Thank You for Making Our First Mosaic Summer Nights a Success!

We had a WONDERFUL time at our first Mosaic Summer Nights event on June 25th in Downtown Greensboro celebrating the cultures of Asia. 

With food vendors selling savory delicacies from Bhutan, Laos and Burma as well as a special Laotian-French sweets stand, guests enjoyed a taste of many Greensboro’s cultural communities not otherwise represented in the local food scene.

We were delighted by incredible music and dance throughout the night, including renowned Bhutanese guitarist Tashi Dorji who did a full set against the back drop of the setting sun and gate city’s trains. Other musicians included Indian tabla and harmonium, Bhutanese cultural dance and song, and Bollywood and K-Pop dance presentations.

Attendees enjoyed browsing the “shops” in the Mosaic Marketplace featuring hand made crafts, clothing and jewelry from across Asia. Talented Henna artists Poonam was on site sharing her designs while local refugee and immigrant craftswomen and men showcased their skills.

The night would not have been complete without a double rainbow to finish it off! Thanks so much to everyone who attended and we look forward to seeing you at the next Mosaic Summer Nights on July 23rd!

MOSAIC SUMMER NIGHTS!

MOSAIC Summer Nights is just a few weeks away and we are so excited to unveil this new format. We’ll be hosting the event series downtown at the Greensboro Railyard (site of City Market) and will be doing regional features finishing in a big Global Finale together with our friends at Show of Hands. We already have some incredible music and food lined up for June and will get you more details soon!

June 25th – Celebrating the Cultures of Asia

July 23rd – Celebrating the Cultures of Africa & the Middle East

August 27th – Celebrating the Cultures of Latin America (please note date change)

September 24th – GLOBAL Finale w/ Show of Hands

Participant Applications here: 2014 MOSAIC PERFORMANCE APPLICATION; 2014 MOSAIC SUMMER NIGHTS FOOD VENDOR APPLICATION;  2014 MOSAIC NON-FOOD VENDOR APPLICATION

Futbol Fest 2014 Schedule

Futbol Fest 2014 is upon us and the schedule of events for May 31st looks great! Whether you’re coming for the soccer, the food, the music, the KidsZone or just to enjoy the fun international atmosphere, you’re sure to find something for everyone in the family.

The day kicks off at 11am with the opening of the CWS Mosaic Marketplace and the start of the two Semi-Final Soccer matches. Come support your favorite team and stop in for lunch and some shopping! WareWare Music Band hits the stage at 12:15 with a big sound hailing from across Africa and the US with music in 7 languages. You’ll find plenty of cold treats from paletas to ice cream and Hawaiian ice to keep you cool in the afternoon while the kids join in the Dynamo Youth Soccer Clinic at 1pm. Athletes among us will want to participate in the PK Shoot Out for a chance to win big while the rest may head over to the Futbol Fest Raffle featuring tons of incredible prizes from Adidas, Omega Sports and others. Don’t forget to pick up your water and cold beverage from the CWS stand where your purchase helps to support Mosaic throughout the summer.

As the afternoon continues, you won’t want to miss the salsa and Latin Jazz grooves of West End Mambo on the stage at 3pm leading up to the Championship Game starting at 4:30. Ready for another snack? The international food market is packed with goodies from El Azteca Mexican Grill, Nazareth Middle Eastern Food, Hibachi Xpress, SungEun Korean, and Barone Italian Meatballs! There’s plenty more to feast your eyes on in the marketplace where you can get yourself a Henna tatoo or a caricature done by a renowned Iraqi cartoonist. You can shop for hand made jewelry, purses, clothing and more so don’t forget to bring cash!

When the Championship match has finished, we hope you’ll join us on Field 2 for Greensboro’s chance at fame in coming together to break the World Record for most Samba dancers in one place. The dance will be lead by the World Dance Exchange.

Of course, Futbol Fest wouldn’t be possible without the its partners and sponsors. Thanks so much to event partners BB&T, Boundless Impact, Carolina Dynamo Soccer, Faith Action International House, Greensboro United Soccer Association, Weaver Foundation and Our Children’s Community School hosting the KidsZone. Futbol Fest Event Sponsors Omega Sports and Adidas as well as Mosaic Marketplace Sponsors Lincoln Financial Group and Deuterman Law Group make the day possible.

PROGRAM:

 

See you out there!

2014 Brings New Opportunities for Mosaic Festival

CWS Greensboro is happy to announce exciting changes for Mosaic Festival 2014. The big news is that Mosaic is on the move – and there will be more of it to go around!

To kick off the festival season, CWS Greensboro is partnering with a number of fantastic local organizations to bring the Mosaic Marketplace to the first ever FutbolFest. FutbolFest is a day-long community celebration of the 2014 World Cup, showcasing our diverse cultures, soccer talent and love of the “beautiful game”. The event combines opportunities to play and watch soccer at all levels with the Mosaic Marketplace, featuring international cuisine, multicultural entertainment and bazaar.

This is a fantastic way to celebrate the multi-cultural unity of the World Cup and bring Mosaic to a new audience!

Futbol Fest will be held on Saturday May 31st at Bryan Park. The Mosaic Marketplace will be open from 11am – 7pm. Our good friends over at Our Children’s Community School will be hosting this year’s Kid Zone where a full schedule of interactive activities for kids (and adults) of all ages will run throughout the day. Registration for soccer teams is currently open. Get the most up to date information at futbolfest.org!

But wait… there’s more!

MOSAIC FESTIVAL SUMMER SERIES

The number one piece of feedback we have heard from Mosaic fans after each year’s event is that you want more of it! We’ve heard you loud and clear and in honor of MOSAIC’s 5th year in Greensboro, we’re making Mosaic a summer long event! In addition to the Mosaic Marketplace featured at FutbolFest at the end of May, CWS Greensboro will host a four part series in Downtown Greensboro to carry the celebration through the summer and fall. The series will take place on a week day evening from 5pm – 9pm with a different international region high lighted each month.

The Mosaic Series will provide a venue for our community’s incredibly talented home cooks and ethnic community groups and restaurants to show case their culinary art alongside the world class music, dance, arts and crafts that make Mosaic what it is.  We will keep you updated in this space and on our Facebook page as we finalize dates and location.

If you’re interested in partnering on this series as a sponsor, food vendor, artist or performer at FutbolFest or the Mosaic Festival Summer Series, please contact us at mosaicfest@gmail.com to learn more. 

50 new citizens celebrate a special Fourth of July

Check out this great article from the News and Record about immigrants naturalizing on the 4th of July in Winston-Salem. It was a very special and emotional day for many!

http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_91ffbff6-e566-11e2-ae1e-001a4bcf6878.html

WINSTON-SALEM — Eighty-three-year-old Maria Tomasa Orellana has waited a lifetime to become an American citizen.

And after Thursday’s naturalization ceremony, her wait is finally over.

“She always wanted to become an American, but she was scared because she doesn’t speak English,” her daughter, Alicia Orellana said. “But she always knew this is the best country to live in.”

Maria Tomasa Orellana, a native of El Salvador, has lived in the U.S. for 23 years.

She was one of 50 people from 28 different countries to become American citizens on Thursday.

“It was a very touching ceremony and I am just so proud of her,” Alicia Orellana said.

Countries from five continents were represented at the ceremony, with natives of Mexico, Niger, France, Venezuela, and China on hand.

The third annual event, attended by about 400 family members, friends and spectators, took place in Salem Square, the site of the first official July 4th celebration in the U.S. in 1783, according to Old Salem Museums and Gardens.

“It’s really meaningful for them to be naturalized in the same spot where colonists from all over became independent hundreds of years ago,” said Jennifer Kiger, marketing director at Old Salem Museums and Gardens. “It definitely makes the entire day that much more special.”

For Jorge Jaimes, who was born in Mexico, American citizenship means a chance to finally feel like he fits in.

“I can’t describe the feeling of finally being an American after spending so long suffering for being different,” he said. “People lower you and think you’re beneath them just because you’re not a citizen of this country.”

Jaimes, 26, said he looks forward to being able to vote and now plans to go to college and start his own business.

“I’ve lived here 20 years and I’m finally at the finish line,” he said. “This will be a new start for me.”

And Luis Lobo, executive vice president of BB&T and keynote speaker at the ceremony, said not to forget the struggles the new citizens have had to overcome to get to today.

Born in Costa Rica, Lobo told the story of how his father brought his family to the United States so he could pursue higher education.

“Just like my father became a hero to our family, you will be the hero to your descendents and have changed their lives forever,” he said, commending them for taking the risk in coming to the United States.

Lobo said one reason the ceremony is so exciting is because it is a result of many years of persevering and waiting.

Amritha and Prashanth Karkera have waited 15 years for this day.

“We were willing to wait for however long it took to get citizenship,” Amritha said. “This country has given us more than we could’ve ever asked for, so this is a very proud moment in our lives.”

Prashanth, who lives in Greensboro with his wife Amritha, said the United States has been a great place to raise their daughter and they have made many friends along the way.

When asked where they were from, Prashanth responded: “Yesterday I would’ve said just India. But today I say we’re from India and the United States of America, the best country in the world.”

 

 

2013 Mosaic Festival

We had an AMAZING Day today (despite the many days of rain that came before)! Enjoy some great photos from the event (more photos available at: www.facebook.com/mosaicgreensboro/photos_albums)

MOSAIC 2013 is almost here!

MOSAIC Festival 2013 is finally here, just 24 short hours away until festival park transforms into a gorgeous Global Bazaar! It looks like the rain is going to get it all out today and its shaping up to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Plus if we have a little rain mid day, all the better to dance to!

There is so much goodness in store for tomorrow you’ll have a hard time choosing what to do first!

Ethnic Street Food Fair

We have a record 20 Ethnic Food Vendors this year! With many of the festival favorites like Korean BBQ and Middle Eastern along with several new vendors including food from Laos, Indonesia, Latin American Ice Cream treats and even a SE Asian Vegan stand. Come Hungry!

Culture Expo Tent – New!

Try out your Belly Dance or Bollywood moves, watch a South Korean cooking demo, learn to make African jewelry from recycled paper or practice learning to wear a traditional Indian Sari. There are great workshops all day long at the CWS Culture Expo Tent so you won’t want to miss this.

Children’s Area Hosted by New Arrival’s Institute

The Children’s Area has a bounce house for the kids along with arts and crafts and other activities. The New Arrival’s Institute is a partner non-profit providing English Language Classes, Health Literacy and Employment Training along with pre-school classes for refugees and immigrants.

RAFFLE!

Enter to win great prizes while CWS Greensboro raise money to support the Cultural Orientation program for newly arrived refugees! This year’s raffle has some truly amazing options and each one is it’s own drawing so your chances are event better! Take a “staycation” with the O’Henry Hotel Weekend Getaway Pack, win a Pandora Bracelet, two weekend passes to Bonnaroo Music Festival plus tickets the The Drive By Truckers and Passion Pit and Cults!

Plus Artists, Crafts, Info booths and LOTS of dancing! And don’t forget the AFTER PARTY!!!

MOSAIC After Dark

Our first ever MOSAIC After Party! The Blind Tiger is hosting the MOSAIC After Dark Benefit Concert. This event helps raise money to support MOSAIC Festival and the work of the organization in welcoming newcomers throughout the year. Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang and dub Addis will be playing full length sets, we’ll be raffling off great prizes and it’s a great chance to continue the fun while supporting a good cause. Music lovers will not want to miss this!

MOSAIC: Incredible Artists in 2013

MOSAIC Festival is thrilled to welcome the event’s most ambitious line up to date. With more than 20 acts from 15 cultural traditions, MOSAIC 2013 promises to be packed with incredible music and dance throughout the day. 

Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang

Greensboro is proud to welcome the “King of Bubu” Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang headlining this year on the main stage all the way from Brooklyn. Nabay’s infectious bubu style quickly won dedicated fans across Sierra Leone, where his records sold in the tens of thousands, blasting from local boom boxes across the country. Singing in Sierra Leone’s lingua franca, Krio, as well as his native tribal Temne, English, and Arabic, Nabay considers his work, then and now, a letter to Sierra Leoneans, a call for them to remember the roots of their culture. Janka Nabay goes on at 4pm and will be playing a longer set at the Blind Tiger’s “MOSAIC After Dark” show starting at 10 pm. Catch both sets and you won’t be sorry. 

Ricardo Diquez & the Tropic Orchestra

Born to Trinidadian and Puerto Rican parents, Ricardo Diquez fell in love with the music and dance that filled his home as a child and has been performing himself for over twenty years. He will be performing at MOSAIC with the Tropic Orchestra, a lively Caribbean dance band featuring musicians from Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico and the US  that has grown widely popular across NC. Ricardo Diquez and the Tropic Orchestra will hit the main stage at 5:45 pm – come ready to dance!

dub Addis

With soulful melodies embedded in the polyrhythm of Africa, dub Addis hails from the horn of Africa, Ethiopia. Led by Singer-songwriter Dereje Tesfaye, dub Addis has been performing original songs for the last decade. dub Addis’s songs vary from traditional Ethiopian rhythms to Roots Reggae. They have shared stages with Hugh Masekela, The Wailers, Steel Pulse, Culture, Arrested Development, Morgan Heritage, Buju Banton, Vieux Farka Toure and more. Find dub Addis at 2:30 pm & opening later that night at the Blind Tiger. 

The Brand New Life

Closing out the night with a 7:15 pm set on the main stage are local favorites The Brand New Life. The eight-piece band has become recognized as one of the Southeast’s top Afrobeat groups, sharing the stage with world-renowned all-stars such as Nigerian Afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and American Afrobeat collective Antibalas. With an adventurous original repertoire, the band avoids being classified as purely Afrobeat by drawing on a number of musical influences including New Orleans jazz and indie rock. The result is a rousing, danceable melting pot of sound, powered by fierce polyrhythm and forceful horns that can be heard on their self-titled album (2010) and recently released single Gigs/$$$.

Joining these amazing artists is a full day of music and dance with sets throughout on two stages. Look for:

Belly Dance Troupe Three Graces on the main stage at 1pm!

DoDream Korean Drums

WareWare Band

Los Viejitos

Bhutanese Dance by Binita, Pyrinka and Chhaii & Shriya Acharya

Children’s Dances from Venezuela and Mexico

Bollywood Dance by Damali & Dumanis

Triad Nepalese Community Center Dancers

Indian Harmonium by Rajen Sukhadia

Sao Lao – Traditional Lao Dance

Congolese Gospel by AWA Boboto

Korean String Music

Flamenco by World Dance Exchange 

MOSAIC 2013 JUNE 8

It’s springtime here in Greensboro which means we at CWS are gearing up for our favorite time of year – MOSAIC Festival. After an overwhelming success last year, we are more excited than ever for our fourth annual festival which will be held this year on June 8th from 12pm – 8pm at Festival Park.

We have been busy working with performers, artists and vendors and plans are well under way for another awesome year. For those of you who are interested in participating and haven’t gotten your applications in yet – please make sure to get them in soon as slots are filling up quickly! Click here: for Vendor Applications and here for performers.

We are also thrilled to announce that we are adding an exciting new component to the event this year: The Culture Expo Tent will showcase workshops throughout the day where festival goers can engage with artists and speakers directly to learn more about the incredible music, dance, food and art on display. From dance and instrument demos to weaving to cultural discussions to learn more about the people and places that make up our community. If you’re interested in participating in a workshop – please contact us at mosaicfest@gmail.com!

Keep posted for updates as we get closer to the event including the mainstage music line up coming in May. We have some AMAZING artists this year and can’t wait for you to meet them!

A few more GREAT Mosaic Festival photos!