Seattle Band Publish The Quest to Perform in Portugal and Poland
Release of New Single to Benefit Arts Education in Africa
Seattle band Publish The Quest will travel to Portugal in November to perform a showcase concert and to release the single Sodade. Recorded with Cape Verdean vocalist Laise Sanches, proceeds from the sale of this song will benefit Arts Education in Africa.
Publish The Quest blends groove music melodies with vocally driven compositions that continually question social issues through story telling. Songwriter Jacob Bain formed the band in 2008 to record The Threads. As a result of that experience, seven passionate people have come together to form a strong bond and a band that is serious about keeping feet moving, bodies shaking and minds engaged. Jacob Bain, Jeffrey De Melle, Mark Oi, Samantha Boshnack, Izaak Mills, Adam Kessler and Chris Poage will be traveling with Johnny Fernandes, founder of Learn Africa, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides resources for Arts Education.
The band has been very active on the national and international scene having performed in Cape Verde in 2010 and in Zimbabwe in 2011 at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA). HIFA is a six day annual festival and workshop program that showcases the very best of local, regional and international arts and culture in a comprehensive festival program of theatre, dance, music, circus, street performance, spoken word and visual arts. The group has just completed a fourteen-day tour of the west coast of the U.S.A.
Publish The Quest is destined to make a difference both at home and abroad. The group’s new album Then What!? which was released in America in June, features Femi Kuti, Matt Chamberlain, Eyvind Kang and Radioactive. Strong bonds and like-minded philosophies have made these collaborations possible. Following the performances in Portugal, the band will travel to Poland for three concerts with the sensational Sony recording artist Nneka.
The band has a strong social component, working closely with Learn Africa to further its mission of empowerment through the arts. To date, Publish The Quest has worked with the organization in Cape Verde and Zimbabwe. The trip to Europe is an extension of that. In Portugal, the group will collaborate with local artists to record more songs to benefit music education, “99 cents at a time.”
Fernandes, a dual American and Portuguese citizen, is trying to make Africa more relevant and accessible to his American and Portuguese communities. “Even with the Internet and social networks, Africa is still the Dark Continent, far removed from people’s thoughts. The only glimpses we get are usually negative and pitiful. Africa is rich and diverse in music, culture, language and literature, but the gap between reality and perception is still enormous. Through my projects, I want to share the beauty of the continent and its people. Trips like this are hugely valuable in educational and cultural terms and the collaborative nature serves to connect everyone. Put musicians in a room together and beautiful things happen. Throw in some eager students and it turns into magic.”
While in Europe, Publish The Quest is available to work with local civic groups, schools and other institutions to promote cultural understanding, conduct music workshops and to perform concerts. To take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Johnny Fernandes immediately. The group’s current schedule is as follows:
Contact: Johnny Fernandes – johnny [at] learn-africa.org
7 November Arrival: Portugal
8 November Concert: MusicBox Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
9 November Departure: Poland
10 November Concert: Palladium – Warsaw, Poland.
11 November Concert: Klub Studio – Krakow, Poland.
12 November Concert: Eter – Wroclaw, Poland.
19 November Concert: TBD – Santander, Spain.
21 November Departure: U.S.A.
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