"A remarkably agile dancer...”
“Akim Ndlovu, a remarkably agile dancer from Zimbabwe, was especially impressive in a scene with Chikako Iwahori … their energy was irresistible and at the end of the show members of the audience got up and danced along with them.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jack Anderson, veteran dance critic
“Akim Ndlovu, a remarkably agile dancer from Zimbabwe, was especially impressive in a scene with Chikako Iwahori … their energy was irresistible and at the end of the show members of the audience got up and danced along with them.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jack Anderson, veteran dance critic
"From the streets and clubs of New York City to the tea houses of Japan, the artistic journey of Hip Hop Performance Artist Akim 'Funk Buddha' Ndlovu is as multifaceted as his craft. His talents range from classic hip hop rhymes, beat-boxing and Mongolian throat-singing to body-balancing, martial arts, gumboot dance and circus arts. The Brooklyn, NY resident calls his work 'myth-breaking and bridge-building.' Fusing sounds with movements and connecting hip hop with a diverse spectrum of cultural traditions, he presents fascinating creative intersections that draw audiences into a vivid, visceral experience."
JAPAN~UNITED STATES FRIENDSHIP COMMISSION NEWS, "Meet Our Grantees: Akim Funk Buddha, Hip Hop Performance Artist"
“The Zimbabwean expat Akim Funk Buddha and friends kick off the season by singing, dancing, and rhyming their way across the cultural landscape.”
“New this year is Akim Funk Buddha’s Urban Tea Ceremony, a hip-hop reimagining of the traditional ritual. “
THE NEW YORKER
“New this year is Akim Funk Buddha’s Urban Tea Ceremony, a hip-hop reimagining of the traditional ritual. “
THE NEW YORKER
"Virtuosic and magnetic dancer/throat-singer/beat-boxer/poet Akim Funk Buddha"
"Without calling attention to his own ability to do so, virtuosic and magnetic dancer/throat-singer/beat-boxer/poet Akim Funk Buddha ...has created a hip-hop show that is true to the purest aspects of the form. He mines a built-in sense of community, centered on improvisational performance. "Amazulu" employs new forms and catchy combinations, but the inclusiveness and innate theatricality it taps into never seem to get old. The dance emphasis is never on technical skill or power moves (which are abundant), but on the humor and narrative of scenario. "
THE NEW YORK SUN
"Without calling attention to his own ability to do so, virtuosic and magnetic dancer/throat-singer/beat-boxer/poet Akim Funk Buddha ...has created a hip-hop show that is true to the purest aspects of the form. He mines a built-in sense of community, centered on improvisational performance. "Amazulu" employs new forms and catchy combinations, but the inclusiveness and innate theatricality it taps into never seem to get old. The dance emphasis is never on technical skill or power moves (which are abundant), but on the humor and narrative of scenario. "
THE NEW YORK SUN
"Akim Funk Buddha was especially intriguing, demonstrating phenomenal body and voice control and techniques ranging from break dancing to Mongolian throat singing."
THE WASHINGTON POST
"An avid world traveler and self-described old-school B-boy MC, Zimbabwe-born Akim Funk Buddha is known for his holistic approach to hip hop, drawing from a full spectrum of cultural traditions and artistic disciplines. Rhyming, beat-boxing, mouth and body percussion, story-telling, break-dancing, Mongolian throat-singing, Indonesian monkey chants, body-balancing, martial arts, tap and circus arts are seamlessly blended to create distinctly spiritual yet urban sonic and visual compositions. "
LINCOLN CENTER OUT OF DOORS
“My inner child loved every second of Back to Creation, by Akim Funk Buddha, a U.S. born and reared Zimbabwean of protean talent.
THE VILLAGE VOICE
THE VILLAGE VOICE
"A dramaturge of movement theater and cultural ambassador"
BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
"The choreography, by JD Aubrey Smith and Akim Funk Buddha, tickles the eye, and sometimes dazzles, as in “New Sensation,” where a group of robotic record executives debate Victor’s star potential."
THE BAGEL AND THE RAT BLOG
THE BAGEL AND THE RAT BLOG
"If dance is indeed a weapon, Akim Funk Buddha is some kind of delightful drunken master."
THE NEW YORK SUN (Reviewing the show "Dance is a Weapon)
THE NEW YORK SUN (Reviewing the show "Dance is a Weapon)
THE URBAN ORCHESTRA
TIME MAGAZINE
