Tribal Fair highlights Seminole heritage
The Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo and Mag 7, featuring Hollywood brothers Spencer and Doc Battiest, are part of the entertainment lineup during the 47th annual Seminole Tribal Fair and Pow Wow through Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.
Other highlights include performances by country star Jamey Johnson, the Osceola Brothers Band and a screening of the critically praised documentary about Native Americans in rock ‘n’ roll, “Rumble.”
A celebration of native arts and culture, the Seminole Tribal Fair and Pow Wow will include hundreds of competitive dancers and drummers in festive regalia, traditional arts and crafts, alligator wrestling, wildlife shows and Seminole vendors. Admission to the festival is free.
This is not the first performance together by Taboo, of Shoshone heritage, and the Battiest brothers, who live and record on the Seminole Tribe of Florida reservation in Hollywood, where they grew up. The three joined forces with other Native performBennett, ers who make up Mag 7 on Taboo’s 2016 hip-hop flavored song “Stand Up/ Stand N Rock #NoDAPL.”
The song and accompanying video, which helped shed light on the plight of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in its monthslong protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, was nominated at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards in the Best Fight Against the System category.
The project also put on prominent display the young talents that make up the Mag 7.
“[Taboo] really has a heart to show light through the native emerging artists,” Spencer Battiest said in an interview before the VMAs. “He wants us to go beyond ourselves and get national recognition. He wants the industry to know that we exist.”
“Rumble,” which screened Friday as part of the Native Reel Cinema Fest, is a remarkable journey through blues and rock history and the contributions by performers with Native blood, from Link Ray and Charley Patton to Jimi Hendrix, Cyril Neville, Robbie Robertson, Jesse Ed Davis and Randy Castillo.
A hit at Sundance, “Rumble” includes appearances by Martin Scorsese, Tony Slash, Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, Quincy Jones, George Clinton, Steven Van Zandt and Taboo.
Taboo and Mag 7, and actors Wes Studi, Martin Sensmeier and Michelle Thrush were among those taking part in meet-andgreet gatherings in the Hard Rock Live lobby before the film. A questionand-answer period with producers Stevie Salas and Christina Fon and Taboo followed.
Taboo and Mag 7 will perform 6:15 p.m. today, preceded by another celebrity meet and greet from 4 to 6 p.m. The Native Reels Cinema Series will offer Budd Schulberg’s “Wind Across the Everglades” 8-10 p.m. today.
Outlaw country singer Jamey Johnson, a 10-time Grammy nominee, will kick off his 2018 North American tour on Sunday with a 3 p.m. concert to close out the fair. The Osceola Brothers Band will perform 5:30 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Again, all events are free, including the music and the movies. For information, call 866-625-5374 or visit SemTribeFairAndPowWow.com.
bcrandell@sun-sentinel .com