“Throw Down Your Heart” – banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck’s feature documentary – to be screened at the Community Concert Hall Jan. 27

 

DURANGO, Colo. – As a prelude to banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck’s February performance at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, the Concert Hall will screen the film that defines Fleck’s current tour on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. The screening of the feature documentary “Throw Down Your Heart” is free to the public with no reserved seating.

          On tour, Fleck is currently showcasing “The Africa Project,” a result of his exploration and musical adventures through four African countries – Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia and Mali – on his search for the origins of the banjo,  the prototype of which was brought to America by African slaves. The film is promoted as a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in today’s media.

“Throw Down Your Heart” follows Fleck’s journey as he works with a wide array of musicians – from local villagers who play a twelve-foot xylophone, to a family that makes and plays the akonting (thought by many to be the original banjo), to international superstars such as the Malian diva Oumou Sangare.

As Fleck travels across Africa, he forges both musical and personal connections.  Using his banjo, he transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground with musicians from very different backgrounds and creating some of the most meaningful music of his career.

Wrote the “Los Angeles Times” of the film: “an exhilarating feast of sight and sound.” A sentiment echoed by the “San Francisco Chronicle,” (the film) “demonstrates that no other language is needed when two people sit down with their instruments and make them sing.”

          Visit http://www.argotpictures.com/to view the film’s trailer and for additional information.

Béla Fleck will take the stage at the Community Concert Hall – with guest musicians from Africa – Tuesday, Feb. 2. Visit www.durangoconcerts.com for show information and tickets.

The Community Concert Hall is located in the growing arts complex of Fort Lewis College.  It operates through a partnership with the college, a state-supported, independent institution of higher education, as well as the city of Durango, and with financial and in-kind contributions from generous members of the community.