8 time Grammy Award winning artist Ms. Lauryn Hill, visited Cabarete in the Dominican Republic to volunteer in Wimbash Cabarete by DREAMin Live, a progressive music festival that serves to shed light on equal access to quality education with the support of international and local artists.
Ms. Hill is concerned about how quality education has been denied to so many impoverished children throughout the world, especially to those living in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
“I think when you talk about a people being oppressed, it is important to look at who is actively oppressing them and then try to understand why. The amount of effort put into that act is usually a direct reflection of the potential those oppressed people possess and what their contribution could be under other circumstances.”
The DREAM Project (www.dominicandream.org) has quickly become one of the Dominican Republic’s most innovative responses to quality education. Proceeds from the event went towards the DREAM Music and At Risk Youth Programs.
Jonathan Wunderlich, the DREAM Project Development Director, says the shared belief is that quality, early and continuing education is the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty and change this counterproductive cycle. According to Wunderlich, “This amazing, free concert on the beach is a new way to bring us all together; world class musicians, local volunteers, Dominican artists and the entire community to share a vision of music, education and intelligent solutions to confront our common problems”.
To learn more about DREAMin Live, please go to http://dominicandream.org/2012/04/23/dreamin-live-2012-may-12th.html or http://www.facebook.com/DREAMinLive.
About the WimBash Festival Series
Founded and inspired by world class bass player Doug Wimbish, Wimbash is unique in that it brings together an eclectic array of music genres on one stage, utilizing local talent alongside well-known artists, all while working together with one of the Dominican Republic’s most effective and popular non-profit organizations, The DREAM Project. Wimbash is a community and family based, educational event that has redefined how we look at pro-active involvement in making change. The event has established its name by leveraging the passion and talents of professional musicians by connecting them with groundbreaking programs in music, culture and quality education. In 2012 alone, the concert series has already partnered with The Miami Preservation League, the School of Rock and The DREAM Project to bring Wimbash to the cities of Miami, Philadelphia and Cabarete, Dominican Republic.
The concept is simple: put on an amazing, free concert by identifying a number of progressive sponsors and contributors that believe this unique event will draw more attention and create a larger support network for DREAM’s work in education. As the problems improving the Dominican education system linger, new answers such as DREAMin Live are getting a lot of people’s attention.
About the artists
Doug Wimbish has been one of the world’s most sought-after electric bassists since his groundbreaking days with The Sugar Hill Gang and Grammy Award-winning rock band Living Colour. His talents universally recognized, he has produced, toured, and recorded with musicians including The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Herb Albert, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Carly Simon, Seal, Al Green, James Brown, Billy Idol, Robbie Robertson, George Clinton, Depeche Mode, Tara Turunen, Kanye West, Mos Def, and currently with Ms. Lauryn Hill in her recent reemergence.
Ms. Lauryn Hill is universally considered one of music’s greatest talents and has won over 30 awards, including eight Grammy Awards and three World Best-selling Music Awards. In 1998 she was the first female solo artist awarded five Grammys in one year. Hill has recently entered the public eye once again, touring throughout the world, producing new music and using her fame to promote progressive, philanthropic projects such as DREAM.
Joining Wimbash, also hot off Ms. Lauryn Hill’s recent European tour, is Eric Gales, Best Blues Guitarist 2010, by Guitarist Magazine and DREAMin Live’s original lead guitar. In 2008, he, along with other guitarists, participated in the touring tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Experience Hendrix. the touring group of musicians included Billy Cox (of Band of Gypsys fame), Eric Johnson, Chris Layton (drummer for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section, Double Trouble), Doyle Bramhall II, Brad Whitford (of Aerosmith) and was the last tour that Mitch Mitchell played on.
DJ Rampage Global, also at the top of his field, has become one of the industry’s top crowd pleasers. Combined, the four have performed in front of millions of people in countless countries, with more than 25 albums recorded between them.
What makes DREAMin Live and Wimbash so unique is its collaborative essence, bringing these world famous musicians together with aspiring Dominican artists, such as Soullibre’s Van Avakian on drums, rap group Circuito Negro of Santo Domingo and Cabarete’s own Culture Shock, featuring Joey Ciotti (lead vocalist/guitarist), formerly of Trixie Goes Hollywood and Platinum Blonde. Dominican breakdance champions Metamorphosis also joined these musicians, showcasing the incredible talent the DR offers in both dance, reggaeton and hip hop. This year’s event received another gift through the participation of Tara Harrison, a spectacular new vocalist out of NYC.
All of these great musicians spent the day Thursday, May 10th at the DREAM Education Center working with aspiring, young music students through a series of workshops. This unforgettable day had one last, very special treat, with Ms. Lauryn Hill joining the team and giving an impromptu show for the children. Ms. Hill was The DREAM Project’s Honorary Guest, learning about the organization and supporting their message of sustainable, quality education for all children.
In the Dominican Republic, a country suffering from a severely underperforming education system, the likelihood of a Dominican child completing a quality education is extraordinarily low. The DREAM Project (Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring Project) focuses on raising consciousness and much-needed funds for innovative youth education programs.
And amazing it was, after a deluge of rain Saturday, May 12th, the night sky magically opened up just in time and cleared the way for one of the island’s most memorable concerts. With over 2,000 people in attendance on Cabarete beach, the musicians, dancers and community all witnessed what most agreed was a show for the ages. After epic performances from Culture Shock, Metamorphosis, Circuito Negro, Tara Harrison, Eric Gales, Doug Wimbish and DJ Rampage Global, Ms. Lauryn Hill went above and beyond one last time, taking the stage and giving a spectacular performance that will never be forgotten.
The Bacardi Family Foundation, JetBlue Airlines, Millennium Resort, Velero Beach Resort, 4TW: Dominican Wedding Planner and Lax Cabarete made DREAMin Live presents Wimbash Cabarete possible.
Jonathan Wunderlich – The DREAM Project
