New Bare Feet Episodes!
Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, the four-time Emmy® Award- winning travel series on public television, is back with a two-part special celebrating Carnival in The Guadeloupe Islands. Premiering in February 2021 to coincide with Carnival Season and Black History Month, these two episodes follow the show’s award-winning host Mickela Mallozzi as she brings viewers on a cultural experience in The French Caribbean through music, dance, the Guadeloupean Black identity, and celebration.
For the past decade and with three prior seasons under her belt, Executive Producer, Host, and Dancer Mickela Mallozzi has stolen the hearts of viewers worldwide with her immersive and joyous approach to travel through dance around the world. “We were so lucky to have filmed these episodes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Mallozzi. “At a time when we can’t travel, I am grateful to bring these stories of an international destination to our public television viewers and fans.”
The Guadeloupe Islands are part of the French Caribbean, an overseas region of France and part of the European Union. These islands, like most of the Caribbean, were part of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, with the abolition of slavery on the island starting in 1848. The deep-rooted traditions and connections to ancestors and Mother Africa are at the forefront of Guadeloupean culture and in these new Bare Feet episodes.
“I am honored to premiere this two-part special for Black History Month and Carnival Season around the world – this is an opportunity to celebrate and highlight Black joy, Black culture, and Black voices through the arts,” says Mallozzi. “I’m proud that our series has always been about connecting with locals through the arts. I hope this two-part special allows viewers to feel a little more connected with the world, while also giving a platform and voice to a people who have been unjustly misrepresented in our storytelling,” adds Mallozzi.
Highlights of Mallozzi’s Carnival adventures and dance encounters from the upcoming two episodes in the series include:
Learning Gwo-Ka, the musical and dance art form listed as an intangible heritage of The Guadeloupe Islands by UNESCO.
Marching in the annual Carnival or Mardi Gras parades with the award-winning Waka Chiré Band.
Connecting with the revolutionary mas bands of the island, include the Maman Mas or “mother mas band, AKIYO.
Mallozzi’s career of worldwide dance adventures span over four seasons, 40 episodes, 35 countries, and over 10 years of traveling and filming. Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi – Carnival in The Guadeloupe Islands 2-Part Special will be available on public television stations and PBS member stations across the U.S. starting February 4, 2021. Underwriting for the program has been provided in part by The Yuen Foundation and the Anguilla Tourist Board. Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi is presented by NYC Media and distributed by American Public Television.