The Harlem-born Keith David, actor, singer, poet and award-winning voice-over artist, celebrates Harlem, in a week-long series of events that will take place August 22nd through August 27th, at various venues in Harlem, known world-wide as "the Black cultural capital of the world."
Commencing on Tuesday, August 22nd, the actor who has appeared in over 100 films, and who credits the Harlem School of the Arts as his first training grounds, will be celebrating the diversity of Harlem in the program, Keith David Welcomes the Caribbean to Harlem.
Presented by the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, the evening will begin with a reception, which will be held at the landmark Schomburg Museum for Research on Black Culture at 515 Malcolm X Blvd.
The private affair, which is sponsored by the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Brinley Gold Rum (a product of St. Kitts), and the New York Amsterdam News, will be catered by the popular Harlem eatery MoBay. Invited guests include members of the stage, film, literary and spoken communities, as well as musicians, politicians, the Caribbean diplomatic community, educators, clergy and members of the overall NYC society.
The evening culminates with the Emmy award winning voice-over artist celebrating the works of the Caribbean poets: Aime Cesaire (Martinique), Marcus Garvey and Claude McKay (Jamaica), Lasana M. Sekou (St. Maarten) and Derek Walcott, the 1992 Nobel Laureate in Literature. Mr. David will also read some of his own poems.
"I was born from the Caribbean community," David says referring to his great-great grandparents who were from St. Kitts and Jamaica. "I have relatives from all over the Caribbean, states the actor who still maintains a house in Harlem."
On Wednesday, August 23rd, David continues the celebration at the Baton Rouge Restaurant and Lounge at 458 W. 145th Street, on Sugar Hill in Harlem where the Juilliard trained artist, will take us back to the days of romance in an evening of songs entitled, "Once More With Feeling". Culling from a repertoire that includes songs by Johnny Hartman, Billy Eckstein, Arthur Prysock, and Nat King Cole, Mr. David who will be doing a tribute to the great Nat "King" Cole in September reveals, "I was a singer before I was an actor.
I have done a lot of musicals in the city, across the country and in different parts of the world." "I believe that there is not enough romance in the world today so anything I can do to bring back a little more romance is my way to share what Harlem has given me."
Thursday, August 24th has been proclaimed "Literary Day in Harlem with Keith David", and will be celebrated at 10:30a.m.. at the Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe, at 2319 Frederick Douglas Blvd. (between 124th & 125th Streets). Mr. David and some of the students of the Keith David School of the Performing Arts of the M.A.C.A.D.E.M.Y School of Technology & Science in Brooklyn, will join students of the Bronx School of Science and Inquiry & Investigation in Harlem, along with the boys from The Children's Village for a reading from a few of Mr. David's favorite books.
Joining Mr. David will be his special guest, Madame Rosa Guy, the award-winning author of The Friends, a book set in Harlem during the 60's that focuses on the theme of two friends who overcome cross-cultural prejudices. The Friends is a part of the school curriculum in several countries including the USA, England, Canada and the Caribbean.
Ms. Guy, a highly revered author of children's books is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, the New York Times Outstanding Book-of-the-Year Citation, and the American Library Association Book Award. This event is sponsored by Keds, a division of Stride Rite.
For further information about this event, please visit www.hue-manbookstore.com
~~Adz:Right~~Earlier this month during the summer school session, Mr. David has also visited various other educational sites in Harlem, including at the Frederick Douglas Academy at 2581 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, where he spent one morning. The principal Dr. G. Hodge commented: "Yesterday was a very exciting day. The students recognized Mr. David and his outstanding body of work and were most impressed by his willingness to speak with them.
Mr. David sat at a student's desk and recited a poem (Shakespeare) that overwhelmed the students. He encouraged the students to dream and to work towards that dream. He made the students feel special by his presence and his listening to them and answering their questions."
Mr. David will end his weeklong celebration of Harlem at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church (132 Odell Clark Place), where he will be a guest soloist of the Rev. Dr. Calvin. O Butts, Pastor.
For information about Keith David, please visit this link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202966/
For further information about any of these events, please email Aimee at: keithdavidharlem@aol.com
