The
Traveling Bonfires presents “PEACE GROOVIN': Saturday Night Fever!”
as part of its continuing series of fundraiser shows and events that
promote “community connectedness through cultural diversity” on
May 18, Saturday, at Westville Pub in West Asheville.
The
event, which features DJ Lady Laine spinning 70s disco and soul LPs,
also serves as counterpoint show to the organization's centerpiece
project, the “Bonfires for Peace at Pritchard Park” concert
series, a movable feast of family fun and community harmony through
music, arts and dancing, held in downtown Asheville. DJ Lady Laine is the other persona of Laine Lewis, lead vocalist of the local band, The Ones.
“Bonfires
for Peace” had its birthing in Asheville in 2003; the program also
had parallel events in Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, San
Francisco and Manila and Baguio City in the Philippines through the
years. This year's series started last April 13, headlined by Peace
Jones, a perennial Traveling Bonfires attraction. Other dates and
performers: May
12 and August 11, Kri and Touch Samadhi; June 8, The Ones, Lyric,
SheemOne TheMc, Roberto Hess; July 13, Peace Jones, with Liam
Christopher McKay, Bill Ramsey, and Keith Kimmel. Emcee is Jadwiga McKay.
“Asheville
loves this kind of fun,” says Marta Osborne, TBonfires supervising
producer. “And when this city's beautiful people are costumed
colorfully, dancing and having fun—we forget arguments and
bickerings. We just become one.”
Founded
by journalist-editor Pasckie Pascua in Manila during the Philippines'
turbulent 80s, the Traveling Bonfires has made Asheville its home
since moving here from New York City in 2002. It had a two-year
sojourn in Los Angeles from 2007 to 2009, “but Asheville is our
home barrio, this is where we belong,” explains Pascua.
Local
businesses that donated gift certificates, among other generous
gifts, are: Bruisin'
Ales, Fired Up! Loved by the Buffalo/The Indie, Malaprop's, MariJo
Moore, Moe's, Mellow Mushroom, Neo Cantina, Old Europe, ScreenDoor,
SOLA (Asheville's Therapeutic Salt Cave), Westville Pub, and The
Blotter, a publication based in Durham NC.
The
Traveling Bonfires' events enjoyed the support of a number of local
Asheville businesses, organizations, and individuals. Projects have
benefited non-profit organizations that work with at-risk youths,
families of the disappeared, orphans, and disaster victims.
ART by Federico Boyd Sulapas Dominguez
