Fikira Music
AFRO-FUSION
Live Performance & Cultural Residencies
A Night of Afro-Jazz at PAM
Bridging Cultural Divides Through the Living Heritage of Madagascar & Puerto Rico
At a time when division often overshadows dialogue, A Night of Afro-Jazz at PAM offers a space to reconnect through living sound and shared roots. Envisioned as a co-presented artistic partnership with the Portland Art Museum, Fikira Music unites the underrepresented Antandroy traditions of Madagascar with the rich Afro-Puerto Rican diaspora—breaking down the barrier between artist and listener and turning the museum into an inclusive space of active dialogue, live history, and collective rhythm.
We are flexible on timing and want to align with your programming goals, audience flow, and fiscal schedule. A few natural windows that could serve as strong anchors include:
February (Black History Month): A powerful opportunity to celebrate cross-cultural diaspora connections and living history through music and dialogue.
Late December / Holiday Season: A vibrant, soulful offering for end-of-year museum visitors and seasonal community gatherings.
Summer: Ideal for energetic evening programming, outdoor crossover, or seasonal community series.
Whether fitting into your current season planning or looking ahead to a future quarter, we would love to adapt to what best suits your curation and grant timelines.
Who are we?
Fikira Music is a Portland-based Afro-jazz fusion group. The band plays original music that blends traditional rhythms from Madagascar with modern jazz composition.
At its core, Fikira is a quartet—piano, bass, trumpet, and drums/vocals—shaping a sound rarely heard in the Pacific Northwest. The group brings the music of Banaike from Madagascar together with the rich flavor of the Puerto Rican musical diaspora.
The foundation of Fikira started back at Berklee College of Music, where bandleader Fiaindratovo (Mimy) Manavihare and pianist/co-arranger Uziel Colón first met. What began as a close friendship grew into a deep creative partnership. Uziel brings his Puerto Rican heritage to the table, while Fiaindratovo brings his roots from Madagascar.
Because of that shared history, diversity and inclusion aren't just concepts for Fikira—they are built into the music. The ensemble shows how two distinct cultural worlds can meet, listen to each other, and create something completely new.
THE VISION & WHY PAM
Aligning with PAM’s Strategic Vision
This event directly supports the Portland Art Museum’s commitment to equity, community engagement, and radical welcoming:
Living Culture & Active Dialogue: Extends PAM’s mission beyond static exhibition by turning gallery space into a vibrant gathering circle for live history and ongoing Q&A.
Broadening Access & Representation: Elevates underrepresented African diaspora voices on a major civic stage, bringing new, diverse audiences into the museum.
A Model for Inclusion: Demonstrates how distinct cultural backgrounds—represented by Fiaindratovo (Mimy) Manavihare and Uziel Colón—can collaborate, listen, and build shared understanding.
Connecting Cultures Across Divides
In a national climate often marked by division and cultural misunderstanding, music remains one of our most effective tools for building real human connection. While we cannot represent every background, Fikira Music brings together two distinct, underrepresented cultural legacies: the rare music of Madagascar and the rich diaspora of Puerto Rico.
Filling the Gap in the Pacific Northwest
Portland has a vibrant music scene, but true Afro-Jazz fusion is rare—and Malagasy music is virtually non-existent in the regional landscape. Rather than confining this cultural dialogue to a small jazz club, bringing this project to the Portland Art Museum gives these global traditions the prestigious civic platform and broad public reach they deserve.
THE PAM EXPERIENCE
An Interactive Circle of Music & Story
Unlike a standard stage concert or quiet gallery performance,
"A Night of Afro-Jazz at PAM" breaks down the physical and social walls between artist and listener. Arranged in a circle, the music becomes a shared space of radical welcoming, live history, and collective rhythm.
Key Event Pillars
Shared in the Round
The quartet and audience share the floor together in a circular layout, placing the community directly inside the acoustic and creative center of the music.
Integrated Q&A & Storytelling
Dialogue happens organically throughout the performance. Fiaindratovo (Mimy) Manavihare and Uziel Colón guide listeners through the stories, rhythms, and cultural lineages behind each original piece.
Portland Debut Album Concert
The evening marks the official Portland debut release concert for Fikira Music’s vinyl album, BEKO—giving the event a clear milestone and celebratory anchor.
Evening Flow
Setting the Circle
Gathering into the intimate, in-the-round seating layout.
Performance & Interactive Dialogue
Live Afro-jazz suite featuring original compositions from BEKO alongside ongoing audience conversation.
Community Connection & Album Signing
Time to connect with the artists, share reflections, and purchase physical vinyl copies of BEKO
Let’s create something memorable
Every space and community is different, so we’d love to connect with you directly to talk through dates, brainstorm the best room setup for the circle concert, and answer any questions you might have.
Reach out to Mimy to start the
conversation at:
510-459-5964
mimyfikira@gmail.com