DARFUR, DARFUR, A Dramatic Cantata

Newark, NJ -- On the heals of their successful production of Emmett Till:The Opera about a Chicago boy whose brutal murder in 1955 in the Mississippi Delta came to symbolize the start of the Civil Rights movement in America, Trilogy: An Opera Company presents Darfur, Darfur: A Dramatic Cantata by Michael Raphael. Trilogy’s artistic director, Kevin Maynor, once again, unleashes his cadre of talented opera singers, this time to raise awareness of Darfur a war-torn region in western Sudan, Africa. The event will be held Thursday, October 16, 2008 at the WISOMMM Cultural Center, 15 James Street in downtown Newark, NJ at 8:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

In the Sudan, the government-supported Muslim militia known as the janjaweed, has wreaked havoc in the form of genocide on black residents of the region. ”Darfurians are being tortured, killed and all of this is happening for power and no one is paying attention to it because it is not as lucrative as some of these other regions that have oil, for example,” says Maynor. “Darfur represents the pinnacle of tragedy and abuse in the world.”

The October 16 performance features soprano Diana Solomon-Glover, mezzo soprano Frances Jones, tenor Robert Mack and bass Kevin Maynor along with the Longar Ensemble Orchestra, Umoja Dance Company and the Songs of Solomon Choir.

Trilogy: An Opera Company is a non-profit organization that focuses on the works of black composers and artists of color. This event is presented by Trilogy in collaboration with the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association, Women in Support of the Million Man March (WISOMMM), Church World Service/CROP and the Darfur Rehabilitation Project.

For additional information, call (973) 985-5881 or e-mail TrilogyAOC@juno.com,

or contact the Church World Service New Jersey Regional Office at 973-375-1531.