Looking for a way to beat your finals-induced blues?
Well this Saturday at the El Rey Theatre you'll be able to kill two birds with one stone as you dance to the grooves of some of Albuquerque's best local bands and help the Village Health Project combat the AIDS crisis in Africa.
The Village Health Project is a New Mexico-based, nonprofit organization and its mission is to alleviate the suffering of people living with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa and worldwide.
With funds earned through the Saturday fundraiser, the project is opening its first free alternative medicine clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe; the country with the highest rate of HIV infection in the world.
"The goal of a benefit concert such as this one is that, by simply enjoying themselves, people can affect positive change in the world," said Dr. Sean A. Tuten, director of Clinical Services for the Village Health Project and one of the show's principal organizers.
"It is important that people understand the extent to which AIDS is affecting the world, that it has not gone away and that it continues to be one of, if not the major global health concern of our time," he said.
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The Village Health Project is no stranger to organizing shows of this kind and has sponsored two similar fundraisers in the past. The first was a benefit concert in Santa Fe on Aug. 26, 2000 featuring Jaka and the Bliss Gypsies.
The second was a dare, a traditional Zimbabwean healing ceremony, in Santa Fe last September. Village Health Project, in conjunction with The Nganga Project, brought Augustine Kandemwa, a traditional Zimbabwean nganga or healer, to Santa Fe to perform a two-day healing ceremony.
But never before has the Village Health Project organized a show that featured so many diverse acts here in Albuquerque.
Many of the area's finest bands are lending their support: Mystic Vision, with socially conscious reggae; Felonious Groove Foundation, which is funky Latin soul; Concepto Tambor, a Latin percussion ensemble; Wagogo, a world-beat institution; Common Thread, authentic afro-pop; Blue Tribe Dancers, the African dance troupe; and hip-hop DJ's Kayote and B-phonic.
"This show is a lot bigger than most of the benefits we do," Wagogo bassist Alyson Steinman said. "The bands are some of the better-known in Albuquerque and they pull a large diversity of people in to enjoy them. If you're curious about some bands you haven't seen yet, this is a good time to sample them in one night."
New Mexico AIDS Services will be at the show to offer free HIV testing. The show will also include a Zimbabwean folk art market, chair massages and informational tables on the AIDS crisis in Africa and other important issues. All proceeds will benefit Village Health Project.
The El Rey Theatre is at 622 Central Ave. downtown. Doors open at 5 p.m. Advance tickets may be purchased at R.B. Winnings, Blue Dragon Coffeehouse, Golden West Saloon and both locations of La Montanita Co-op for $10. At the door, tickets will be $12.
