Concerts for a Cause is a series of performances hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick as a part of the church’s commitment to the arts and to supporting the important work of local non-profits. Two-thirds of the proceeds from the 2018-2019 concert series will be donated to two area charities: The Gathering Place and The Brunswick Teen Center. Each performing group is chosen for its appeal to all ages, including children.  The concerts are meant to encourage the community to come together in celebration of music and giving back.

The next Concert for a Cause will feature Inanna, Sisters in Rhythm, on January 12th at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick.   The group is an all-women’s percussion and vocal ensemble dedicated to cultural diversity, education, and healing through the universal language of music. The roots of Inanna's music come from traditional world songs and rhythms of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and other indigenous cultures. Blended with their own western vocal harmonies, they bring forth an ancient sacred sound that feeds the soul and lightens the heart.

Inanna was originally created by the participants of a drum class in Alna, Maine in 1989. At their first official concert during Winter Solstice, the women of Inanna witnessed the power of the drum in its role of building conscious community and of cultivating great joy. The group takes its name from an ancient Sumerian goddess who held reign more than 4,000 years ago during a period when it is believed that drummers and dancers were predominantly women. The ensemble chose the name of this goddess in the hopes of raising awareness of the need for divine feminine energies to bring about balance to our planet.

Together for 28 years, the band has recorded six full-length albums, been invited to schools to teach drumming and world cultures to youth, and have performed extensively at numerous percussion festivals and community events. Members of the ensemble have traveled throughout the world to study with master drummers including Famoudou Konaté, Yaya Diallo, Layne Redmond, Glen Velez, and Babatunde Olatunji.

“I am so pleased to welcome Inanna to our community,” says Sue Michaud, the organizer for Concerts for a Cause.  “We look forward to celebrating with anciest song, especially during one of the coldest months of the year.”  UUCB minister Sylvia Stocker agrees: “This will be a wonderful way of supporting our church’s commitment to community and diversity.  And we are pleased that the proceeds will help such important non-profit work in the area.”

Members of Inanna, Sisters in Rhythm:

Annegret Baier, a German native with a degree from the University of Music in Stuttgart. She has been studying the drum rhythms of the Malinke people in Guinea, West Africa for over 20 years. She lives with her family in Portland where she teaches drum classes, offers artist in residency programs and performs with several bands.

Tori Morrill lives in Palermo and has BA in Social Anthropology.  She has been studying world music for over 25 years.  She holds workshops and is currently working on organizing retreats where people come together to experience the positive physical and mental health benefits of participatory rhythm-based activities.

Shirsten Lundblad of Brunswick has a Masters in Divinity degree from Harvard, and makes her living as a massage therapist, yoga teacher, and musician.  She and Tori together teach ongoing frame drumming classes, including Layne Redmond's six month intensive studies program . She has a particular interest in sound healing, both in the context of individual therapy as well as in community.  Shirsten is also a facilitator with Satyana Gender Reconciliation International, an organization whose purpose is to transform the roots of gender injustice and disharmony.

Inanna Video: I Shall Find You Live  https://youtu.be/FZO59THoUhc

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. $8 for students/children. Available at the church office (729-8515), at Gulf of Maine Books, or ONLINE at https://inanna.brownpapertickets.com/

The mission of The Gathering Place, one of the recipients of proceeds from Concerts for a Cause, we founded in Brunswick in 2010 to give daytime shelter, friendship and hope to the materially poor or homeless.  For more information: http://brunswickgatheringplace.org/

 The Brunswick Area Teen Center, located in the People Plus Center, provides a central place where young people can meet safely to explore creative outlets, share their talents, participate in intergenerational activities, and develop into well-rounded adults.  For more information: https://peopleplusmaine.org/brunswick-area-teen-center