and
WHEREAS, Under Crowder, Kùlú Mèlé, which translates to "voice
of our ancestors," helped give birth to a cultural renaissance
in Philadelphia's African-American communities and became a
major part of the foundation of the Black Arts Movement of the
1960s and 1970s; and
WHEREAS, The group began embracing Afro-Cuban culture from
1982 to 1984 with the addition of Cuban percussionist Enrique
Adamo Admiral, who was influential on Kùlú Mèlé's artistic,
cultural and spiritual education; and
WHEREAS, By the 1990s, Dorothy Wilkie became the artistic
director of Kùlú Mèlé and started incorporating West-African
dance into the choreography; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia-based ensemble is dedicated to
serving the community by presenting and preserving the culture,
dance and music of Africa and its diaspora; and
WHEREAS, Kùlú Mèlé presents dance traditions rooted in
cultures and aesthetic values of the African diaspora and blends
West-African traditions with African-American creativity; and
WHEREAS, Kùlú Mèlé draws on the musical and movement genres
of Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana and the
Senegambia region as well as African-American art forms,
including hip-hop, the bop, cha-cha and the slop; and
WHEREAS, Today, Kùlú Mèlé has more than 20 members and
includes a children's ensemble, Omo Kùlú Mèlé; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
18, 2019, as "Kùlú Mèlé Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the 50th
anniversary of the founding of Kùlú Mèlé.
20190HR0562PN2664 - 2 -
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