Dr. Finnie D. Coleman is the Director of American Literary Studies n the Department of English at the University of New Mexico where he teaches courses in African American literature and culture.He has served as Interim Dean of University College and Director of Africana Studies. At Texas A&M University Dr. Coleman served as the Director for Honors in the Office of Honors Programs and Academic Scholarships. Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Coleman served as an Army Intelligence Officer during the Persian Gulf War in Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. He is married to UNM’s Dr. Doris Careaga Coleman. They have two children, Anele and Finnie.
The University of New Mexico’s Department of Music and the College of Fine Arts welcomes Dr. Coleman to Keller Hall as he discusses a closing chapter from his book manuscript Visible Rhythms. Music from Janelle Monae, Kendrick Lamar, and Brother Ali set the stage for a discussion of Hip Hop Activism, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and Coleman’s chapter titled “Navigating the Mythologies of Postraciality; Race, Identity, and Underground Hip Hop Culture.”
Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez: Imagining Something Better: Punk, Tejano, La Bamba, and Other Rolas from My Border Hi-Fi
Unrepentant border crosser, writer, ex-dj, and academic. Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez is an Associate Professor of US Southwestern Literatures, and Creative Writing in the Department of Spanish, and Portuguese at the University of New Mexico.
Music from the Americas presents “Scaling the Wall”
“Scaling the Wall” is a project that promotes works for flute by Canadian, American and Mexican ex-patriate composers. It seeks to showcase how contemporary composers connected to those countries have successfully bridged the political, cultural and geographic borders crossing the western 100th meridian. Featured composers’ works vary in style, instrumentation and compositional approach, but also illustrate the universality of music, regardless of nationality.
Music from the Americas presents Iracema de Andrade, cello
Brazilian cellist Iracema de Andrade is strongly committed to the music of our time. Her repertory includes pieces for solo cello, cello and electronics, as well as multimedia and improvisation.