Para la versión en Español, haga click aquí.

The president of the Melassa Foundation, Karin Weyland presents the youth play by the Melassa dance and theatre group, "The strange 500 year-old-phenomenon" in several TV programs: "Farandulando", "Cocinando al mediodía" and "A las doce con Nelson".  The play will took place in the Cultural Center of Santiago on July 18th in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.  

El CARIBE, JULY 15, 2007

PLAY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT: A CONTRIBUTION IN THE SEARCH TO IMPROVE THE PLANET

In the framework of the environmental global movement, the Melassa Foudnation will inaugurate a play in the city of Santiago based on the novel of a Dominican journalist.  

The play, "The strange 500 year-old-phenomenon" was written by Altagracia Moreta Féliz and was produced by the Melassa dance and theatre group consisting of 38 students from Mata Los Indios primary school in Villa Mella. The play was first inaugurated in December 8th of 2005 at the Dominican-American Cultural Institute and later at INTEC University in January 15th of 2006.

The president of the Foundation, Dr. Karin Weyland, author of the book, "Negotiating the global village with a foot here and the other one there" about Dominican women´s migration explains that the play offers the opportunity to express much of the concerns and objetives of the organization, especially, the search for intercultural understanding and solidarity among different cultures.  She empashized that Melassa recgnizes that humanity embraces many of the values the play promotes such as solidarity, tolerance, peace and love for the Planet we inhabit.  

The play will be inaugurated on Wednesday, July 18th at the Cultural Center of Santiago at 7:30 p.m. and carries a message about the environment and the valorization of rural Dominican culture.

The play shows the intervention of aliens who possess a higher technology for the good of humanity attracting the attention of adults, and children who must begin to change their lifestyle in order to save the Planet.  The story also relies on cultural Dominican traditions.  

The play integrates youth from low-income neighborhoods, and in adapting the novel to a play, the Melassa Foundation gained the collaboration of youth from the Mata Los Indios Primary School in Villa Mella, a community rich in cultural and musical traditions such as La Salve and the Congo.  Another of the objetives of the author is her concern with the quality of life of all Latin American people.  

Invited artists, Juan Marcattini y Elena Barreras, from Argentina will organize in the Dominican Republic tw workshop on tango dance and music in celebration of the premiere of the video-documentary, "Afro-Argentines" and were invited to talk about their project in the radio program by Blas Jiménez.  Both artists will give a tango dance presentation and other Argentinian folk dances and music at the Dominican Museum of Man and the Spanish Cultural Center on July 11 and 14th of 2006.

HOY, SEPTEMBER 29th, 2004

MELASSA PRESENTS PROJECT IN PUERTO PLATA

The Melassa Foundation  presented its "Congo Pa' tí" project to the management of the Marien Coral by Hilton hotel in Puerto Plata. It was supported by the Art Center of this northern city.

Twenty-two youth of the Mata de los Indios community and foreign students, and members of the Foundation participated in this project, which includes a documentary video, white and black photographs, photo-collage murals and a theatrical work.

In attendance at the event was Karin Weyland, president of the Melassa Foundation; Giselle Díaz, Public Relations of the Marien Coral by Hilton hotel; Oscar Hungría, director of the Art Center in Puerto Plata.

The 22 young artists and representatives of the Melassa Foundation enjoyed a day trip, which was offered by Marien Coral management. There, they received the attention and hospitality of this tourist center.

HOY, JULY 26,2004

MELASSA FOUNDATION INAUGURAL PROJECTS

The representatives of the Melassa Foundation inaugurated a library and a computer laboratory at the Mata de los Indios Primary school, San Felipe, Villa Mella, as a part of what is now the Melassa Community Center.

During the inaugural event, Argenis López, computer teacher, explained how diligently the Foundation, like the Board of Parents and Teachers of the school, worked for and received the donation of the 15 computers for 1,200 students, along with 2 generators and 7 solar panels, installed by the Secretary of Industry and Commerce.

The books of the library were donated by the Melassa Foundation and the Cuesta bookstore.

Then, Karin Weyland, president of the Melassa Foundation, thanked the coalition who made possible the dream that the boys and girls would have have better and more modern equipment to facilitate their learning process.

The closing words of the event were said by Héctor Luis Peralta, who expressed, "The students of the Mata de los Indios give thanks to Melassa Foundation for the contributions that it has given to the school and to education.  We promise to make good use of the lab computer and the library."

That same day the documentary video entitled, "Congo pa' tí", was presented. It tackles the issue of Dominican cultural identity and explores the African roots in the Mata de los Indios community.

EL NACIONAL, JULY 14, 2004

FOUNDATION AND BOARD
Library and computer laboratory are opened in Villa Mella
Margarita Brito

The Melassa Foundation and the Board of Parents and Teachers at the Mata de los Indios Primary School, San Felipe, Villa Mella, inaugurated a library and computer lab in this school.

Both institutions made requests to the Secretary of Education for the donation of 15 computers for the 1,200 students who study in this school, and two generators and seven solar panels were donated by Secretary of Industry and Commerce. Teacher Argenis López said the opening remarks for this event and stressed the effors of Karin Weyland to obtain equipment for the computer lab.

Weyland thanked the director and teachers of the school for their efforts and said they have motivated her to continue working in the community. At the event, student Héctor Luis Peralta thanked Melassa Foundation for its contributions and promised that they will use the computer lab and library well.

EL CARIBE, MAY 14, 2004

MULTIMEDIA FOR CONGOS OF VILLA MELLA
"Congo p'a ti" will be presented at the Cinemateca Nacional tonight

The Melassa Foundation will make the first presentation of "Congo pa' ti", a multimedia project about the Brotherhood of the Congos of Villa Mella, that was declared a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, in 2001.

The project of the Melassa Foundation, a Visual Documentation Center, will open 7:30 P.M. at the Cinemateca Nacional, housed in the Plaza de la Cultura.  It integrates a video documentary about the Congos of Villa Mella, 30 black and white photographs by artists Karin Weyland and Alicia Sangro, three photo-collage murals (created in an exchange program between the University of Massachusetts and the community of Villa Mella), and a theatrical play.

"Congo pa' ti" will arrive at the Museum of Modern Art on May 25 and at INTEC on May 27.  The project will be presented between June 4 and October 23 on other stages, national and international: Puerto Plata, Santiago, New York, and New Jersey.

HOY, MAY 12, 2004

MELASSA FOUNDATION PRESENTS "CONGO PA' TI" PROJECT
Will premiere next Friday in Santo Domingo and will travel to New York and New Jersey
Jorge Ramos

The Melassa Foundation will premiere the video documentary, "Congo pa' ti", next Friday, May 14, at the Cinemateca Nacional.  This is a multimedia project that will travel on a transnational trip that includes New York and New Jersey.

The project relies on the collaboration of Sixto Minier and the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of Villa Mella, the Mata de los Indios Primary School, as well as the young people and residents of both communities.

It consists of a one-hour video documentary about the Brotherhood, 30 black and white photographs by Karin Weyland and Alicia Sangro, three photo-collage murals created from an exchange program between the University of Massachusetts and Villa Mella, and a 20-minute theatrical work with youth from Villa Mella and Mata de los Indios.

Origins of the project

The Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit of Villa Mella was declared a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in May 2001, for its efforts to preserve the Afro-Dominican culture through music and religious rituals. As a result of this prize, this group has sought to bring about various changes in the Mata de los Indios sector in Villa Mella.

It is this work that has been presented by the Melassa Foundation. It has been three years since Melassa began working in this town with different community participation projects.

The video documentary entitled, "Congo pa' tí", about the presence of the Afro-Latino identity in Dominican culture, is directed and sponsored by the Foundation under the supervision of its Executive Director, sociologist and INTEC professor, Karin Weyland.

"We choose to work with the Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit of Villa Mella because this group is a native demonstration of the Black culture and identity that has maintained its traditions generation after generation since the arrival of the slaves in the New World," expressed Karin Weyland.

The one-hour video documentary, "Congo pa' tí", gives recognition to the resistance facing Afro-Dominican cultral expressions against a backdrop of poverty and denial, in particular, the role of the Black woman in these communities, and addresses racial issues in the Dominican Republic, perhaps the only country in the world in which the Black people do not want to be called "Black".

The play is performed by young people from the community in response to knowledge that they produced during the filimg of the documentary.  The completion of the documentary allowed for the participation of a group of young women who learned to use cameras, conduct interviews, and speak about their culture and identity without inhibitions.  Their efforts with the study and documentation of the community are a part of the final product of the film.

The Melassa Foundation, housed at 403 Santiago, 2nd Floor, was founded for the development of educational and collaborative projects that explore and document the different Latino cultures and communities across borders to promote economic growth, social justice, and political democracy based on the cultural diversity and unity of Latin America.
 

                  Transnational Tour 2004
 

Location	Date	Time
Cinemateca Nacional	May 14	7:30 p.m.
Museo de Arte Moderno	May 25	8:00 p.m.
INTEC	May 27	4:00 p.m.
Escuela Ramón Matías Mella, Villa Mella	June 9	9:00 a.m.
Escuela Básica de Mata de Los Indios	June 11	9:00 a.m.
Museo del Hombre Dominicano	June 17	7:30 p.m.
Casa de Cultura, Puerto Plata	June 22	7:30 p.m.
Casa de Arte, Santiago	July 1	7:30 p.m.
Rutgers University, New Jersey	October 20	8:00 p.m.
Hunter College, New York	October 22	6:00 p.m.

CINEMATECA PRESENTS DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT DOMINICAN HISTORY

A series of documentaries about Dominican history will be presented in the Cinemateca Nacional under the auspices of the Secretary of Culture, from Thursday, May 13 until Saturday, May 15.

Friday, "Congo pa' tí: la identidad de la cultura dominicana", of the Melassa Foundation, takes its turn.  Containing music, dance, rituals and interviews with community residents, in addition to interviews with artists and intellectuals, that were able to establish a relationship, although at times indirect, between poverty and the communities of people of African descent of the Dominican Republic.

It includes an exposition of black and white photographs and a short 20-minute theatrical work that narrates the Congo culture and its traditions, dances, and beliefs, and is performed by young people from the community.
 

EL NACIONAL, MAY 12, 2004

The video of the Trans-Latino Center for Visual Documentation of the Melassa Foundation includes a video documentary about the Brotherhood of the Congos of Villa Mella and 30 photographs by Karin Weyland and Alicia Sangro.

PRESENTING "CONGO PA' TI"
Margarita Brito

The Melassa Foundation will present the video documentary, "Congo pa' tí", this Thursday, May 14, along with photographs and 3 photo-collage murals created in an exchange program between the University of Massachusetts and the community of Villa Mella.

Karin Weyland indicated that the project, which will have an international tour, created a 20-minute play performed by the the young people of the community.

The Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit of Villa Mella was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of the Humanity in May 2001 by UNESCO, for its efforts in preserving the Afro-Dominican culture through music and religious rituals.

As a result of this prize, the Brotherhood has taken steps to effect various changes in their community of Mata de los Indios, Villa Mella, in which the Melassa Foundation has had a presence.

Karin Weyland, Director of the Melassa Foundation and professor of Sociology at INTEC, indicated that she became interested in working on a project of participatory action in order to produce the video about the presence of the Afro-Latino identity in Dominican culture.

Melassa Foundation

The Melassa Foundation, is located at 403 Santiago, 2nd Floor, Ph. 687-3807 / 856-7514.  Founded for the development of educational and collaborative projects that explore and document the different Latino cultures and communities across borders to promote economic growth, social justice, and political democracy based on the cultural diversity and unity of Latin America.
 

A native demonstration of the culture

When speaking of the documentary, sociologist Karin Weyland maintained that they chose to work with the Brotherhood of the Congos of the Holy Spirit because the Congos are a native demonstration of the Black Dominican culture and identity that has maintained its traditions generation after generation since the arrival of the slaves in the New World.

She explained that the video documentary, "Congo pa' tí", one-hour in length, recognizes the Afro-Dominican cultural expressions against a backdrop of poverty and denial, in particular, the role of the Black woman in these communities, and addresses the racial problem in the Dominican Republic, perhaps the only country where the Black people do not want to be called "Blacks".

The completion of the documentary allowed for the participation of a group of young women who learned to use cameras, conduct interviews, and speak about their culture and identity without inhibitions.
 

LISTIN DIARIO, MARCH 24, 2002

CULTURE IN VILLA MELLA
Students from the United States have an exchange.
Solange de la Cruz Matos
(translated by Janira Bonilla)

Santo Domingo.- Students from the University of Massachusetts, in the United States, completed an exchange program in the community of Mata Los Indios in Villa Mella that allowed them to learn about this community’s culture, and they conducted a workshop where youth were taught modern dance and how to use photographic and video cameras.

The exchange program, organized by the Melassa Foundation, an organization that dedicates itself to creating spaces for cultural contact between Latino communities, and the Museum of the Brotherhood of the Congos of Holy Spirit [Museo de la Cofradia de los Congos del Espiritu Santo], culminated yesterday with a photo collage and a dance presentation by Danza Fuzion.

Karin Weyland, President of the Melassa Foundation, informed that this event is the first one that the organization has held in the country and is based on a program they have instituted with the Office of International Programs at the University of Massachusetts, which selected the six students for the cultural exchange.

With this encounter they not only aspire to have culture transcend national borders, but they look to build a bridge of unity among Latin Americans in order to fight against globalization and economic models that have repressed manifestations such as the Congos of the Holy Spirit by drowning out their voices and limiting their spaces.

“We are trying to recuperate a history, a voice. Since we emphasize themes of identity, race and gender, we were interested in working with Mata Los Indios because of the development of the Black identity here,” informed Weyland.

She said that they would remain in contact with the community. A visit to the local school revealed to them the precarious conditions that the community must work with, and for that reason they [Melassa] will direct their efforts to this community.

The program developed by the Melassa Foundation facilitates that the students from the University of Massachusetts become interested in learning about other Latin@ cultures and their peoples. The delegation was made up of two North Americans (U.S.) of Dominican origin, one Cuban, a North American (U.S.) of Guyanese descent and two North Americans (U.S.).

One of the students that participated in the program, Gloria Caballero, is a Cuban residing in the United States for the past five years. She hopes that this encounter will transcend curiosity and the interest in learning about other cultures.

“I want it to benefit the community, improving its living conditions like repairing the roads and the delivery of power [electricity], and also give women more power in the community. For example, you can be empowered by knowing how to express yourself, operate computers or make drums.”

Tené Howard was the dance choreographer who taught Hip-Hop to the young women of Mata Los Indios. “The cultural exchange was very strong. They learned a lot from me and I did from them and the community. It was very special for me."