Latin fusion fires up the Guatemala Stove Project
Come celebrate Latin culture and dance to Tito Medina and his Amigos' fusion of vibrant indigenous-Mayan sounds with contemporary Latin and Caribbean rhythms. At the same time you will be aiding the Guatemala Stove Project, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished indigenous families in Guatemala build masonry cooking stoves and establish sustainable micro-enterprises.
The stoves conserve precious firewood and, by eliminating indoor air pollution from fire pits, they add as much as fifteen years to the life expectancy of each family member. The resources, energy and time freed up by these simple stoves are directed to small sustainable agricultural or marketing projects, thus bringing a degree of self-sufficiency, prosperity and hope for the future to these rural Mayan communities. Since 1999 the Project volunteers, together with Guatemalan masons, have built more than three thousand stoves and aided sustainable development projects in over a dozen communities.
The concert will be held on Friday, June 2nd, at 8:00 P.M at The Bayou, located at 1077 Bank St. (at Sunnyside) in Ottawa. Tickets for the event can be purchased using PayPal or credit card on-line from our Web site at: www.guatemalastoveproject.org, at Little Latin America, 764 Somerset St., Ottawa, or at The Bayou ($12 in advance or $15 at the door).
Lead band member Tito Medina makes his home in Ottawa, but found his voice as a revolutionary singer/songwriter in the streets of Guatemala City during the turbulent national protests of the early '70s. His passionate songs cry out for justice in solidarity with the struggles of his countrymen and those of the peace movement worldwide.
The event will be hosted by MC Roberto Miranda, Guatemalan Teacher's Union leader and community and human rights activist. Poet Carlos Perez will also be reading some of his own inspired verse. The evening will include an auction of beautifully handcrafted items made by Canadian and Guatemalan artisans. All funds raised will be donated to the Guatemala Stove Project.
For more information about the project, please visit www.guatemalastoveproject.org or contact Tom Clarke, at: (613) 267-5202, or write to: info@guatemalastoveproject.org. Volunteers and donations are always welcome.