Music, spoken word, film, theater + community forum reflect the voices of generations
Don Was All-Star Revue rocks again; new folk stage debuts
Dearborn, Mich. (May 30, 2018) – Firebrands, fomenters, change agents and creative provocateurs – veteran and newcomer – dominate the lineup for the 26th Concert of Colors presented by the Arab American National Museum July 11-15, 2018, in Midtown Detroit.
For more than a half-century, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a disruptor of the status quo. Bans and blacklists have only driven her to keep speaking truth to powerful world leaders while achieving new levels of artistry and acclaim. Most recently she called out America’s president among others in The War Racket, recipient of a CBC Music 2018 indigenous Music Award for Best Music Video. Her 2017 release Medicine Songs was also honored at the May 2018 ceremony as Best Folk Album. The beloved singer/songwriter and standard-bearer for all whose voices are not heard takes the festival’s Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall) at the Max M. Fisher Music Center at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 15.
On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia May 17, 2018, M.A.K.U. Soundsystem released the powerful single and video Por Encima as part of the worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities that draws attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ people internationally. Comprised mostly of Colombians living in New York City, M.A.K.U. is due to release a new full-length,Cinco Fuegos (Peace & Rhythm), in Summer 2018. They appear at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 14, on the Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall) at Max M. Fisher Music Center.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha isthe pediatrician and public health advocate whose research helped expose the Flint, Mich. water crisis, in which cost-cutting measures led to drinking water contaminated by lead. She has testified before Congress, earned the Freedom of Expression Courage Award from PEN America, was named to the Time 100, and has attracted an army of allies across the country. Hanna-Attisha, the author of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (Random House, 2018), is the keynote speaker for the festival’s Forum on Community, Culture & Race at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 12 at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.
Haiti’s RAM is a Voudou rock and roots-driven powerhouse led by Richard A. Morse, a Haitian American musician, Voudou priest and vocal critic of the powers that be in Haiti and elsewhere. Famous for its weekly Thursday night shows at Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince – a magnet for a wide range of Haiti’s political and racial groups – RAM has continued to appear, despite political pressure and death threats from military juntas, presidents and other political players in Haiti from the 1990s through today. They perform at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 14, on the Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall).
Sin Paredes: #Resistencia literally translates to “without walls.” From the rebellious rhythms of bomba to flipping the script on the machismo of mariachi, these Detroit musicians honor historical music and contemporary voices in the struggle against discrimination and demonization of Latin American and descendant peoples. This collective performance at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15 on the Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube) includes Ray Ureña y los Satellites feat. Ammy Amorette; Mariachi Femenil Detroit; Cándida the Poet; and BombaRica.
Meanwhile, the 11th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue gets down to basics with Detroit Rocks!, featuring songs by Detroit artists or about the city of Detroit on the Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall) at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14. This year’s Revue lineup is comprised of Mike Ellison; Mick Collins; Wayne Kramer; Susan Calloway; Laura Rain; Jessica Hernandez; Kenny Watson; Steffanie Christi’an, cohost Ann Delisi and the Revue House Band: Sweet Pea Atkinson, Donald Ray, Sir Harry Bowens, Brian Roscoe White, Randy Jacobs, Luis Resto, Dave McMurray, Rayse Biggs, Ron Pangborn, Ron Otis and Don Was.
Revue fans can relive the history of this singular annual Detroit music event with Don Was via music videos at the Detroit Film Theater Auditorium at the Detroit Institute of Arts during the Wasmopolitan All-Star Film Revue, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 11.
Several 2018 Concert of Colors artists have new releases. Among them are Transglobal Underground from England, appearing at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15 on the Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall). Few acts in the U.K. have as strong an influence, as complex a legacy, and are as mysteriously legendary. Greatest hits plus new and previously unreleased tracks comprise Destination Overground: The Story of TGU (Galileo Music Communication), available online this summer.
Flint, Michigan’s multitalented Tunde Olaniran is set to unleash his highly anticipated second album, Stranger, this summer; the single Vulnerable is already out and earning praise from NPR among others. Olaniran appears at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15, on the Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube).
The Detroit duo Cousin Mouth has delivered a new single, Take Care of Me, in advance of its full-length debut, Medusa (Paramita Sound), coming June 1. They perform at Third Man Records – Cass Corridor the evening of Wednesday, July 11, part of the festival kickoff. Also on the Third Man bill July 11 is Tile, the self-described best sleazy punk band in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The trio’s sophomore effort, Come On Home, Stranger (Limited Appeal Records), is expected this August.
Both Olaniran and Cousin Mouth recorded their new albums at Detroit’s Assemble Sound, where Olaniran is a resident artist. Assemble Sound has joined Concert of Colors this year as a promotional partner.
New for 2018
Veteran writer and performer Jere Stormer curates a sampler of voices from southeastern Michigan who demonstrate where folk comes from for his Songwriter Showcase stage July 14-15 in the Kresge Court at Detroit Institute of Arts.
Also new to the festival this year isMade Metro Collective of Dearborn, an activation hub for pop-up experiences and local innovation that is overseeing outdoor festival vending July 14-15 along with ACCESS’ Entrepreneurial Growth Program. Returning partner Build Institute continues rocking vending inside the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center July 14-15.
Additional festival highlights
Friday, July 13
3 p.m. Puppet performance: 5P1N0K10 in the Lecture Hall, Detroit Institute of Arts
4:30 p.m. Detroit Youth Poetry Slam Team at Detroit Science Center
5:30-10:30 p.m. Farnsworth & Brush outdoor stage feat. James Carter Organ Trio, Mayaeni,
spoken word + more
11 p.m.-1 a.m. Official Afterparty at Detroit Historical Museum w/ DJ Mo Fresh
Saturday, July 14
1 p.m. SumKali (Indian fusion), Wolverine Outdoor Stage
4:30 p.m. Detroit Community Yoga w/ DJ Salar Ansari, Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube)
9:30 p.m. El Conjunto Nueva Ola (ECNO), Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube)
Sunday, July 15
3 p.m. Sean Blackman In Transit Global Review, Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)
4:30 p.m. FILM: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, Detroit Film Theater/DIA
4:30 p.m. Sin Paredes: #Resistencia, Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube)
8:30 p.m. Kulture, Wolverine Outdoor Stage
Can’t make it out to the festival? Do not miss WHFR’s (89.3 FM) live Comerica Diversity Stage broadcast on Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15.
All activities are free and open to the public. RSVP is required for the Forum on Community, Culture & Race; see www.concertofcolors.com for details.
Concert of Colors has the whole world in its bands. The 26th Concert of Colors is presented by the Arab American National Museum, with partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Detroit Institute of Arts; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; Michigan Science Center; University of Michigan – Detroit Center; University of Michigan – Dearborn; Third Man Records; Build Institute; Made Metro Collective; Detroit Historical Museum; Scarab Club; ACCESS and its Entrepreneurial Growth Program. Concert of Colors is a highly anticipated and beloved summer event and one of few remaining free-admission music festivals in Detroit.
Generous sponsors for the 26th Concert of Colors include Knight Foundation Fund; Meijer; Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan; Ford Motor Company Fund; Comerica; and MGM Grand Detroit.
The festival also recognizes the major contributions of its media sponsors: WDIV-TV, Michigan.com, Michigan Radio, CJAM-FM, WHFR-FM, Yelp and Downtown Monitor.
Support is also provided this year by Assemble Sound, Poetic Societies and InsideOut Literary Arts Project.
The schedule published below is subject to change. Concert of Colors updates may be found at www.concertofcolors.com and on Facebook at http://bit.ly/2018CoCFacebook. The hashtag for this year’s fest is #ConcertofColors26.
26th CONCERT OF COLORS SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; VISIT WWW.CONCERTOFCOLORS.COM FOR UPDATES.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Third Man Records
5-8 p.m. (specific start times TBA)
Cousin Mouth
Although minimalist in nature, not much is needed to showcase Cousin Mouth’s raw talent and express their ideas. A ghostly, soulful and jazzy sound with unconventional cadence, genuine lyricism and an unmistakable voice are the hallmarks of this Detroit duo.
Tile
Since 2006, Tile has inundated the diverse Lehigh Valley DIY underground scene with its dynamic blend of angular noise rock, revved-up hardcore punk and grinding sludge/doom riffage through a plethora of EPs, singles, split releases and its 2013 debut LP, You Had A Friend In Pennsylvania.
DJ (to be announced)
Detroit Film Theater @ Detroit Institute of Arts
7:30 p.m. The Wasmopolitan All-Star Film Revue
Join Grammy-winning producer Don Was and WDET Essential Music host Ann Delisi for an evening of rarely seen video recordings made since 2008 of legendary Detroit artists that participated in the annual Concert of Colors Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue. Don and Ann will screen and discuss performances by Marcus Belgrade, Juan Atkins, Marion Hayden, James Carter, Sir Mack Rice, Mitch Ryder and many more.
See Revue videos at http://bit.ly/DonWasRevuevideos.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
The Annex @ Arab American National Museum
6:30-9:30 p.m. Forum on Community, Culture & Race
Theme: State violence, trauma + healing through art
Artists, activists and advocates explore issues surrounding vulnerable communities. Through performance and dialogue, the Forum grapples with the role of art as a tool for advocacy and community building. Featuring performances by choreographer Ananya Chatterjea and singer/songwriter Ani Cordero and a keynote speech by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician and public health advocate whose research helped expose the Flint water crisis. Charles Ezra Ferrell of The Wright Museum moderates. Additional performers to be announced.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a physician, scientist and activist who has been called to testify twice before the United States Congress, awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award from PEN America, named to Time 100, and has attracted an army of allies across the country. She is the author of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (Random House, 2018).
Free; RSVP required at http://bit.ly/2018CoCForum.
Friday, July 13, 2018
Lecture Hall @ Detroit Institute of Arts
3 p.m. Puppet Performance: 5P1N0K10
5P1N0K10 is a puppet theatre Hip Hopera about a robot-boy who wants to become human. In the distant future, when robots are used for war, engineer Jeghetto built 5P1N0K10 – an android who fights for humanity through b-boying and hip hop. This Afro-Futuristic re-imagining of Carlo Collodi’s classic Pinocchio includes hand crafted puppets, live music and projections and is fun for all ages.
Farnsworth & Brush Stage
Presented by The Wright Museum + Detroit Institute of Arts
RAIN VENUE: DETROIT FILM THEATER AUDITORIUM AT DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
5:30 p.m. Rashard ‘Shardy’ Miles
This amazing performer is a multi-talented young artist who has been drumming, acting and singing since age three. He has amazed audiences with his exciting drum solos, heartfelt speeches and acting performances. He has received standing ovations from sold-out crowds and won drum competitions open to all ages. He has been featured in talent and fashion shows and Guitar Center Drum-Off appearances.
6 p.m. Phoenix Pharaoh
Phoenix Pharaoh is a dynamic Detroit slam poet who started writing at age 11 and entered slam poetry in 2013. Since then, Pharoah has been featured in many venues throughout Metro Detroit, released an EP, became member of the 2015 Detroit Slam Team: FreshWater Wordsmiths, as well as competed in a National Poetry Slam competition in Oakland, CA. She often states that poetry chooses her, she doesn’t choose it.
7 p.m. The Gwen Laster Quintet: A Tribute to Geri Allen
Native Detroit violinist Gwen Laster was trained in the vibrant jazz and classical music scene in Detroit. She studied with Donald Walden and with Michael Henderson, Spencer Barefield, Tani Tabbal, the Brazael Dennard Chorale and worked with Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Natalie Cole, Danny Elfman and many others. She is joined for this Tribute to Detroit pianist Geri Allen by Spencer Barefield, Damon Banks, Djallo Diakte and Alex Harding.
9 p.m. Mayaeni
Mayaeni is a singer-songwriter and electric guitarist from Detroit. Throughout her career she has several releases, was signed to Roc Nation in 2012 by Jay Z himself and toured with Citizen Cope and Macy Gray and performed with Don Was. Mayaeni was born in Detroit, the daughter of a Sierra Leonean mother and a Jewish father. She started recording her songs by age 21 and after finishing high school she moved to the United Kingdom and lived in a youth hostel while studying dance and working under the table at clothes markets in Camden. Her latest recording is El-o-cu-tion.
9:30 p.m. James Carter Organ Trio
The organ combo reigned for several decades as jazz’s meat-and-potatoes mainstay, a populist vehicle for blues-drenched blowing. In the hands of James Carter, one of jazz’s most sophisticated improvisers, the organ trio is no less meaty and satisfying. But his virtuosic saxophone chops elevate the organ combo to a rarefied realm defined by delectable soul, a gourmet repertoire, and consistently inspired group interplay. Featuring the lithe and muscular keyboard work of Detroit’s rising B3 star Gerard Gibbs and the propulsive drum support of Motor City trap master Alex White.
Michigan Science Center
3-5 p.m. FREE ADMISSION to Michigan Science Center
4:30 p.m. 2018 Detroit Youth Poetry Slam Team
(in the Toyota Engineering Theater)
The 2018 Detroit Youth Poetry Slam Team is a team of InsideOut Literary Arts teen poets preparing to represent Detroit in the national competition Brave New Voices this July. They will be performing original spoken word poetry.
Eldric Laron is a hip-hop artist and poet attending Arts Academy in the Woods. He is published in numerous anthologies through InsideOut Literary Arts in Detroit.
LaShawn Smith-Wright is a college freshman from Detroit. She has performed widely across southeast Michigan.
Imani Nichele is a Detroit artist and a 2018 Detroit Youth Poet Laureate. Her work can be found in InsideOut Literary Arts Anthologies.
Damon Hogan is a Detroit artist and a sophomore at Wayne State University. Damon is a two-time team member.
A’janae Neal is a Detroit artist attending Martin Luther King High School. She has graced stages such as the Max Fisher Detroit, El Club and Artists Inn.
11 p.m.-1 a.m. Official After Party @ Detroit Historical Museum
Come out and celebrate with us for the second year in row as the host of the Official Concert of Colors After Party! Experience the latest exhibitions, including the award-winning Detroit 67: Perspectives and (new in 2018) The Year of the Tiger: 1968. This event also features a high-energy dance party created by Detroit native DJ Mo Fresh and unique, interactive experiences throughout museum designed for visitors of all ages. Light snacks and beverages available for purchase. Free admission.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center
Indoor vending by Build Institute
On Parsons Street:
DIA Away: Think Like an Artist mobile interactive classroom
Arts & Scraps Scrapmobile
Vending by Made Metro Collective + ACCESS’ Entrepreneurial Growth Program
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)
3 p.m. M.A.K.U. Soundsystem
This powerhouse group has been built over years of rehearsals and gigs, crisscrossing America from Lincoln Center Outdoors in their adopted hometown of New York, to Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto, and around the globe to the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the Atlantic Music Expo in Cape Verde. Everywhere, they’ve won over friends: a storming appearance at globalFEST saw the band awarded a touring fund. Afropop Worldwide praised the “frantic terrain” the band explores. NPR raved about the “driving and gritty energy…this raw-edged, punk-tinged band explodes with the propulsive force of traditional rhythms and urban restlessness.”
https://www.facebook.com/MAKUsoundsystem/
5:30 p.m. RAM
RAM is a drum and roots-driven Haitian powerhouse that delivers ancient folkloric polyrhythms intertwined harmoniously with punk-rock guitar riffs and swinging Caribbean keyboard melodies. Prominent in the mizik rasin movement, RAM is famous for its regular Thursday night performances at the Hotel Oloffson in downtown Port-au-Prince, attended by hotel guests and a wide spectrum of the country’s political and racial groups. The band’s music incorporates traditional Vodou lyrics and instruments, such as rara horns and petro drums, into modern rock and roll, with song lyrics in Haitian Creole, French and English.
8 p.m. Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue: Detroit Rocks!
Songs by Detroit rockers + songs that celebrate Detroit rock music, curated by the highly sought-after, award-winning producer from Detroit. Feat. Mike Ellison; Mick Collins; Wayne Kramer; Susan Calloway; Laura Rain; Jessica Hernandez; Kenny Watson; Steffanie Christi’an, cohost Ann Delisi + Revue House Band: Sweet Pea Atkinson, Donald Ray, Sir Harry Bowens, Brian Roscoe White, Randy Jacobs, Luis Resto, Dave McMurray, Rayse Biggs, Ron Pangborn, Ron Otis + Don Was.
Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube)
4:30 p.m. Detroit Community Yoga w/ DJ Salar Ansari
Enjoy a live DJ set while moving through an all-levels, all-ages hatha yoga class. Let the music wash over you as you move your body and breathe! The calming effects of collective energy will become manifest as the class ends in a sublime moment of meditation. Comfortable clothing, yoga mat, water bottle and signed liability waiver required.
DJ/producer Salar Ansari was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. His love for the exploration of original sound as a life quest makes him a sought-after producer and educator, leading the way as a visionary force for young musicians in the making. Cindy Spires founded Detroit Community Yoga as a way to engage with the community through the power of yoga. She has offered many free yoga classes in Detroit since 2013; hosted yoga fundraisers; and curated countless special event yoga classes in venues around Detroit accompanied by a live DJ set. Sponsor: Poetic Societies.
7 p.m. Mohsen Namjoo
Namjoo is an Iranian singer/songwriter, music scholar and setar (traditional Persian lute) player based in New York City. Hailed as the Bob Dylan of Iran by The New York Times, Namjoo is a visionary artist who speaks for the youth in Iran. Seamlessly blending the setar with electric guitar, and rock and blues vocal techniques with Persian avaz (singing), he fuses the ancient with the current. Joining Namjoo is Yahya Alkhansa, an Iranian drummer and percussionist who mixes traditional rhythms and techniques with modern drumming. He was active in Iran’s underground music scene and moved to New York in 2011 to study at the Drummers Collective. He joined Mohsen Namjoo’s band in 2012. Sponsor: Poetic Societies.
9:30 p.m. El Conjunto Nueva Ola (ECNO)
Cumbia clandestine from el planet Lucha, here to defend the rights of all aliens throughout the galaxy… and beyond! Combining classic new wave, rock and disco with Latin cumbia rhythms, ECNO takes audiences by storm with their hilarious, irreverent and highly entertaining on-stage antics and energetic performances. Who are the masked men and what are their true identities? No one knows, but ECNO’s mission is simple: to bring great energy, attitude and music to the world and get people everywhere dancing to the rhythm of cumbia.
Wolverine Outdoor Stage
Behind University of Michigan – Detroit Center
1 p.m. Sumkali
Sumkali has become Michigan’s premier Indian fusion group. With multiple Detroit Music Award nominations for Outstanding World Music Group and People’s Choice Award, Sumkali has been successfully bringing together musicians from all over the world to perform music that unites the ancient musical traditions of India with jazz, blues, funk and folk of the West.
2:30 p.m. Denise Davis + the Motor City Sensations
Denise Davis and the Motor City Sensations have performed at the most popular entertainment venues in metro Detroit, including the Music Hall Jazz Cafe, The Detroit Free Press Marathon and the Paradise Valley Music Fest, just to name a few. She is known for her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence.
4 p.m. Alberto Nacif + Aguankó
Aguankó, the ensemble led by percussionist and composer Alberto Nacíf, is a talented group of Michigan-based musicians who are steeped in the tradition of jazz infused Son-Salsa. In La Bicicleta and Chiquita, for example, you might hear shades of Conjunto Libre or Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta Orchestra. And, like the Fort Apache Band, there are Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythms, as in the percussive Rumba Elemental.
5:30 p.m. The Blueflowers
Reimagining Americana with much more mystique and a much tighter kick, this Detroit-based outfit will bewitch you, then break your heart with their post-millennial torch songs, cinematic spins and nostalgia-pop, slow-dance jukebox jams. Led by husband/wife songwriting duo of singer Kate Hinote and guitarist/producer Tony Hamera, The Blueflowers evoke a noir-drenched neverland of Western rock and strutting bubblegum pop clouded by a surreal, cinematic haze of reverb.
7 p.m. Kevin Christian
An R&B artist from the metro Detroit area.
8:30 p.m. N4Structure
N4Structure Band is a jazz, R & B and Motown classics band that appeals to any listening pleasure with their smooth sound, themed attire and professionalism.
Detroit Institute of Arts
In the Kresge Court
3-7 p.m. Songwriter Showcase
Louis Armstrong said, “All music is folk music.” Veteran writer and performer Jere Stormer curates a sampler of voices from southeastern Michigan who will demonstrate where folk comes from.
Featured performers: Lauren Crane; Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke; Sigrid Christiansen; Spoo Willoughby; Rev. Robert B. Jones; A Plus; Emily Rose; Anthony Retka.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center
Indoor vending by Build Institute
On Parsons Street:
DIA Away: Think Like an Artist mobile interactive classroom
Arts & Scraps Scrapmobile
Vending by Made Metro Collective + ACCESS’ Entrepreneurial Growth Program
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)
3:00 p.m. Sean Blackman’s In Transit Global Review
Set in the spirit and celebration of our diverse Detroit, In Transit’s Global Review will showcase
the most amazing talent from around the world who are living right here in metro Detroit.
Featuring virtuoso musicians, singers and dancers from 10 countries performing as a collective.
5:30 p.m. Transglobal Underground
There are few acts in the U.K. with as strong an influence, as complex a legacy, and as mysteriously legendary as Transglobal Underground. Over 25 years it’s been a DJ/musical collective, one of the founders of global fusion, a working band famous for its scorching live shows, a techno soundsystem, a folk-festival rabble rouser, a pop group, a club night, a Middle Eastern hit production team, an improvised study group for Indian classical music, an Albanian brass band, a seminar, a medicine show and several things no one involved would admit to if they could even remember them.
https://transglobalunderground.net/
8 p.m. Buffy Sainte-Marie
For more than a half-century, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a disruptor of the status quo. In 1969, she made one of the world’s first electronic vocal albums; in 1982 she became the first Indigenous person to win an Oscar. When she was blacklisted and silenced from American radio airwaves, she joined the cast of Sesame Street and became the first woman to breastfeed on national television. She’s written pop standards sung and recorded by the likes of Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Donovan, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes in addition to writing Universal Soldier, the definitive anti-war anthem of the 20th century. Medicine Songs, the follow-up to the Polaris Music Prize and JUNO Award-winning 2015 album Power in the Blood, was released in 2017.
Comerica Diversity Stage (The Cube)
4:30 p.m. Sin Paredes: #Resistencia
Sin Paredes literally translates to “without walls.” From the rebellious rhythms of bomba to flipping the script on the machismo of mariachi, this collective performance featuring Detroit musicians will honor historical music and contemporary voices in the struggle against discrimination and demonization of Latin American and descendant peoples. Performers include Ray Ureña y los Satellites feat. Ammy Amorette; Mariachi Femenil Detroit; Cándida the Poet, and BombaRica.
7 p.m. jessica Care moore
Born in Detroit, moore first came to national prominence when she won on the legendary It’s Showtime at the Apollo competition a record-breaking five times in a row. moore is the CEO of Moore Black Press, executive producer of Black WOMEN Rock!, and founder of the literacy-driven Jess Care Moore Foundation. She is the 2013 Alain Locke Award Recipient from the Detroit Institute of Arts. moore is the author of several poetry collections and a memoir, Love is Not The Enemy.
9:30 p.m. Tunde Olaniran
The Flint, Mich. multi-hyphenate (singer, songwriter, producer, rapper, choreographer, author, activist + more) is a beloved fixture in the Detroit-area music scene and his recordings, live performances and activism have led to critical praise from outlets spanning The New York Times, Billboard and Rolling Stone, to Pitchfork, Noisey, Afropunk, Bitch, Jezebel and others. He was a breakout performer at SXSW 2017, toured last year with Sleigh Bells, and his 2015 single, Namesake, was used last fall by Apple for its iPhone 8 ads. Olaniran’s second album, Stranger, is set to be released this summer.
Scarab Club
1 p.m. Dance Class with Iyawo Folkoric Dance Theater
Iyawo Dance Theatre is a drum and dance troupe that explores movement and music of the African and Caribbean diaspora. Founder Lisa McCall is a master teacher, choreographer, producer, director, spiritual iya and community leader who has taught around the world. The class is designed to be beneficial for all experience levels and is a wonderful tool for community building and spiritual healing through the benefits of dance.
Wolverine Outdoor Stage
Behind University of Michigan – Detroit Center
1 p.m. Sincerely
Sincerely is a four-piece math-rock instrumental band from metro Detroit area. Formed in 2017, the band released its debut EP, Sweet Talk, that year, and has been consistently been playing shows in the metro area ever since. Consisting of members Christian Bridges (guitar), Brandon Coulter (guitar), Bradley Lockhart (bass) and Geoff Walchak (drums), Sincerely is currently planning its debut album and proudly uses Cusack Music pedals and Moniker guitars.
2:30 p.m. Obie Kings and The Reinforcements
Funk/R&B outfit.
4 p.m. The Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet
Recognized in the Jazz Times Critic’s Poll, the Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet masterfully blends rhythms, sounds and textures from across the globe. This evening of “world jazz” music will feature Dave Sharp on electric bass, guitar and synthesizer; Igor on oud; and Henrik Karapetyan on violin, performing compositions from their new CD release Delta (Vortex World Music Recordings).
5:30 p.m. Harper and Midwest Kind
With an amalgamation of blues, soul and world music, Australian singer/songwriter Peter D. Harper, now based in Detroit, creates a heady mix of roots music through his creative use of the harmonica and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo. Harper possesses a powerful, soulful voice and a deep, almost mystical approach to music that some might say has evolved into its own genre.
7 p.m. Sean Dobbins
Drummer and educator Sean Dobbins got his start as a sought-after Detroit area jazz sideman at a young age, when he would regularly play with Blue Note artist Louis Smith. Though still young by jazz standards, Dobbins has amassed an impressive list of playing companions, having performed/toured/ recorded with Johnny Basset, Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Frank Morgan, Joey DeFrancesco, George Cables, James “Blood” Ulmer and Marcus Belgrave, among many others.
8:30 p.m. Kulture
A dope band is an understatement. These individuals have dedicated themselves to finding a resurgence of hip hop through live music. Through groovy basslines, spine chilling melodies and lyrics that stump scholars, Kulture is truly a breath of fresh air. While opening for acts like 2 Chainz, Curren$y, Lil Yachty and more, this soundwave has traveled to several states to spread their eclectic vibes over funky, neo-soul, feel-good records.
In the Kresge Court
3-7 p.m. Songwriter Showcase
Louis Armstrong said, “All music is folk music.” Veteran writer and performer Jere Stormer curates a sampler of voices from southeastern Michigan who will demonstrate where folk comes from.
Featured performers: David Nefesh Al’Exist; Luti Erbeznik; Matt Dmits; Carmel Liburdi; John Freeman; Annie & Rod Capps; Waynewood Boys.
In the Detroit Film Theater Auditorium
4:30 p.m. FILM: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Dir. Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana
2017/USA/103 min.
This revelatory documentary brings to light the overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on icons like Link Wray (whose 1958 single, Rumble, provided Pulp Fiction’s power chords), Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo, Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson and Randy Castillo, Rumble shows how these pioneering Native American musicians helped shape the soundtrack of the world. Not rated.
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The Arab American National Museum (AANM) documents, preserves and presents Arab American history, culture and contributions.
AANM is an institution of Dearborn, Mich.-based human-services agency ACCESS, the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the U.S. AANM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums; an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution; and a founding member of the Immigration and Civil Rights Network of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
Visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org or call 313.582.2266 for further information.
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Kim Silarski | Communications Manager | Arab American National Museum
13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126 | Office 313.624.0206 | Cell 313.670.1300
Connect with us | ACCESS | Arab American National Museum |
National Network for Arab American Communities | Center for Arab American Philanthropy
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