Pangaea Frederick Main Stage Entertainment Announced

Pangaea Frederick Main Stage Entertainment Announced

Pangaea Frederick – A Festival Celebrating Our Heritage, is an important cultural event that unites the many different and diverse communities within Frederick. This year, the Pangaea Festival is moving from the Westridge Square Shopping Center to Frederick’s Baker Park and is scheduled to be held Saturday, May 8th. This substantial change in location allows for additional space, as well as a larger number of activities and participants.

A Naturalization Ceremony will kick off the festivities at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a day filled with food, art, music and displays from around the globe.

Celebrate Frederick is happy to announce the following entertainers slated for the 2010 Pangaea Frederick Main Stage:

Noon – 12:45 p.m. Asian Heritage Performances coordinated by L.I.F.E. & Discovery; 1:15 – 2 p.m. Trio Caliente; 2:45 – 3:30 p.m. Fritete African Drum & Dance Ensemble; 4:15 – 5 p.m. The Crawdaddies

This year’s opening act is presented by the local non-profit organization, L.I.F.E. & Discovery, who brings a variety of Asian performers to highlight the diversity of the continent’s many cultures. Celebrating not only Pangaea Frederick but also the Asian Heritage Month, the organization integrates the Chinese Dragon Dance with Korean drums, as well as other ethnic performances from countries like Mongolia and India.

Taking over the stage is Trio Caliente, a talented local band from the Washington D.C. area. This sizzling band fuses together elements of Bossa Nova, gypsy rumba and contemporary flamenco with soothing jazz vocals and musical arrangements, which creates unique Latin-flavored sounds. The band has been previously featured on several TV and radio shows, as well as written about in prominent newspapers like the Washington Post and Jazz Times. The band’s worldly musical sensibilities are emphasized through songs sung in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Founded in 1997 by Kwame Ansah-Brew, the Fritete African Drum and Dance Ensemble are committed to preserving and promoting West African cultures through traditional rhythms and dances. The Ensemble focuses on Ghanaian ethnic groupings in particular, performing songs, dances, rhythms and chants with a clear mission of representing that area. The group performed in numerous festivals and concerts, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Baltimore Rhythm Festival, and also had the privilege of representing the Royal Drummers of King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II of the Asante Kingdom in 2001.

Based in Baltimore but featured all over the Mid-Atlantic region, the Crawdaddies fuse Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Ska, Roots, Rock and Reggae to create a groove-laden sound that is unquestionably its own. Their eclectic and “good-time” spirit has attracted audiences across the country, and the Crawdaddies performed in many major festivals including the famous WC Handy Blues Festival in Henderson. The Crawdaddies’ three CDs are in regular rotation on college radio, Internet radio and broad-format “triple A” radio stations world wide.

The following Corporate Sponsors make the events possible by their generous financial contributions to Celebrate Frederick, our sponsors are: Spires Level Sponsors- Bechtel Group Foundation and Spectrum Federal Credit Union; Carillon Level Sponsors: Comcast, Sandy Spring Bank, Weis Markets and 99.9 WFRE/930 WFMD; Bandshell Level Sponsors: BB&T, COMSTAR Federal Credit Union, The Frederick News Post, The Plamondon Companies and WHAG. Program Sponsors: Frederick Arts Council, Frederick County Human Relations Commission, and Wantz Distributors/Bud Light.

The partnership between the City of Frederick, Celebrate Frederick, Inc. the event volunteers, and the generosity of the business community enables the Frederick community to enjoy the quality of life that is unmatched by any other city. For more information on volunteering, contact The Office of Special Events at 301-228-2841. For event information, please visit our website at www.CelebrateFrederick.com.