Music and dance event part of Long Branch Day

LONG BRANCH — As part of the daylong Long Branch Day celebration scheduled to be held Saturday, the annual Oceans of Rhythm Festival 2008 will be held in the city with two performances and a processional as part of the event.

ZEYBRAH, in conjunction with the Long Branch Office of Community Development and the Long Branch Department of Recreation, will be presenting the festival, which is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. at Jerry Morgan Park on Liberty Street between Broadway and Joline Avenue.

The festival will continue with a procession to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Jerry Morgan Park and a parade down Broadway to the Great Lawn and amphitheater located a block from Cooper Avenue at Greeley Terrace and McKinley Street for more drumming and dancing, performances and workshops.

A second show is planned for 5 p.m. on the Great Lawn. Admission to the event is free; for more information, call Basha Alperin at 732-290-092.

The theme for this year's ZEYBRAH's festival is "In 2008, Be Great, Educate to Elevate." The event will feature music, drumming and dance to uplift the spirit. There will be a host of talent, local and international, young and old, with entertainment on two stages and a carnival procession.

As the finale of Long Branch Day, the Oceans of Rhythm Festival will feature several groups, including the following: Lavendar Larry, a jazz funk fusion band, playing standards and original music; Yakar Roots and Rhythms, an electrifying dance group from Senegal, West Africa; Grupo Iwa Dada, a children's musical theater and dance group; and the Kotchegna Dance group from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, performing a traditional African dance masquerade, called chacaba.

Following the performances, the Yakar Roots and Rhythms Drum and Dance Company and the Stiltwalker will lead a carnival-like procession with audience participation, culminating at the ocean.

The event will be a family-oriented festival, where all ages can celebrate together the beauties of the African drum rhythms, the ocean and the community.

Long Branch Day starts at 8:30 a.m. and will offer a variety of activities for the whole family, including bocce, horseshoe contests and a family walk.

In the event of rain, the Oceans of Rhythm Festival will be held at the Long Branch Department of Recreation at the north end of Long Branch Avenue at 3 Bay Ave.

The African/Caribbean-based festival is a celebration of the arts, the people and the environment, and aims to enrich the community through cultural expressions reflecting its diversity. ZEYBRAH is a nonprofit cultural organization that creates community arts projects and festivals and trains young artists.