every two years or so. i do like acting. b ut music is more ‘me’. i t’s my hope, my love for my continent. i t’s my communication with my generation. i t’s my conversation with the next generation.”
Photos © Marco Ferrario
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
a s part of her evolution as songwriter and performer, Diawara has turned to the electric guitar (she called it “my soul mate” in a recent interview), which she also taught herself. “ t here aren’t many a frican women that play the electric guitar so i wanted to be the one.”
t he look and sound — Diawara holding center stage in a frican garb with an electric guitar, before what looks and often sounds like a rock band — instantly sums up her approach.
“Musically, you will realize that i don’t have a traditional instrument in my band,” she said recently. “ t he only traditional instrument in my band is my voice. i t is the voice that brings the tradition.” Her work, she said, has “one foot in traditional music and one foot in modern music.”
G a BY M o R eno (vocals, guitar)
s ince moving to Los a ngeles from her native Guatemala, singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno has released five albums, earned a Latin G ra MM y for “ b est New a rtist” (2013) and a G ra MM y nomination for her album Illusion (2017). s he was nominated for an e mmy award with cowriter Vincent Jones for their theme song to the t V series Parks and Recreation . Moreno also sings the theme song to – and voices the character of Marlena in -- the e mmywinning Disney t V series Elena of Avalor , which features Disney’s first Latina princess. s he has toured with tracy Chapman, Hugh Laurie and a ni DiFranco and is a regular guest on public radio’s Live From Here with Chris Thile . Her latest album ¡Spangled! is a collaboration with musician, songwriter and producer Van Dyke Parks. t he 10-song set, released on Nonesuch r ecords in 2019, celebrates the migration of song across the a mericas and features guest appearances by r y Cooder and Jackson b rowne.
gaby-moreno.com
J o RG e G le M (cuatro)
New york City-based Venezuelan musician Jorge Glem is a G ra MM y and Latin G ra MM y nominee who has shared the stage with a who’s-who of Latin stars, including Paquito D’ r ivera, Carlos Vives, Calle 13, and Nella. a master of the cuatro, he is committed is to presenting Venezuela’s iconic stringed instrument to audiences around the world.
Photo courtesy of the artist
TH e TOWN HALL FO u NDATION
The Town Hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at The Town Hall and in schools through our education Outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance The Town Hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.
B oa RD o F TRUST ee S
P RESIDENT
tom Wirtshafter
P RESIDENT E MERITUS
Marvin Leffler
E XECUTIVE V ICE P RESIDENT
susan Zohn
T RUSTEES
Jacobo almuiña
Phyllis Putter barasch robert e evanson
anne Frank-shapiro
alfred H. Horowitz
Henry Johansson
bruce s. Leffler
Marvin Leffler
David F. McCarthy
ellen Miller-Wachtel
andrew t. Miltenberg
rita robbins
Madhu southworth
Nevin steinberg
tom Wirtshafter
susan Zohn
LIFE TRUSTEES
Leona Chanin
Mary Dettling-Wright
T he Town hall STa FF
E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR
Lawrence C. Zucker
A RTISTIC D IRECTOR
M.a. Papper
D IRECTOR OF A DMINISTRATION ,
S UBSCRIPTIONS & M EMBERSHIP
Helen Morris
D IRECTOR OF D EVELOPMENT
Jacqueline Maddox
D IRECTOR OF E DUCATION
Lauren Noble
D IRECTOR O F M ARKETIN g
Jeff Mann
ASSOCIATE A RTISTIC
D IRECTOR & A RCHIVIST
Melay araya
D I g ITAL M EDIA M ANAg ER
alex Koveos
P RINCIPAL D ESI g NER
Leia-lee Doran
V ICE P RESIDENT
alfred H. Horowitz
V ICE P RESIDENT
bruce s. Leffler
T REASURER
andrew t. Miltenberg
S ECRETARY
Phyllis Putter barasch
A DVISORY COUNCIL
Kathleen rosenberg, Chair
Nancy berman
shauna Denkensohn
sandy Horowitz elizabeth iannizzi
Zita rosenthal
rhoda rothkopf
A RTS IN E DUCATION
A DVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank, Chair
Michael Fram
Dr. sharon Dunn
Gary Hecht
ernest Logan
Dr. Lisa Mars
Dr. eloise Messineo
Dr. Pola rosen
Leona shapiro
George young
T ECHNICAL D IRECTOR
bill Dehling
B OX O FFICE M ANAg ER angel rodriguez
C HIEF E N g INEER steve Franqui
H OUSE M ANAg ER richard Looney
I NSTITUTIONAL gIVIN g ASSOCIATE
b arbara Matovu
D EVELOPMENT ASSISTANT P. H. Lawson
A DMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT britni Montalbano
E DUCATION ASSISTANT
s ophie s iegel-Warren
E DUCATION A DMINISTRATION
ASSISTANT
Kylee brinkman
wa R n I n G
the photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theatre without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.
FIR e noTIC e
the exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. in the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WaLK tO tHat eXit thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. this violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.
-FIRE COMMISSIONER
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: 212.997.1003
Mon-Fri 9:30 am to 5 pm, for rental & membership info
BOX OFFICE: 212.840.2824 Mon-sat 12 noon to 6pm. 24/7 recording
TICKETMASTER: 800.982.2787 to charge tickets by phone.online ticketmaster.com
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CELL PHONE POLICY
Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.
LOBBY R EFRESHMENT BY theatre refreshment Company of Ny
MAJOR GIFTS, CORPORAT e , FO u NDATION & GOV e RNM e
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Town Hall’s education Outreach Program and Global Icons Series are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. We would like to thank the following foundations, corporations, and government institutions for their support:
the achelis and bodman Foundation
affiliated advisors apple inc. bank of america the blakeley Foundation
Consolidated edison Company of New york
Cravath, swaine & Moore
robert evanson
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank
Garber atlas Fries & associates the Hearst Foundations, inc. the Hyde & Watson Foundation
JP Morgan Chase
Jujamcyn theaters
edythe Kenner Foundation
the Kinder Morgan Foundation the Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation
Lewis QVC trust
Local One
the Mansfield Family Foundation
Morgan stanley
Nederlander Organization
Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP
New york City Department of Cultural affairs
New york state Council on the arts
New york university
stavros Niarchos Foundation
Henry Nias Foundation
Office of the President, borough of Manhattan, Gale a brewer
Pamela and richard rubinstein Foundation
Pricewaterhouse Cooper the reed Foundation
s&P Global the shubert Foundation the shubert Organization, inc.
theatre refreshments
ticketmaster
Wenner Foundation
as of Jan. 16, 2020
THE TOWN HALL’S YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE
Join the next generation of Town Hall supporters! town Hall’s young Patrons Circle is a special membership group, ages 21-40, that engages in social and educational activities through exciting events, performances, and programming. We are brought together by a shared love of the arts, a deep interest in social change, civic engagement, and a desire to become part of a growing group of like-minded individuals that support town Hall.
For more information about the Young Patrons Circle, please contact Jacquie Maddox, Director of Development - development@thetownhall.org
YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE MEMBERS
Jesse Axelrod*
Kevin Costello
Jenna Clark Embrey
Kate Estes*
James Geoghegan
Ilia Gorodnichev
Anne Heestand
Christina Hoffman
Vincent Iannuzzi
Brice Jones
David P. Leffler
Marley Lewis, Yevgeny Vilensky
Gregory Minogue*
Sheila O’Donoghue
Anna Pappa Wirtshafter
Joseph Reigadas*
Pamela Schoenberg
Jonathan Tulman*
Veronica Underhill
Susan Walsh
Jessie Wirtshafter
Benjamin Wirtshafter*
Natalie Wright
*Young Patrons Circle Executive Committee
TOUR THE HISTORIC TOWN HALL
Town Hall has played an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of New York City for more than 90 years. a group of suffragists’ fight for the 19th amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. During its construction, the 19th amendment was passed, and on January 12, 1921 the town Hall opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory sought by its founders, and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate. in 1921, German composer richard strauss performed a series of concerts that cemented the Hall’s reputation as an ideal venue for musical performances. since, town Hall has been home to countless musical milestones: the us debuts of strauss, and isaac stern; Marian anderson’s first New york recital; in 1945, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker introduced bebop to the world; bob Dylan’s first major concert in ‘63; and much much more.
LearN MOre. VISIT THETOwNHALL.ORg/TOURS
S u STAINING M e M be RS
shari acebedo**
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emerson allen*
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Howard F. berman**
Dr. betsy bond*
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Claudia Glasser
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agnes Gund**
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todd Jick*
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barbara Klein
Donna & Jeff Knight*
arthur Koenig**
eric & sandra Kransoff*
John Kuehn
Patricia Laxton
Jacqueline & bruce Leffler*
Dr. Charlotte Frank & Marvin Leffler**
Goldfarb & Fleece LLP**
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robin & Jay Lewis**
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Lori Mcgoran
richard & Merle Milder
Dolores Miller
John Miller
isaac Mizrahi*
sean Mooney
Jenny Morgenthau*
James Naughton & Laura richards*
Carol & Davis Noble*
James O’sullivan
Morris W. Offit**
Dorinda J. Oliver**
Glenn & Linda Ostrander*
robert Ouimette
shelly Packer**
Judith Parker
tim Peierls** thomas Pepe**
Jennifer Poling
Patrick Pollari*
Dasha rettew**
rita robbins** a. Jeffrey rosen
rhoda rothkopf**
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MikeLynn salthouse** roberta schleicher*
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Local One, iatse** alan shabot*
Patricia & brian shea**
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erik sonsteby*
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Jerry i speyer**
CeeCee & eve stein**
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Lera Jewels*
abbe tiger
tim tompkins*
Lawrence unger**
Patricia Wallace
Weston Wellington*
richard Winn
Carol Marks & tom Wirtshafter**
Melissa Wohlgemuth*
Dr. Helaine Worrell
Mei young
Peter M. Ziemba & terry siegel*
susan Zohn**
anita Jaffe & Lawrence C. Zucker**
sloan Zuckerman
Gary Zych
We invite you to support the Hall at any level, and enjoy the exclusive benefits of becoming a Town Hall Member.
Advance Ticket Access notification of Presale & discounts for concerts and Events
Member Discounts at local restaurants
Access to PATRON CIRCLE SEATS
reserved seats to town hall Presents concerts and other select events ( with special pricing, when available )
Complimentary Tickets to select town hall Presents shows & Events
Complimentary Tickets to Town Hall Gala
Special Invitations to Sound Check or Dress Rehearsal
Seat Plaque in The Hall
Complimentary Advertisement in Town Hall Gala Journal
Invitations to an Artist Meet & Greet after a select town hall Presents concert
Photo: © sachyn Mital
Bank of America applauds The Town Hall for its success in bringing the arts to audiences throughout the community. We commend you on creating an opportunity for all to enjoy and share a cultural experience. Here's to another season of Broadway by the Year! Visit us at bankofamerica.com/arts.