"Akim Funk Buddha ripples bodily suggestions of South African gumboot dancing and the Middle Passage."
“Countless dance productions have tried to turn that history into theater, the latest being 'American Street Dancer,' a work by Rennie Harris Puremovement that is getting its New York debut at the Joyce Theater this week. But don’t expect a lecture. This show’s grace is to do more showing than telling; its generosity is to honor the past while never ceasing to entertain in the present. (...) The incisive Djembe drumming of Brytiece Wallace sets the scene. Akim Funk Buddha ripples bodily suggestions of South African gumboot dancing and the Middle Passage. Then Ayodele Casel arrives to fast-forward the tale into thrillingly contemporary virtuosity.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, "Review: Rennie Harris’s Jam Session of American Street Dance" (Critic’s Pick)
“Countless dance productions have tried to turn that history into theater, the latest being 'American Street Dancer,' a work by Rennie Harris Puremovement that is getting its New York debut at the Joyce Theater this week. But don’t expect a lecture. This show’s grace is to do more showing than telling; its generosity is to honor the past while never ceasing to entertain in the present. (...) The incisive Djembe drumming of Brytiece Wallace sets the scene. Akim Funk Buddha ripples bodily suggestions of South African gumboot dancing and the Middle Passage. Then Ayodele Casel arrives to fast-forward the tale into thrillingly contemporary virtuosity.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, "Review: Rennie Harris’s Jam Session of American Street Dance" (Critic’s Pick)
"...performed with stunning specificity and contagious energy by artists including Ayodele Casel, House of Jit, Creation Global, Akim Funk Buddha"
“Harris digs deep into the history and cultural resonance of street dance vocabulary as a distinctly African American movement style, in constant dialogue with its African roots. (...) Every piece of movement we see performed on The Joyce’s stage is clearly defined, and not to mention performed with stunning specificity and contagious energy by artists including Ayodele Casel, House of Jit, Creation Global, Akim Funk Buddha, and the dancers of Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater.”
SPLASH MAGAZINES, "Rennie Harris Street Dance at the Joyce Theater NYC – Learn Your Street Dance Vocab"
“Harris digs deep into the history and cultural resonance of street dance vocabulary as a distinctly African American movement style, in constant dialogue with its African roots. (...) Every piece of movement we see performed on The Joyce’s stage is clearly defined, and not to mention performed with stunning specificity and contagious energy by artists including Ayodele Casel, House of Jit, Creation Global, Akim Funk Buddha, and the dancers of Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater.”
SPLASH MAGAZINES, "Rennie Harris Street Dance at the Joyce Theater NYC – Learn Your Street Dance Vocab"
“Books are banned, DEI scuttled, and Africanist studies scaled back. Yet, the irrepressible spirit of African American artists is not extinguished. The much celebrated American choreographer, Lorenzo 'Rennie' Harris, is known worldwide for his (2000) 'Rome & Jewels' and his practice of bringing hip hop and street dance to the stage under his company name Rennie Harris PureMovement or RHPM.”
FJORD REVIEW, "Why it’s called American Street Dancer"
FJORD REVIEW, "Why it’s called American Street Dancer"
“The opening ceremony was led by South African performance artist Akim Funk Buddha. His drum descended from the stratosphere on a rope, just as the dancers would for the rest of the evening. This humorous touch was characteristic of Funk Buddha, who engaged the audience and reminded us that grace and fluidity are not the only movements available to dancers. He jerked and jogged around, making us laugh from moment to moment. Later in the program, he presented 'Navigate,' a collaborative piece with other cast members that was equally engaging.”
BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS, "Fly by Night Dance Soars in New York – Charming and Funny Extension of Dance Movement"
BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS, "Fly by Night Dance Soars in New York – Charming and Funny Extension of Dance Movement"
"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