PARANDA MEDIA
80 Vaughn Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801

Contact: Margery Laing 914-393-3037

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2009

Paranda Media presents The New York premier of Punta Soul, on Friday, March 13, at the Kumble Theater, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, New York, at 7:00 pm. Punta Soul is the intergenerational story of a music in migration. Through its intimate portraits of Garifuna musicians such as Andy Palacio, Punta Soul chronicles the evolution of popular Garifuna music from Belize. The Garifuna, an afro-indigenous people exiled from the Caribbean to the coast of Central America in 1798, have carried on a rich and vibrant culture whose expression is found in the electric sound called ’punta rock’ and the more soulful ’paranda.’ Punta Soul explores the role of the music and the musicians in the cultural renaissance of ethnic communities in Belize. Punta Soul was first showcased at the WOMEX IMZ Festival in Seville, Spain, in November 2008.

The night's entertainment will begin with a rousing drumming and vocal performance by James Lovell and the Afrigarifuna Ensemble of Brooklyn, New York. Film Screening will be followed by Q & A with the director, Nyasha Laing, and reception. For ticket information, contact Kumble Theater Box Office at 718-488-1624 or visit their website at www.kumbletheater.org. For additional information, email parandamedia@gmail.com or go to www.parandamedia.com.

About the Filmmaker

Nyasha R. Laing is a writer, advocate, lawyer and independent media artist. She is a free-lance journalist and travel writer whose work has been published in Black Enterprise, the Singapore Business Times, The Baltimore Times, Caribbean Life News and The Black Star News. A graduate of Yale University and NYU School of Law, Nyasha consults with non-profit organizations in the area of human rights and civil liberties in New York City and overseas. She enjoys singing, most recently with the afrobeat ensemble Asiko. Of Belizean heritage, Nyasha hails from the cities of New Rochelle, Brooklyn and Washington, D.C. and has traveled throughout Asia, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Her forthcoming documentary work is entitled Punta Rock!

http://www.parandamedia.com