(TEANECK, NJ) -- On Saturday, March 14th, at 8 pm, The Puffin Cultural Forum invites you to come on board The Peace Train, and join them for a musical evening with Sharon Katz’s Grammy-nominated South African band. Sharon Katz & The Peace Train are known for spreading their message of peace through exhilarating, multicultural music performances.
Growing up during the apartheid era, Sharon Katz always viewed music as a tool for change. In 1992, she made history in her home country when she formed “When Voices Meet,” the country's first 500-member multicultural and multilingual performing group. Katz went on tour by train with her band, playing concerts at every stop along their route, and the group became known as “The Peace Train.” The performers sang and danced to promote a peaceful transition to democracy in South Africa, encouraging people of all races, cultures, ages and political affiliations to prepare for the country's transition to a peaceful democracy. Years later, having received a Grammy nomination, recorded 6 CDs, and performed tours across the globe, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train continue to keep Nelson Mandela’s vision alive.
This band is known for their ability to entertain audiences of all ages. You can expect an evening full of pulsating rhythms, rich harmonies, funky basslines, and intricate drum patterns. They blend traditional South African musical styles like Maskanda, Mbaqanga and Township Jive with Afro-Jazz and rock music. Katz promises that the audience can expect to be “singing and dancing with us from the first song.”
The evening will also include a preview of the forthcoming film, When Voices Meet. This documentary film tells the story of The Peace Train, and its impact on the lives of the participants since liberation. It documents the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the musical activists involved in this transition to democracy, and exemplifies how Mandela’s spirit lives on through the Afro-Pop-Jazz music of Sharon Katz & The Peace Train.
$10 suggested donation. Reservations recommended; must be made before 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the performance: tix@puffinfoundation.org. The Puffin Cultural Forum is at 20 Puffin Way (off Teaneck Rd.) in Teaneck. Call 201-836-3499 or visit www.PuffinCulturalForum.org.
SHARON KATZ: was born in Port Elizabeth, now known as Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. Katz has been performing and using her musical talents to educate, inspire, and unite people since she was a teenager. She became a music therapist, and in 1992, made history in her home country when she formed the country's first 500-member multicultural performing group. Since its inception, “The Peace Train” has performed in countless venues including Disney World's International Festival, The New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, and The Smithsonian Institution’s African Art Museum. They have performed with legendary musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sting, Tina Turner, Madonna, and Miriam Makeba. Katz earned a Grammy nomination for her "Imbizo" CD and has several CDs to her credit, as well as DVDs featuring the legendary Pete Seeger in concert with her and the band. She has established music therapy programs for orphans and communities affected by HIV/AIDS, along with feeding programs in impoverished areas. She also conducts workshops in schools and universities across America.
