Mumu Fresh and Buffy Sainte-Marie — **Indigenous ARTISTS**

FEATURED ARTISTS

Indigenous ARTISTS

Before Harlem, there was Manahatta, or “hilly island” — the original name of Manhattan coined by its first inhabitants, the Lenape. Much has obviously changed since the days of the Lenape, but as with other Indigenous peoples of America, their influence endures and is ingrained into our collective culture, always eternally present.

Today, song and dance remain central to identity, place, and belonging for North American Indigenous peoples and are ultimately a way of preserving tribal traditions, many of which began several centuries ago.

The enduring nature of colonialism and systematic oppression is a common historical tie among many artists of color, a fact that certainly rings true with the Indigenous people of this country. For decades, Native cultural history has been suppressed and even erased in addition to the hurdles their population has always faced regarding access to resources for the arts.

These are just a few of the reasons why Harlem Stage is honored to provide a venue and audience for Indigenous artists to perform, whether it’s traditional songs handed down through generations or contemporary compositions and live experiences that channel the stories and influences of their ancestors in fresh ways.

Past Indigenous (and Afro-Native) performers at Harlem Stage include Mumu Fresh. Harlem Stage was also honored to present folk icon Buffy Sainte-Marie — the first Indigenous person to win an Oscar.

From the Archives Spotlight:
Maimouna Youssef’s (Mumu Fresh) Healing Concert

On Friday, October 18, 2019, Maimouna (Mumu Fresh) performed alongside her mother, Grandmother Walks on Water, at Harlem Stage on October 18, 2019, as part of our Uptown Night Series. "Mama Walks On Water," as many call her, is the fourth generation of Native American, African sound healing women in her family. She was taught by her Choctaw mother, "Mountain Eagle Woman," and her Creek African grandmother to use the energy of sound to nourish the emotions, cleanse the spirit, and to wake up the ancestral memory.

Harlem Stage continues to host an array of diverse performances from visionary artists of color. Stay up to date on upcoming live and digital performances by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.