News & Announcements
Grupo Palo Santo to perform at Haiti earthquake relief benefit
Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo will present a performance of Afro-Cuban folkloric dance and music at an event to raise money for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti on Thursday, February 18 in the Red Barn at Hampshire College in Amherst. That event will also feature a special solo performance by Ayizan Sanon from the Haitian band Azaka, and a performance by the Hampshire College Samba Ensemble Sambalanço. The event will take place from 8:00 – 11:00 PM. Proceeds from this benefit will be donated to Partners In Health (http://standwithhaiti.org) and Doctors Without Borders (http://doctorswithoutborders.org).
Be sure to check the Grupo Palo Santo website periodically for news, announcements, information and updates on upcoming events to benefit earthquake relief in Haiti.
Helping the people of Haiti
In response to the urgent needs of the Haitian people after a devastating earthquake there last month Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo resolved to donate the proceeds from their January 26 Afro-Cuban folkloric dance class to ongoing relief and development work in Haiti. We would like to thank everybody who attended the dance class that evening, and made it possible for us to to send nearly $500 dollars to the Haitian Community Development Project (http://www.HDCPInc.com). This earthquake has hit close to home for some members of Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo whose families are of Haitian descent, and for some who currently have extended family in Haiti.
At last weeks Afro-Cuban folkloric dance we met many new people who were attending the class for the very first time; and we also saw many familiar faces that we might not have seen in a while. We hope that you all enjoyed the class, and we hope to see all of you again in the dance class soon.
Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo receives NEFA Accreditation
Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo has been accepted into the New England Foundation for the Arts’ New England States Touring (NEST) program. Our inclusion in this program makes it possible for non-profit presenters outside of our home state of MA to be reimbursed for up to 50% of our performance fee. This will open up many more opportunities for Grupo Palo Santo to perform and teach throughout the New England region in a way that is affordable to non-profit organizations during these cash-strapped times.
The documentation that the group needed for a strong application was gathered over a period of several months during this past year. We are all very gratified that NEFA has approved our application and designated Palo Santo as a group that is eligible for NEST funding. This credential is an important milestone in the artistic and organizational development of our relatively young group.
You can check out our MatchBook.org profile (which is already updated with our new NEST credential) at http://www.matchbook.org/ArtistProfile1.aspx?ProfileId=2863.
Not-for-profit presenters can find information about the NEST program and other funding opportunities at http://www.matchbook.org/fundingsources.aspx.
