Making it in Buffalo
April 23, 2021
By Vilona Trachtenberg

After a year delay, and much anticipation, Made in Buffalo (MIB), is coming up this Sunday, April 25! Broadway star Cheryl Stern is the main act, and there will also be a number of talented local performers – dancers, drummers, and singers – who will be bringing their own dazzling talents to the virtual stage. Just as the audience has been waiting a year, these artists have also been waiting a year to be part of a performance again, and are brimming with excitement to showcase their passions.

One of this event’s performers and a member of the MIB planning team, Nancy Fernandez, points out that: “Buffalo doesn’t just export talent, but nurtures it and celebrates it here, right now.”

Here are the local artists who will be gracing the virtual performance screen this Sunday:

Gaitrie Devi is the choreographer and founder of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts. Her performance style is rooted in Indian classical dance with a contemporary flow, and will be shown as she dances with her hands and fills the stage in a swift flow. She will be performing to “Ghar More Pardesiya” from the Bollywood movie Kalank, which she watched and listened to endlessly during lockdown. She looks forward to bringing a new feel and energy to a piece that means a lot to her.
Facebook @DeviBollywood
Instagram: @devibollywood

Griffin Brady is the director of the Slyboots Circus and founder of the Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance. His dance and drumming troupe combine elements of traditional West African music and dance, Chinese acrobatics, contemporary dance, magic, puppetry, and jazz, and the audience will be participate in every step.
Facebook: @SlybootsSchool
Instagram: @slybootsbuffalo

Jeremy Appelbaum of Big J Blues will be bringing his one-man blues band to the screen, where he’ll be stomping, screaming, and boogying with feeling. ‘Big J’ will be using his custom Mississippi drum machine and will have attendees feeling the rhythm and tapping throughout his performance.
Facebook: @BigJBlues
Instagram: @bigjblues

Nancy Fernandez is a piano player and singer, and during her performance, she will be featuring a song she started writing at the beginning of the pandemic. A year later, she rewrote the song with a new perspective – a sense of what time in isolation has meant to her family. The audience will be able to connect with Nancy through her words and music, and potentially reflect on their own pandemic journey and heal through her performance.
Website: thegoddessrevivial.com

Saranaide is a singer, and will be performing solo, with her tropical soul style. Attendees can expect a moment to become fully present and relaxed, swaying to her ethereal style. She will also be featuring music from her new EP, “Beyond.”
Facebook: @saranaidemusic
Instagram: @saranaidemusic

Aside from presenting incredible local talent, Made in Buffalo is also raising money to support Art Services Inc. of Western New York (ASI), an organization that aims to empower the region’s artists and arts organizations with connections to funding, learning opportunities, and community access to the arts.

To get more information about Made in Buffalo, visit madeinbflo.org.

If you’re ready to reserve your FREE ticket and/or make a donation to ASI, click the button!

Gaitrie Devi

Slyboots Circus

Big J Blues

Nancy Fernandez

Saranaide