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SEUN KUTI LEADS AFRICAN MUSIC SPLASH AT 22ND CONCERT OF COLORS IN "HOT" MIDTOWN DETROIT
7th Don Was Revue salutes Bob Seger's 'Live' Bullet album
Food trucks, D:hive's BUILD Bazaar offer locally made goods
Martha Reeves keynotes forum on community, culture and race
Dearborn, Mich. (June 9, 2014) – African music splashes over the Motor City with Seun Kuti and Fela's Egypt '80 band among the headliners at the 22nd Concert of Colors, taking place July 5 and July 10-13 throughout Midtown Detroit. Joining Kuti at the top of the bill is the 7th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue with a celebration of the seminal 1976 Bob Seger double album 'Live' Bullet, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Thornetta Davis (this year's festival "poster girl") and conductor John McLaughlin Williams.
The Concert of Colors has the whole world in its bands. It's a fun, community-enhancing festival of free live music at leading cultural institutions in Detroit's bustling Midtown district. Curated by its founder, Ismael Ahmed, the festival celebrates the diverse global origins of metro Detroiters, the indigenous sounds of our musically magical hometown and the accessibility and unifying power of music.
All festival performances are free and open to the public. Outdoor venues are New Center Park (Sat., July 5) and the South Lawn of the Detroit Institute of Arts (Fri., July 11). Indoor venues are the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Scarab Club (both on Thu., July 10). On Sat.-Sun., July 12-13, there is music indoors and outdoors at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, with its historic Orchestra Hall serving as the Meijer Main Stage.
Metro Times 2014 Best of Detroit named the Concert of Colors the "Best Way to be Exposed to Multiple Cultures in One Weekend." And just last month, USA Today named Midtown Detroit one of the USA's 10 up-and-coming neighborhoods, along with Portland, Ore., New Orleans, St. Paul, Minn. and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Concert of Colors is produced by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Mich., with its partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, The Wright Museum, Midtown Detroit Inc., University of Michigan – Detroit Center, BUILD Bazaar and ACCESS.
Michigan-based Meijer is the festival's longtime major sponsor, with additional support from Comerica, Ford Motor Company, DTE Energy, Knight Foundation, General Motors, University of Michigan – Dearborn, HAP, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Media sponsors for this year's festival are: Detroit Media Partnership, IXITI.com, WDET-FM, Metro Times, Yelp, New Monitor, WHFR-FM, CJAM-FM and AM 580.
Seun Kuti, the youngest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, leads the trendsetting Egypt '80 band (8:30 p.m. Sun., July 13, Meijer Main Stage, Max M. Fisher Music Center) in expanding the sound and power of his father's music. Most of the members of Egypt '80 played with Fela, and Seun took leadership at age 14 following the musical, political and social ethos of Fela.
Further exploration of African music comes from the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars (7 p.m. Sun., July 13, Comerica Diversity Stage, Max M. Fisher Music Center), subjects of the moving documentary of their inspiring rise from West African refugee camps, present their African music mash up with a sense of humor and great musicianship. The Congo-born L.A. resident Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca (9:30 p.m. Sat., July 5, New Center Park) brings the Afro-Latin grooves to the Tune Up concert; and Detroiter Mike Ellison (Thu., July 10, The Wright Museum), born in Ethiopia to American parents, presents "Now is Infinite" with hip-hop flair.
The 7th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue goes live with a "bullet" in a tribute to Bob Seger's 'Live' Bullet album (8 p.m. Sat., July 12, Meijer Main Stage/Max M. Fisher Music Center). Released in August 1976, 'Live' Bullet was recorded at Detroit's Cobo Arena over two nights before 24,000 fans and included hits such as "Nutbush City Limits," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," "Turn the Page," and the hard rocking "Katmandu." It represents Seger at the top of his form, on the threshold of becoming a national figure after a decade as a local hero. The Revue will reprise 'Live' Bullet with each band playing a song from the double album. Among those on the lineup are Scott Morgan & The Sights, Spyder Turner, and Blaire Alise & The Bombshells.
On July 12-13, Concert of Colors salutes Detroit's entrepreneurial spirit by offering locally made food and merchandise. BUILD Bazaar, a pop-up marketplace featuring dozens of D:hive BUILD program alumni, spotlights locally made goods – from artisanal soap and candles to Detroit-themed jewelry and baked desserts – in the Atrium at Max M. Fisher Music Center. More local color and flavor will emanate from a food truck rally organized by culinary curator Scott Moloney on Parsons Street next to Orchestra Hall.
Motown music legend Martha Reeves will deliver the keynote address at the revived Forum on Community, Culture and Race Wed., July 9 at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn (13624 Michigan Ave.). Reeves will discuss how Motown music impacted race relations during its heyday in the 1960s and '70s, and will take questions from the audience. The Forum includes panel discussions with artists, arts leaders and activists. This event is free and open to the public but seating is limited to 156. Online registration will be available soon at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.concertofcolors.com .
The festival schedule appears below. Complete information on schedule, venues, artist biographies and details on all festival activities may be found at the festival's new WordPress site at www.concertofcolors.com.
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22nd Concert of Colors
All performances free and open to the public
All venues on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit
Updates and complete artist and venue information at www.concertofcolors.com
Saturday, July 5, 2014
7-11 p.m.
Tune Up Concert @ New Center Park
W. Grand Blvd. at Second Ave.
$ bar + $ food
8 p.m. Chicago AfroBeat Project (Afrobeat)
9:30 p.m. Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca (Afro-Latin)
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
TIMES TBA
Forum on Community, Culture and Race
Arab American National Museum
13624 Michigan Ave, Dearborn
Keynote address delivered by Motown legend Martha Reeves + panel discussions + tour of AANM exhibition Jajouka: The Master Musicians of Morocco.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
6-10 p.m.
The Scarab Club
217 Farnsworth Ave.
$ soft drinks
7 p.m. Planet D Nonet- Sun Ra Centennial Band (avant jazz)
DOORS TIME TBA
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
315 E. Warren Ave.
$ bar
TIME TBA Mike Ellison presents "Now Is Infinite" (hip hop, African beats, rock)
Friday, July 11, 2014
Detroit Institute of Arts, South Lawn
5200 Woodward Ave.
$ bar
5 p.m. PanaMO (Latin jazz/salsa)
7 p.m. Cuddle Magic w/ Phyllis Chen (baroque avant garde)
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Max M. Fisher Music Center
3711 Woodward Ave.
$ bar $ food
Doors at 1 p.m.
Food Truck Rally on Parsons Street 1-9 p.m.
D:hive BUILD Bazaar in the Atrium 1-9:30 p.m.
Kids crafts with Arts & Scraps on Parsons Street
MEIJER MAIN STAGE/Orchestra Hall
8 p.m. 7th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue: Bob Seger's 'LIVE' BULLET Revisited (rock)
Featuring Scott Morgan & The Sights, Spyder Turner, Detroit Cobras, Liz Larin, Nadir w/ Steffanie Christi'an, Doop & The Inside Outlaws, Maysa Harra, The Infatuations, Blaire Alise & The Bombshells, Corktown Popes, Jess Domain, Luder, Lamont Zodiac and The All-Star Revue Band.
5:30 p.m. Black 47 (Celtic rock)
3:30 p.m. Conjunto Chappottin y sus estrellas (Cuban Son)
COMERICA DIVERSITY STAGE/The Music Box
9:30 p.m. Third Coast Kings (funk/soul)
6:30 p.m. HK & Les Saltimbanks (French/Algerian)
4 p.m. Gabriel Brass Band (New Orleans-style brass)
2 p.m. October Babies (world fusion/rock)
WOLVERINE OUTDOOR STAGE
Courtyard behind Orchestra Place Bldg.
8 p.m. Lola Valley (psychedelic soul)
7 p.m. Rayse Biggs (jazz)
6 p.m. Enema Squad (funk)
5 p.m. Fifth Wall Concept (rock)
4 p.m. TBA
3 p.m. Wisaal (Arabic/techno)
2 p.m. Diviniti (Detroit house)
1 p.m. TBA
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Max M. Fisher Music Center
3711 Woodward Ave.
$ bar $ food
Doors at 1 p.m.
Food Truck Rally on Parsons Street 1-9 p.m.
D:hive BUILD Bazaar in the Atrium 1:30-9:30 p.m.
Kids crafts with Arts & Scraps on Parsons Street
MEIJER MAIN STAGE/Orchestra Hall
8:30 p.m. Seun Kuti with Fela's Egypt 80 (Afrobeat)
6 p.m. Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks (swing, country, folk rock)
3:30 p.m. Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Thornetta Davis and special guest conductor John McLaughlin Williams (classical/gospel/blues)
COMERICA DIVERSITY STAGE/The Music Box
9:30 p.m. Wayne Kramer & Melvin Davis' Rock & Soul Summit (rocking R&B)
7 p.m. Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars (African fusion)
4:30 p.m. Sheila Landis featuring Rick Matle (samba jazz)
2 p.m. Taller Than They Appear w/ Maugre's Vaudeville Puppets (folk, klezmer, variety)
WOLVERINE OUTDOOR STAGE
Courtyard behind Orchestra Place Bldg.
8 p.m. Hot Sauce (soul)
7 p.m. Sean Dobbins Organ Group (jazz)
6 p.m. Annamaria Austin (R&B)
5 p.m. Allan Barnes (jazz)
4 p.m. Mariachi Flor de Toloache (mariachi)
3 p.m. Denise Davis & The Motor City Sensations (R&B, pop, funk)
2 p.m. Muruga & the Cosmic Hoedown Band (psychedelic world music)
1 p.m. TBA
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The Arab American National Museum (AANM) documents, preserves and presents Arab American history, culture and contributions.
The AANM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums; an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution; and is a founding member of the Immigration and Civil Rights Network of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org or call 313.582.2266 for further information.
