Roots Fest 2011

The entire community is invited to hear the well-known Chicago band Bandoleros at a free public performance on Thursday, April 28, to kick off Northwood Junior High’s Roots Fest 2011, a celebration of culture and diversity. The Bandoleros are known for their eclectic repertoire that combines rhythmical styling and sounds of the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

The evening event will be held at Northwood Junior High, 945 North Avenue in Highland Park, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a Taste of Northwood, featuring a variety of food for purchase from local restaurants.  It will also feature a showcase of student talent after the Bandoleros, with about 120 students participating. Performances will run the gamut from Brazilian percussion to Korean folk-dance, Afro-Cuban dance, poetry reading, and more.  About 30 Northwood teachers served as sponsors and mentors for the student performers to help them get ready for the event.

Before the show, community members can purchase wonderful selection of ethnic cuisines from local restaurants at a Taste of Northwood, with proceeds benefitting the Northwood PTA.  A number of area restaurants donated the food or provided it at low cost.  Menu items will include Mediterranean food from Reza’s, Greek food from the Fourlas family, quesadillas from Casa de Isaac, guacamole and chips from Chipotle, and much more.

This is Northwood’s ninth annual Roots Fest, which emphasizes celebrating cultural diversity through the arts.  “It’s a unique opportunity for students to celebrate commonalities and differences from a variety of cultures,” said Northwood math teacher Carolyn Frye, who has been helping to plan the event.  “We view culture through the lens of visual and performance art, music and drama.  The benefit of the multicultural approach is that it brings to light the similarities and differences between the different art forms.”

Roots Fest will continue the following school day for teachers and students who will watch and interact with a number of professional performance groups from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including tap dancers from the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Be the Groove, a rhythmic performance ensemble, Chinese acrobats, a hula dancer and more.  In addition, teachers will lead small group rotations throughout the day focusing on culturally diverse food, games, songs and dances. 

Northwood, which houses the only North Shore School District 112 junior high dual language program---where classes are taught in both English and Spanish---prides itself on its cultural diversity.  The Northwood PTA underwrote the cost of bringing in the Bandoleros, an apropos choice for the day given that the band members represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds and incorporate a variety of musical styles.