Lauren Derby’s BÊTES NOIRES with Anne Eller, René Cordero, and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert

With a performance from Orchestre Moto

To celebrate Independent Bookstore Day, Word Up welcomes author Lauren Derby to celebrate her new book Bêtes Noires: Sorcery as History in the Haitian-Dominican Borderlands. Joining Derby will be Anne Eller (long durée Hispaniola history), René Cordero (post-Trujillo corruption and drug trafficking), and Lizabeth (Lisa) Paravisini-Gebert (vodou/vodú), each presenting on their research topics.

After the reading, there will be a performance from Orchestre Moto. Orchestre Moto is a New York and Los Angeles-based band with a constellation of roots, from Kinshasa to Brazzaville, Lubumbashi to Pointe-Noire, dedicated to showcasing the Congolese sound. Moto means “fire” in Lingala: a name that reflects the explosive, high-energy African dance music they bring to the stage. The ensemble performs genres such as rumba, sebene, mutuashi, and ndombolo—styles born in post-independence Africa that blend traditional rhythms with electric guitar and Afro-Cuban influences.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket.  Please register in advance.