UPCOMING: 20th Annual Concert of Colors

The Ford Foundation presents Midtown music fest July 12-15

Meshell Ndegeocello Tune-Up Concert July 7 @ New Center Park 

When it began back in 1993, the Concert of Colors – Detroit’s annual summer festival celebrating cultural diversity through music – was a modest, single-day affair at Chene Park on Detroit’s riverfront. The lineup included Jerry and Andy Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band (Latin jazz), East Indian vocalist Najma, and Hassan Hakmoun (Moroccan Sufi), drawing an audience of some 2,400 people.

Marking its 20^th anniversary in 2012, the Concert of Colors – the Little Festival That Could – has  grown and evolved into a major, multi-venue summertime tradition that unites tens of thousands of southeast Michigan residents for free, diverse, high-quality musical presentations in Midtown, one of Detroit’s hottest neighborhoods.

The 20^th Concert of Colors takes place Thursday, July 12 through Sunday, July 15, with major support from the fest’s first-ever presenting sponsor – The Ford Foundation, which will also present the 2013 Concert of Colors. The festival welcomes back leading sponsors Meijer, Polk, Comerica and Ford Motor Company, among many other generous, community-minded corporate and media sponsors.

A new partner has been added to the festival’s production team for 2012 – Midtown Detroit Inc. pumps up the musical energy by presenting a free Concert of Colors Tune-Up at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 7, at New Center Park in Detroit, with performances by DJ Ismael (aka festival founder and WDET-FM program host Ismael Ahmed), the new Sean Blackman ensemble Sin Hielo, and world music great Meshell Ndegeocello, hosted by Martin Bandyke of Ann Arbor’s 107.1 FM.

Midtown Detroit Inc. joins festival producers Arab American National Museum, ACCESS, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in producing the 2012 festival. The Wright Museum opens the festival the evening of July 12; it continues July 13 at the DIA, then moves to the Max M. Fisher Music Center for two more days of music (indoors and outdoors) July 14-15, along with family-friendly activities, a Detroit-themed lounge area featuring locally produced foods and goods, and more vendors offering culturally diverse edibles and merchandise.

“When we first started out, the idea was to showcase musical traditions from communities of color. It was a year-to-year thing back then; I never imagined we would go 20 years and become a Detroit institution in the process,” says Ismael Ahmed, who founded the Concert of Colors in 1993 while leading the nonprofit human services agency ACCESS.

“Over the years, we have expanded our programming beyond the original focus. The Concert of Colors today offers music for all types of tastes, backgrounds, ages, genders, something for everyone. That includes the indigenous music of Detroit and music representing the many cultures and ethnicities of the people who live here,” Ahmed says.

The complete musical lineup for the 20^th Concert of Colors will be released in early June at www.concertofcolors.com, but it’s safe to say that Detroit’s favorite musical son, Don Was, will be back to mark the 5^th anniversary of his Detroit All-Star Revue. On Saturday, July 14, the Revue switches out its typically rock-heavy lineup to spotlight hometown jazz greats. Was, the multi-Grammy-winning super producer and president of legendary Blue Note Records, is carefully crafting the Revue lineup with a guest curator – the great Detroit jazz bassist Marion Hayden – and Concert of Colors founder Ismael Ahmed.

  

“All proceeds from sales of the CD, entitled Detroit Jazz City, will go to Focus: HOPE food programs, to ensure that children and adults here in Detroit who are most vulnerable to hunger have the resources they need to survive. At the same time, this CD and concert will bring even more well-deserved international attention to our hometown musical greats.”

The 2012 All-Star Revue will be taped live for free distribution as music videos at www.mydamnchannel.com , where Was has been presenting videos from past Revues and many other artists for the last several years. An Internet purveyor of fine entertainment content, primarily comedy series, My Damn Channel was named one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Websites of 2011.

For further information on the 20^th Concert of Colors, celebrating the ethnic and cultural diversity of metro Detroit and our nation through free live music, visit www.concertofcolors.com.

Concert of Colors 2009 announced with Don Was Super Session returning to Detroit

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

CONCERT OF COLORS CONTINUES

DESPITE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

check CoC 2008 coverage by MOTORCITYBLOG

Don Was Super Session returns with more Detroit music legends
Free family fun and communal activities featured in outdoor setting
Arts organizations across the nation are suffering the effects of the global economic crisis.

Here in metro Detroit, the loss of philanthropic support, particularly from automakers,

is making headlines and headaches for the arts.

Despite these challenges, the Arab American National Museum, New Detroit, Inc., Detroit Symphony Orchestra and ACCESS – the presenting partners of the annual Concert of Colors – are pleased to announce that the show will go on in 2009, despite the loss of its title sponsor.

“Chrysler has been the lead sponsor of Concert of Colors for years. We know they are struggling and their sponsorship will be sorely missed,” says Hassan Jaber, executive director of ACCESS. “However, we intend to keep this very special event going as we search for a new major sponsor. And we thank Meijer, Comerica and AT&T for sticking with Concert of Colors during these challenging times, and Yelp Detroit for joining us this year as a media sponsor.”

This year’s 17th annual free musical celebration of metro Detroit’s cultural diversity will take place Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 in and around the Max M. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Among the confirmed performers are guitarist/singer/songwriter Vieux Farka Toure, son of the legendary Ali Farka Toure and a rising star in Mali’s music scene. Metro Detroit native son Don Was will reprise his spectacular 2008 Concert of Colors Detroit Super Session with a new cavalcade of classic Detroit acts.

Visit http://www.concertofcolors.com/

in early June for the complete schedule.

Outdoors, Parsons Street and the adjacent Orchestra Place Lawn will be an active Concert of Colors site. Local vendors will once again set up shop on Parsons Street to offer a variety of multicultural food and merchandise. Attendees are also being encouraged to bring their own picnic baskets and dine al fresco on the Lawn amid the dramatic Louise Nevelson sculptures.

"The Concert of Colors is important because it melds together culture and community into a single event that brings people together from many different walks of life,” says Anne Parsons, president and CEO of Detroit Symphony Orchestra. “In addition, the event embodies Max Fisher's original idea that Orchestra Hall would extend beyond classical music to be a community center that embraces music across genres. We are thrilled to be the host to this creative and vibrant event year after year."

The presenting partners also believe continuity

is vital to the future

of this beloved annual music festival.

"We are pleased that thanks to the continued generous support of our sponsors, we can again present the Concert of Colors this year at no cost to the community. This is a family-friendly event with free activities for children on the lawn," says Shirley R. Stancato, president and CEO of New Detroit, Inc.

All Concert of Colors performances are indeed free and open to the public; however, those willing to pay for reserved prime Main Stage seating throughout the festival may opt to become a Concert of Colors “Groupie,” a limited opportunity that also includes private “meet the artist” receptions and a Groupie tee shirt. The Groupie program debuted in 2006 with resounding success. Individual Groupies pay $60; a Couple of Groupies is $100.

Registration information will be available

next month at http://www.concertofcolors.com/

Designed to celebrate the many ethnic and cultural groups that comprise metro Detroit, the Concert of Colors is produced in partnership by the Arab American National Museum, New Detroit, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services). New Detroit’s Cultural Exchange Network, a consortium of 69 community-based organizations representing metro Detroit’s communities of color also plays an active role. New Detroit, Inc. and ACCESS established the event in 1993 at Chene Park on Detroit’s riverfront. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra hosted the 2005 opening night program and came on board fully in 2006 when its Max M. Fisher Music Center became the host venue.

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/ and http://www.accesscommunity.org/.

New Detroit is the coalition of Detroit area leadership addressing the issue of race relations by positively impacting issues and policies that ensure economic and social equity. Learn more at http://www.newdetroit.org/.

The internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the fourth-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, is known for trailblazing performances, visionary maestros and collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists. Beginning in the 2008-09 season, esteemed conductor Leonard Slatkin, called “America’s Music Director” by the Los Angeles Times, became the 12th Music Director of the DSO. The DSO boasts a year-round performance schedule that includes classical, pops, jazz, world music, young people’s concerts and festivals. The DSO makes its home in historic Orchestra Hall, one of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, and actively pursues a mission to impact and serve the community through music. For more information and to purchase tickets for concerts, visit the new DSO web site at http://www.detroitsymphony.com/ or call (313) 576-5111.

"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

22nd Concert of Colors: 2014 dates and info revealed

 

22^nd CONCERT OF COLORS FEST BRINGS DIVERSE MUSIC TO MIDTOWN DETROIT JULY 5 & 10-13

 

Don Was Detroit Revue, DSO w/ Thornetta Davis lead lineup

 

Food truck rally, D:hive marketplace offer local eats, merch

 

Fresh new website, full lineup to be revealed this month

 

Dearborn, Mich. (May 7, 2014) – Metro Detroit will proudly plant the banner of "one diverse city under a groove" with the 22^nd Concert of Colors, Thursday-Sunday, July 10-13, 2014, and its  annual Tune Up Concert Sat., July 5, 2014. The Concert of Colors is an entertaining and community-enhancing festival of free live music at leading cultural institutions in Detroit's bustling Midtown district. Metro Times 2014 Best of Detroit named the Concert of Colors the "Best Way to be Exposed to Multiple Cultures in One Weekend."

 

The Concert of Colors has the whole world in its bands. 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, and take place on both outdoor and indoor stages at major cultural venues on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

 

The innovative Afro-Cuban-fused-with-pan-African style of Congo-born Los Angeles resident Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca gets festival goers shaking at the 8 p.m. Sat., July 5, 2014, Tune Up Concert at New Center Park, with special guest the Chicago Afrobeat Project, stretching the sound pioneered by Nigeria's Fela Kuti into new territory.

 

Concert of Colors' favorite headliner and hometown-boy-made-good Don Was reprises the annual Detroit All-Star Revue, his seventh, at 8 p.m. Sat., July 12, with another deftly curated lineup of classic and contemporary Detroit artists. Was has a scintillating "theme" up his sleeve for this year, to be revealed when the full festival lineup is announced later this month. Meanwhile, fans can enjoy all past Revue performances online via My Damn Channel online music videos.

 

Two Motor City musical forces will meld at 3:30 p.m. Sun., July 13, as the internationally renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra and homegrown blues and gospel queen Thornetta Davis unite at Orchestra Hall. Davis' powerful voice will nestle in the DSO's musical nest with the aid of conductor John McLaughlin Williams, the Grammy-award winning conductor and violinist.

 

Concert of Colors has refreshed its food and merchandise offerings this year, with a new focus on locally produced goods. At Max M. Fisher Music Center July 12-13, the festival proudly welcomes D:hive's BUILD Bazaar, an ongoing pop-up marketplace celebrating emerging entrepreneurs from D:hive's BUILD program. From artisanal candles and soap, to fresh baked goods and handmade wares, BUILD Bazaar will feature an exciting and diverse range of local vendors. Many of Detroit's popular food trucks will rally at the Max M. Fisher Center on July 12-13, under the organizational baton of Scott Moloney of Ferndale's Treat Dreams.

 

The complete festival lineup will be released later this month online at festival's new WordPress site (currently under construction at www.concertofcolors.com).

In coming weeks, the festival will also release news about additional venues, special events and vendors.

 

The Concert of Colors is produced by the Arab American National Museum with its partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Midtown Detroit, Inc., ACCESS and University of Michigan – Detroit Center.

 

The Concert of Colors is made possible by many generous, community-minded businesses and organizations, led by longtime Main Stage sponsor Meijer and returning sponsors Comerica (Diversity Stage), Ford Motor Company, DTE Energy, Knight Foundation, General Motors, University of Michigan – Dearborn, HAP, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and National Endowment for the Arts, among others. Media sponsors include the Detroit Media Partnership.

 

 

22^nd Concert of Colors

 

All performances free and open to the public

All venues on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit

News and updated information at www.concertofcolors.com (currently under construction)

 

Sat., July 5, 2014

Tune Up Concert @ New Center Park, W. Grand Blvd. at Second Ave.

(outdoors; doors at 7 p.m.)

 

Thu., July 10, 2014

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 E. Warren Ave.  

(indoors; doors at TIME TBA)

and

Scarab Club

217 Farnsworth Ave.

(indoors; doors at 6 p.m.)

 

Fri., July 11, 2014

Detroit Institute of Arts, South Lawn

5200 Woodward Ave.

(outdoors; music begins at 5 p.m.)

 

Sat., July 12, 2014

Max M. Fisher Music Center

3711 Woodward Ave.

(indoors and outdoors; doors at 1 p.m.)

 

Sun., July 13, 2014

Max M. Fisher Music Center

3711 Woodward Ave.

(indoors and outdoors; doors at 1 p.m.)

 

 

 

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 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.

 

 

 

2011 Concert of Colors Lineup

DETROIT'S OWN DON WAS, BETTYE LAVETTE HEADLINE EXPANDED CONCERT OF COLORS 
 
Detroit All-Star Revue, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Susheela Raman, "Maraca" Valle, Mike-E & AfroFlow featured
 
New for 2011: four Midtown venues, Grimshaw poster, poetry, Detroit-themed lounge, after party, musical instrument drive
 
Among the diverse population of southeast Michigan are people whose roots connect to nearly every nation and tradition found on Earth. Once a year, they converge for a joyous musical celebration of that unique combined heritage at a beloved annual festival called Concert of Colors.
 
The 19th annual Concert of Colors – Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, 2011 at multiple venues in Midtown Detroit – features a lineup almost embarrassingly rich with world music made by metro Detroiters and touring greats, as well as expert purveyors of musical genres, including rock, soul, jazz, hip hop and Motown, that could well be described as the indigenous music of the Motor City. All performances are free and open to the public.
 
Detroit-raised stars Don Was and Bettye LaVette lead the list of world-renowned hometown heroes on this year's bill, with Was reprising his always-SRO Detroit All-Star Revue, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 16 on the Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall) with 11 classic and contemporary acts. LaVette's incredibly powerful soul/R&B stylings will rock the Meijer Main Stage at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17.
 
The 2011 lineup blossoms with a wide-ranging array of artists including Latin jazz master Orlando "Maraca" Valle (7 p.m. Friday, July 15, Detroit Institute of Arts Auditorium); East Indian jazz/soul songstress Susheela Raman (6:15 p.m. Saturday, July 16, Meijer Main Stage); Colombian folk/jazz fusion by Pablo Mayor's Folklore Urbano Orchestra (6:45 p.m. Sunday, July 17, Meijer Main Stage); southern-tinged rock from Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (7:15 p.m. Sunday, July 17, Comerica Diversity Stage) and the family-friendly hip-hop of Detroit's own Mike-E & AfroFlow (7 p.m. Thursday, July 14, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History).   
 
New to Concert of Colors for 2011 are spoken-word performances, some with musical accompaniment, presented by the Woodward Line Series, based at the Scarab Club, as part of Opening Night programming on Thursday, July 14.
 
This year's strong Motor City vibe at Concert of Colors is further celebrated by the limited-edition 2011 festival poster and tee shirt featuring an original artwork by legendary Detroit poster artist Gary Grimshaw. These items will be offered for sale during festival hours July 16-17 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. Grimshaw and fellow Detroit artists Carl Lundgren, Jerry Wheeler, Sioux Foster and Leni Sinclair will all be on hand in the Center's Atrium July 16-17, selling their creative work and autographing purchased items.
 
Warm Motown hospitality will also be in abundance at the 2011 Concert of Colors, with a new Detroit-themed lounge area July 16-17, sponsored by Yelp!, at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, featuring only Michigan-made food and drink. The musical fun continues with a July 16 after party in the Paradise Lounge at the Center, with live music, dancing and refreshments, sponsored by Mills Entertainment.
 
To help ensure that future generations of metro Detroiters learn to play and enjoy music, Concert of Colors will collect new and gently used musical instruments from festival goers on July 16-17 on behalf of the Michigan State University Community Music School – Detroit, a sponsor, with the University of Michigan Detroit Center, of this year's outdoor musical presentations.
 
*****************
 
The 19th Concert of Colors takes place Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, 2011, at four venues in Midtown Detroit: the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Scarab Club, both on Thursday, July 14 and both new to the festival this year; the Detroit Institute of Arts on Friday, July 15, and at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17.
 
This event is the result of an unprecedented programming collaboration among several of our area's leading cultural institutions, in celebration of and in service to our community. Concert of Colors presenting partners are: the Arab American National Museum and ACCESS in Dearborn, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and New Detroit, all based in Detroit.
 
All performances are free and open to all, because of significant financial support from companies that have long contributed to the quality of life in Michigan – lead sponsor Meijer, and sponsors Ford Motor Company, Comerica, Boji Group, University of Michigan, BioMed, Mills Entertainment, Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University.
 
A formidable team of media sponsors, also dedicated to serving southeast Michigan audiences, has offered its promotional prowess to the 2011 Concert of Colors: Detroit Free Press; Detroit Public TV & WRCJ-FM; Yelp; WDET-FM, Metro Times; My Detroit Cable; Arab Detroit; WHFR-FM; and My Damn Channel.
 
The official source for all Concert of Colors information, including venues, schedules, performer biographies/links, partner info and sponsor links, breaking news and much more, is www.concertofcolors.com. 
 
 
 
*******************
 
 
2011 Concert of Colors schedule ONLY
 
 
Thursday, July 14
 
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit
Doors 6:30 p.m.
Free admission + cash bar
Revue-style performances 7-9 p.m.
 
Mike-E & AfroFlow  (African/hip-hop)
Steffanie Christi'an  (rock/soul)
Amp Fiddler (soul/R&B)
BombaRica (Puerto Rican folkloric drum/dance)
Omowale African Drum & Dance Ensemble (African traditional)
 
 
The Woodward Line Poetry Series @ Scarab Club
217 Farnsworth St., Detroit
Free admission
 
7 p.m. Saladin Ahmed (narrative)
8 p.m. Audra Kubat (acoustic/folk)
8:30 p.m.  Julie Patton w/ Paul Van Curin (poetry + guitar)
9 p.m. The Doll Hairs w/ Tom Orange (rock/alternative/improv)
9:30 p.m. Faruq Z. Bey w/ James Hart II & Scott Farrow (jazz + poetry)
 
*******************************************************************
 
 
Friday, July 15
 
Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Doors 4 p.m.
Free admission; cash bar
 
4:30 p.m. & 6 p.m. Location TBA Mr. B's Joybox Express  (blues/boogie woogie)
7 p.m. in the DIA Auditorium: Orlando "Maraca" Valle (Latin jazz)
9:30 p.m. in the DIA Auditorium: Film: From Britain With Love: Africa United
 
 
*******************************************************************
 
Saturday, July 16
Max M. Fisher Music Center (indoor + outdoor)
3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Doors 2 p.m.
Free admission; food + drink $
 
 
DETROIT-THEMED LOUNGE
3rd floor Atrium, Max M. Fisher Music Center
No cover; open during Festival hours
Local specialty food + drink $
Sponsored by Yelp!
 
 
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)
4:30 p.m. Raion Taiko (Japanese drum)
6:15 p.m. Susheela Raman (East Indian jazz/soul)
8:30 p.m. Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue (rock, soul, jazz and more)
Sponsored by Ford Motor Company
Martha Reeves; Mitch Ryder + The Detroit Cobras; Melvin Davis + The United Sounds; Wendell Harrison; Ivan Kral; The Brothers Groove; Jim McCarty; The Muggs; Billy Brandt + Sarana VerLin; Black Irish; Carolyn Striho
 
Comerica Diversity Stage (The Music Box)
3 p.m. Wisaal (Arabic/world fusion)
4:45 p.m. October Babies (Asian rock/soul)
6:30 p.m. Will Sessions (funk/jazz fusion)
8:15 p.m. Immigrant Suns (world rock)
10 p.m. The Layabouts (reggae/ska/rock)
 
The University of Michigan/Michigan State University Cultural Connection Outdoor Stage
2 p.m. FAR Senior Band
3 p.m. Seacht (traditional Irish)
4 p.m. Detroit Bellydance (traditional Arabic dance)
5 p.m. Heritage Works (African drum/dance)
6 p.m. ELLAS Band (traditional Greek)
7 p.m. The Klezmorim (traditional Eastern European)
8 p.m. Richard Rischar + Ling-Ju Lai (classical)
9 p.m. Charity (soul)
 
10:30 p.m. –12:30 a.m. 
AFTERPARTY IN THE PARADISE LOUNGE
(2nd floor Atrium, Max M. Fisher Music Center)
No cover; cash bar
Live entertainment TBA
Sponsored by Mills Entertainment
 
 
*************************************************************
 
Sunday, July 17
Max M. Fisher Music Center (indoor + outdoor)
3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Doors 2 p.m.
Free admission; food + drink $
 
 
DETROIT-THEMED LOUNGE
3rd floor Atrium, Max M. Fisher Music Center
No cover; open during Festival hours
Local specialty food + drink $
Sponsored by Yelp!
 
 
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)
4:15 p.m. Nanny Assis featuring Sean Blackman (Brazilian jazz/fusion)
6:45 p.m. Pablo Mayor's Folklore Urbano Orchestra (Colombian folk/jazz)
8:30 p.m. Bettye LaVette (soul/R&B)
 
Comerica Diversity Stage (The Music Box)
4 p.m. La'Ron Williams (storyteller)
5:30 p.m. Universal Expression (reggae)
7:15 p.m. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (southern folk/rock)
9 p.m. Odu Afrobeat Orchestra (Afrobeat)
 
The University of Michigan/Michigan State University Cultural Connection Outdoor Stage
2 p.m. Linnea Powell  (classical)
3 p.m. Tia Hanna (jazz/fusion)
4 p.m. To Hit Things (percussion duo)
5 p.m. BombaRica (Puerto Rican folkloric drum/dance)
6 p.m. Gratitude Steel Band (Caribbean)
7 p.m. Living Arts Youth Dance Ensemble (contemporary dance)
8 + 9 p.m. Hamtramck World Music Ensemble (global fusion)
 
In the Atrium at Max M. Fisher Music Center
2 p.m. Nanou Djiapo-Afrikan Drum & Dance (traditional African)
3 p.m. Nazarene Baptist Church Youth Choir (gospel)
 
www.concertofcolors.com 

Concert of Colors 2009 Lineup

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

CONCERT OF COLORS CONTINUES

DESPITE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

check CoC 2008 coverage by MOTORCITYBLOG

STELLAR FREE CONCERTS

MORE OUTDOOR FUN BRIGHTEN

17th ANNUAL CONCERT OF COLORS

Don Was Reprises All-Star Revue of Detroit Music Luminaries
Enlightening Community Forum Now Free & Open to the Public
Free Kickoff Performance Friday June 26 at Campus Martius

The 2009 Concert of Colors – metro Detroit’s beloved free diversity-themed music festival – will present rising and established acts, bring back past favorites, and offer more free and outdoor activities while forging ahead in its mission to shed light on and celebrate cultural diversity through music.

Headliners for the 17th annual festival – Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Avenue in Detroit – are West African bluesman Vieux Farka Toure, whose brand new CD Fondo (Six Degrees) got a strong review in the New York Times; hot Hoboken-based alternative rockers Yo La Tengo, making their Concert of Colors debut; and Concert of Colors favorite, the American soul legend Aaron Neville, this time with his Quintet featuring Charles Neville.

The resounding success of 2008’s Don Was Detroit Super Session, a high-wattage showcase of notable area rockers, has led the mega-producer to reprise the event with an all-new once-in-a-lifetime lineup including: Sir Mack Rice (Mustang Sally); Amp Fiddler; Scott Morgan’s Powertrane; Question Mark (96 Tears); Thornetta Davis; Teegarden & Van Winkle (God, Love and Rock & Roll); Blanche; Gorevette (Amy Gore and Nikki Corvette); The Go; The Upscale; The Layabouts; and Mick Bassett and the Marthas.

The electric Detroit Super Session II house band will be comprised of Terry “Thunder” Hughley on drums; Academy Award-winning songwriter Luis Resto (Eminem’s Lose Yourself) on keyboards; Brian “Roscoe” White on guitar and Don Was – a founding member of the Detroit funk outfit Was (Not Was) and a multiple Grammy Award-winning producer – on bass. And once again, Was will be videotaping the Super Session for his Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music on the website www.mydamnchannel.com, where a series of videos from the 2008 Super Session may still be viewed.

Rounding out the glowing 2009 Concert of Colors lineup are: Native American singer/songwriter Joe Reilly; folkmeister Dick Siegel; the steaming Latin strains of Orquesta La Inspiracion; Latin funksters Grupo Fantasma; Mazaj (Arabic folk-blues); family-friendly punk rockers Candy Band; Galitcha (East Indian traditional w/ jazz and folk); reggae/dancehall experts Roots Vibration; and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (accordion-driven dance music).

All Concert of Colors performances are free and open to the public.

Call 313.624.0215 or visit http://www.concertofcolors.com/ for complete schedule information

, breaking festival news and a free download of the 2009 Concert of Colors poster.

2009 Concert of Colors Performance Schedule*
Inside Max M. Fisher Music Center

Doors open Saturday, July 18 @ 2 p.m.
Doors open Sunday, July 19 @ 3 p.m.

Festival-style seating; first come, first served.

Saturday, July 18, 2009
Meijer Main Stage
Grupo Fantasma
Latin Funk
(American Southwest)
5-6 p.m. Saturday, July 18, 2009
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)

In 2008 alone, Grupo Fantasma were nominated for a Grammy, performed with Prince at Coachella and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and entertained troops stationed in Kuwait and Iraq. This summer, they solidify their reputation as one of the funkiest, tightest, hardest-working Latin orchestras to come out of the U.S. with rave reviews ranging from Billboard to the Boston Globe, which declared that “Fantasma is honing a decidedly 21st-century version of Latin groove.” Their trademark innovative sound and incendiary live shows combine their deeply rooted traditions of cumbia, salsa, funk, and psychedelia which are as pertinent to the past as they will be influential on the future.


Yo La Tengo
Alternative Rock
(Hoboken, USA)
6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)


Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew each take turns spearheading the restless creativity of this adored independent American rock outfit who have become critical favorites with a devoted fan base since their formation in 1984. Their music, while wildly diverse - capturing elements of everything from classic pop and arty jazz to alternative country - is united by the passion and intelligence that each member brings to their unique take on rock music for the 21st century.


Don Was Detroit Super Session II
Motor City Rock, Funk, Pop, Soul
(USA)
8:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)


The Super Session celebration returns as native Detroiter Don Was of Was (Not Was) fame leads an all-star cast of high-energy, made-in-Detroit talent. This funky, rockin’, soulful music revue in historic Orchestra Hall features both legendary and emerging Motor City music stars including Sir Mack Rice (Mustang Sally); Amp Fiddler (Sly & Robbie, George Clinton); Scott Morgan’s Powertrane (The Rationals, Sonic’s Rendezvous); Question Mark (96 Tears); Teegarden & Van Winkle (God, Love and Rock & Roll); Blanche; Thornetta Davis; Gorevette (Amy Gore and Nikki Corvette); The Go; The Upscale; The Layabouts; and Mick Bassett and the Marthas.

The electric Detroit Super Session II house band will be comprised of Terry “Thunder” Hughley on drums; Academy Award-winning songwriter Luis Resto on keyboards; Brian “Roscoe” White on guitar and Don Was on bass.


Musician, composer and bandleader Was is a master collaborator, best known for producing mega-watt musicians including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson and Bonnie Raitt. His Detroit roots shine through in all of his projects and perhaps never more so than when proudly leading the exciting Super Session!


Saturday, July 18, 2009
Comerica Diversity Stage
Forum on Community, Race and Culture
2-3 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Previously a fee-based, invitation-only event, the Concert of Colors’ annual Forum on Community, Race and Culture is now free and open to the public. This year’s discussion revolves around Freedom Songs: Music That Empowers and Breaks Down Barriers, with panelists Mark Stone, an ethnomusicologist at Oakland University; and singer/songwriters Joe Reilly, Rev. Robert B. Jones and Ismael Duran. No advance registration is necessary; all ages are welcome.

Joe Reilly
Native American Folk
(USA)
4 p.m. Native American intro; 4:15-5 p.m.

performance Saturday, July 18
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Joe Reilly has been a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for over 12 years, bringing messages of hope and peace in his songs to audiences in the Midwest and across the United States. His background in the study and performance of many different musical styles, including Native American music, folk, blues, jazz, liturgical and classical, has led to a writing style that incorporates these diverse influences into a creative and honest voice that calls for a holistic healing of our society for the benefit of future generations.


Galitcha
East Indian
(Canada)
5:15-6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

A visionary ensemble that performs original compositions based on Indian folk music, Galitcha combine influences from jazz, world and North American folk into their intoxicating tapestry of sounds. Group leader Kujlit Sodhi was born into a musical family in Amritsar in the Punjab region of India and raised in Montreal. He began studying voice in his teens with teachers at Sikh temples - home to some of the most superbly trained Indian musicians in the world. He was inspired to create Galitcha and pursue music full-time by a chance encounter with the late, great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, for whom he became a favorite North American "jamming buddy."


Mazaj
Arabic Folk Blues
(USA)
7-8:15 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Drawing from numerous musical influences spanning from folk, rock and blues to world music, the Detroit-based Mazaj mixes lyrics of oppression, injustice, war and peace with haunting melodies and progressive beats.

Roots Vibration
Reggae/Dancehall
(USA)
9-11 p.m. Saturday, July 18
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

This authentic musical force, comprised of players from the exotic islands of the Caribbean and the funky streets of Detroit, will stimulate your senses with positive roots music. These creative, seasoned musicians with multigenerational and multinational appeal were united by founder and lead singer Winfred Julien of Dominica, West Indies, who has been the driving force in the regional Caribbean and reggae scene for two decades. Roots Vibration has delighted audiences with their unique blend of original and popular Caribbean music in reggae, zouk, calypso, and soca styles.
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Sunday, July 19, 2009
Meijer Main Stage
Galitcha
East Indian
(Canada)
4-5:15 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)

A visionary ensemble that performs original compositions based on Indian folk music, Galitcha combine influences from jazz, world and North American folk into their intoxicating tapestry of sounds. Group leader Kujlit Sodhi was born into a musical family in Amritsar in the Punjab region of India and raised in Montreal. He began studying voice in his teens with teachers at Sikh temples - home to some of the most superbly trained Indian musicians in the world. He was inspired to create Galitcha and pursue music full-time by a chance encounter with the late, great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, for whom he became a favorite North American "jamming buddy."


Aaron Neville & His Quintet Featuring Charles Neville
American Soul Legends
(New Orleans, USA)
6-7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)

It’s been said that “When Aaron sings, the heavens smile.” This Aaron Neville performance is sure to Tell It Like It Is when he’s joined by his fine quintet, featuring brother Charles on sax. Moving effortlessly from R&B and funk, to jazz, gospel and pop, Aaron’s talents shine like his multi-platinum albums as he and his quintet create an uplifting concert experience.


Vieux Farka Touré
Mali Blues, Rock, Reggae
(Africa)
8-9:45 p.m. Sunday, July 19

Meijer Main Stage (Orchestra Hall)

Son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré and a rising star in Mali’s music scene,

Vieux Farka Touré has already stepped out from the shadow of his late father, who proved – in case anyone ever doubted it – that the soul of the blues could be found in West Africa. Vieux is turning heads with a more radical idea: that those Western Saharan roots can be heard in everything from the indie rock scene to Jamaican dub.


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Comerica Diversity Stage
Oak Grove AME Nulife Youth Choir
Gospel/Inspirational
(USA)
3:30-4 p.m. Sunday, July 19

(performance in the Atrium just outside the Music Box and Orchestra Hall)


Candy Band
Family-friendly Punk Rock
(USA)
4-5 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Candy Band is comprised of four Detroit area stay-at-home moms who were “sick to death” of whiny music for children. They took a stand, and in 2003, formed the first kids’ band that really rocks! With influences like The Ramones and Iggy Pop, they quickly attracted attention from The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, London Times, Blender Magazine, XM Satellite Radio, Women’s Day, USA Today, People Magazine, the CBS Early Show, and NBC’s Today Show. Candy Band continues to build an intense local following in the Detroit area and elsewhere.


Orquesta La Inspiracion
Hot Latin Dance Music
(USA/Puerto Rico)

5:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Led by percussionist Ozzie Rivera and musical director Bill Meyer, this 10-piece band unites veterans of the salsa and jazz scenes to bring a fresh approach to folkloric percussion, cumbia, and Latin jazz. The golden voices of salseros Mickey Figueroa and Armando Vega pay homage to the spirit of the golden age of salsa - the 1970s - while also exploring new directions in hot Latin dance music.

Dick Siegel
Acoustic Rock and Folk
(USA)
7-8 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

A member of the Detroit Music Hall of Fame and the recipient of multiple Detroit Music Awards and the Kerrville Music Festival's New Folk Award, Dick Siegel is known for his engagingly unconventional lyrics and a dynamic musical style that incorporates modern folk, roots, and jazz. He was named in WDET's list of the most important and influential artists in the history of Detroit. His upbeat political roots rock and soulful, pared-down reflections on the American identity showcase his incisive songwriting.


Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas
Accordion-driven Dance Music
(Louisiana, USA)
9-10:15 p.m. Sunday, July 19
Comerica Diversity Stage (Music Box)

Nathan Williams plays zydeco, the fast and furious music of the Creole people of southern Louisiana. With its trademark accordion and rubboard percussion, electric guitars and R&B influences, zydeco is distinct from the fiddle-driven music of neighboring Cajuns. Williams’ down-home parables are delivered with surprising musical turns and a distinctive Caribbean lilt that reaches back to the very beginnings of Creole culture in Louisiana. If you haven't heard what's happening in zydeco lately, here's your chance!


2009 Concert of Colors

Outdoor Fun on the Orchestra Place Lawn & Parsons Street

Picnic Area

For 2009, we have changed the policy regarding festival-goers bringing their own food and drink to the festival site. All are now welcome to bring a picnic basket, cooler and blanket to eat OUTDOORS ONLY on the Orchestra Place Lawn during festival hours (4-11 p.m. Saturday, July 18 and 3-11 p.m. Sunday, July 19). However, these items will not be allowed INSIDE the Max M. Fisher Music Center; patrons must return them to their vehicles before entering the indoor venues.

Children’s Area

Arts & Scraps will be returning to Concert of Colors this year with more free and fun craftmaking activities for kids. The Children’s Area will be open from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, July 18 and 3-8 p.m. Sunday, July 19.

Multicultural Vendors

Concert of Colors will once again feature a wide array of vendor booths on Parsons Street, offering multicultural items such as apparel, jewelry, and gifts as well as food and drink for purchase.

Ice Cream Social

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, located just behind the Max M. Fisher Music Center at 58 Parsons St., holds an old-fashioned Ice Cream Social during Concert of Colors. Call 313.833.0857 for details.

Outdoor Performance Schedule*

Saturday July 18, 2009
Talking Circle with musicians from the Forum on Community, Culture, and Race
4-5 p.m.

All are invited to continue the dialogue on art, culture, and community with the talented artists featured earlier in the day during the Forum on Community, Culture and Race – Joe Reilly, Rev. Robert B. Jones and Ismael Duran.

Splendor of the East
Pan-Asian Music & Dance
5-6 p.m.

A collaborative performance organized by several local Asian cultural groups presenting music and dance from the Philippines, Korea, China, India and more!


School of World Music & Dance
Multicultural Music & Dance
6-7 p.m.

Director Lalitha Ravi and students will be presenting Musical Blends in the Carnatic (South Indian classical) style with a flair of western classical music. The school’s dance students will also present a colorful Indian folk dance that involves graceful body movements and facial expressions to portray the Indian culture and traditions. The dance conveys a message of peace, love and happiness while the combining of traditional and Western music conveys the idea that “music is universal.”

COMPÁS Showcase

Southwest Detroit Youth Performers
7-8 p.m.

Center of Music and Performing Arts Southwest (COMPÁS) will showcase students from several of its 30 programs to dazzle audiences with their multicultural music and dance talents.


BombaRica
Puerto Rican Drum & Dance
8-9 p.m.

Bomba is a style and tradition of communal drumming and dancing in which dancers take turns challenging the lead drummer to follow their footsteps and dance approaches. Detroit percussionist Ozzie Rivera and his ensemble lead this lively audience-participation event.


Motor City Rockerz
Break Dancing
9-10 p.m.

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Outdoor Performance Schedule*
Sunday, July 19, 2009

Panch & Mana Puppet Show
Family-friendly Performance
3-4 p.m.

Rob McCabe
Storytelling, Puppetry and Magic
4-4:30 p.m.

McCabe delights audiences with his unique brand of storytelling theatre, weaving a magical web around his listeners with folk and fairy tales from around the world, including stories from Greek and Roman mythical traditions.


Detroit Bellydance
Arabic Dance
(Arab World/USA)
4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Led by Lana Mini, Detroit Bellydance is a Michigan bellydance tribe that performs in the U.S. and overseas, and educates hundreds of students in metro Detroit - from those wanting to have fun and get fit to more serious students who want to take to the stage.

Moonsqualler
Old-Time Jug Band
(USA)
5-5:30 p.m.

Moonsqualler is a Detroit-based acoustic quintet playing traditional American ballads, country and folk songs, old fiddle tunes, and songs about that “old home place far away.”


Rob McCabe
Storytelling, Puppetry and Magic
6-7 p.m.

McCabe delights audiences with his unique brand of storytelling theatre, weaving a magical web around his listeners with folk and fairy tales from around the world, including stories from Greek and Roman mythical traditions.



COMPÁS Showcase

Southwest Detroit Youth Performers
7-8 p.m.

Center of Music and Performing Arts Southwest (COMPÁS) will showcase students from several of its 30 programs to dazzle audiences with their multicultural music and dance talents.


“Bring Your Own” Drum Circle
8-9 p.m.

Bring your percussion instruments and help create the rhythm or just groove to the beat sent out by this open-air drum jam.

*The performance schedule is subject to change.

Concert of Colors 2008 - Thurs-Sun July 17th - 20th

REMINDER: Concert of Colors starts next Thursday and MCB is on the golden press pass for the event...they werent handing these things out like day old bread so stay tuned for some great videos and killer photos for ACCESS and we have a few detroit publications to take care of as well. also - the green light in the picture above means "GO" to the CoC 2008!!!

Here is the press release for the event although many knew of this a few weeks ago it should fill in the gaps since then....

DON WAS LEADS HISTORY-
MAKING GATHERING OF DETROIT MUSICIANS AT 2008 CONCERT OF COLORS

John Sinclair, Wayne Kramer, David Was to be Featured

Dearborn, MI (July 10, 2008) – Detroit-born bassist and Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was will make Motown music history Sunday, July 20 at the 2008 Concert of Colors in downtown Detroit.

Was, a founder of the band Was (Not Was), has assembled a once-in-a-lifetime lineup of Detroit musicians representing various genres and eras of the city’s storied music history. He’ll orchestrate a funky, jazzy, rockin’, soulful musical meltdown to help top off a weekend of free music from around the world beginning at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

The Detroit Super Session will take the Chrysler Main Stage at Orchestra Hall, the venerable venue that offers superb acoustics as well as an ambiance redolent with Detroit music history. Was has tapped My Damn Channel (http://www.mydamnchannel.com/) to record the Super Session in its entirety for future distribution.

A house band comprised of Don Was on bass, Academy Award-winning composer Luis Resto on keyboards, Randy Jacobs on guitar and Terry Thunder on percussion will set the Super Session pace for the long list of musical guests, including the legendary John Sinclair, the MC5’s Wayne Kramer and Don Was’ Was (Not Was) bandmate David Was. At least one other big-name special guest will be revealed before the event.

Members of the following Detroit bands will round out the Super Session: Black Bottom Collective; Detroit Cobras; The Dirtbombs; The Ramrods; Black Merda; The Muldoons; Sisters Lucas; and Lola Morales.

The Detroit Super Session begins at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, July 20. It is free and open to the public, as are all performances at the Concert of Colors Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20. Seating is first come, first served. A complete schedule and artist bios are available at http://www.concertofcolors.com/. Information is also available by calling 313.624.0215. The Max M. Fisher Music Center is located at 3711 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

In addition to his ongoing success with Was (Not Was), Don Was has become a master collaborator, best known for producing mega-watt musicians including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson and Bonnie Raitt, whose Was-produced Nick of Time scored the 1990 Album of the Year Grammy Award. Was also took home the 1995 Grammy for Producer of the Year. Read more about Was at mydamnchannel.com/donwas and worldwidewas.com.

The Concert of Colors comprises three distinct settings at The Max: the Chrysler Main Stage in acoustically superb Orchestra Hall; the Comerica Diversity Stage in the intimate Music Box; and the Outdoor Rhythm Stage, an outdoor venue set up on Parsons Street, which is closed to traffic. Performances inside the air-conditioned center ensure the show goes on, no matter the heat or precipitation served up by a Michigan summer.

Designed to celebrate the many ethnic and cultural groups that comprise metro Detroit, the Concert of Colors is produced in partnership by the Arab American National Museum, New Detroit, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services). New Detroit’s Cultural Exchange Network, a consortium of 50 community-based organizations representing metro Detroit’s communities of color also plays an active role. New Detroit, Inc. and ACCESS established the event in 1993 at Chene Park on Detroit’s riverfront. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra hosted the 2005 opening night program and came on board fully in 2006 when its Max M. Fisher Music Center became the host venue.

This year’s event is made possible by generous corporate partners, including lead sponsor Chrysler and major sponsors Meijer and Comerica. Vital support is also provided by AT&T, DTE Energy, Polk, AAA Michigan, Ford Motor Company, HAP, New Detroit’s Cultural Exchange Network, and the University Musical Society. Media sponsors for 2008 are WDIV Local 4, Metro Times, WDET 101.9 FM, WWJ Newsradio 950, Great Stuff, WHFR-FM 89.3, WUDT-TV 23 Univision Detroit, WUOM, WRCJ, Radio Pangea Detroit, and CJAM.

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/ and http://www.accesscommunity.org/.

New Detroit is the coalition of Detroit area leadership addressing the issue of race relations by positively impacting issues and policies that ensure economic and social equity. Learn more at http://www.newdetroit.org/.

Founded in 1914, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs September through June in Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, offering a variety of concert presentations appealing to people of all ages and musical tastes. It is currently the most widely heard orchestra in America, reaching millions of listeners weekly through its national radio broadcast series on XM Satellite Radio and on terrestrial radio stations across the country. Since the opening of The Max in 2003, the DSO has expanded its diverse programming to include poetry slams, chamber music, world music and other special events. For more information on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s programs, initiatives and concerts, visit http://www.detroitsymphony.com/.

HOT FUN IN THE SUMMER TIME: SOUNDS OF AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, DETROIT DOMINATE CONCERT OF COLORS LINEUP

Two MC5 members reunite for 6^th Don Was All-Star Revue

DETROIT (May 1, 2013) – Led by classic funksters The Family Stone, super producer Don Was’ 6th Detroit All-Star Revue and the intriguing combination of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Ozomatli, the 21st Concert of Colors lineup delivers Hot Fun in the Summertime June 29 and July 4-7, 2013. The 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7 Revue closes out the festival with a re-teaming of two members of the seminal Detroit band MC5 – guitarist Wayne Kramer and drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson – on the Main Stage at historic Orchestra Hall.

This year’s festival also delivers a healthy dose of new music from Africa, including performances by Fatoumata Diawara (Malian wassalou/international; 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6) and Samba Mapangala (Congolese/Kenyan; 7 p.m. Sunday, July 7). Latin-influenced sounds come from MAKU Sound System (Latin ska/funk; 8 p.m. Saturday, June 29), Matuto (Brazilian bluegrass; 2 p.m. Saturday, July 6) and the fascinating mash-up of Ozomatli w/ Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Latin-hip hop-rock/classical; 3 p.m. Sunday, July 7).

Presented for the second year running by the Ford Foundation at several leading cultural destinations in Midtown Detroit, the festival celebrates the city’s indigenous sounds and music reflecting the many cultures represented in southeast Michigan.

Announcements about additional venues and performers will be released at www.concertofcolors.com as information becomes available.

21^ST CONCERT OF COLORS PRESENTED BY FORD FOUNDATION

All performances free and open to the public

All venues on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit

News and updated information at www.concertofcolors.com

Saturday, June 29, 2013 (doors at 8 p.m.)

Tune Up Concert @ New Center Park

West Grand Boulevard at Second Avenue

MAKU Sound System (Latin ska/funk)

DJ sets by WDET This Island Earth host Ismael

Thursday, July 4, 2013 (doors at 6 p.m.)

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 E. Warren Ave.

Free museum admission

6:30 p.m. Stepping into Destiny

Mike Ellison and friends explore the transformative influence of jazz, spiritual, world, doo wop and hip hop.

Friday, July 5, 2013 (doors at 4 p.m.)

Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Ave.

Free museum + exhibition admission

On the South Lawn

7 p.m. Feufollet (Cajun)

6 p.m. Detroit Party Marching Band

5 p.m. October Babies (rock)

In the DFT Auditorium

9:30 p.m. film TBA

Saturday, July 6, 2013 (doors at 2 p.m.)

Max M. Fisher Music Center
3711 Woodward Ave.

Main Stage, Orchestra Hall 
8:30 p.m. The Family Stone (funk/R&B)
6 p.m. Delta Rae (folk/rock)
3:30 p.m. Fatoumata Diawara (Malian wassalou/international)

Diversity Stage, Music Box
9 p.m. Kobo Town (calypso)
6:30 p.m. Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italian traditional/eclectic)
4 p.m. Cathie Ryan (Celtic)
2 p.m. Matuto (Brazilian bluegrass)

Wolverine/Spartan Outdoor Stage

9 p.m. Terrence Parker (DJ)
8 p.m. 5^th Wall Concept (rock)
7 p.m. L’Renee (R&B)
6 p.m. TBA
5 p.m. TBA
4 p.m. Leilani (R&B)
3 p.m. Kate Monaghan (blues)
2 p.m. Vision Male Ensemble (vocal music)
1 p.m. TBA

Saturday, July 6, 2013 (doors at 10 p.m.)

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)
4454 Woodward Ave.

Official After Party
Cambodian Space Project (cross-culture rock)

Free admission

Sunday, July 7, 2013 (doors at 2 p.m.)

Max M. Fisher Music Center
3711 Woodward Ave.

Main Stage, Orchestra Hall

8:30 p.m. 6^th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue (rock/eclectic)

Wayne Kramer + Dennis Thompson, Mosaic Youth Theatre Singers, Ty Stone, Howlin’ Diablos, Rev. Robert Jones, The Hounds Below, Katie Grace, Emmanuel Young & Howard Glazer, Drew Shultz & Detroit Legends, The Hand Grenades, Pat Lewis, Passalacqua , Jeecy & The Jungle

With your host, Don Was + The All-Star Review Band (lineup TBA)

6 p.m. Calypso Rose w/ Universal Xpression (reggae)
3 p.m. Ozomatli w/ Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Latin-hip hop-rock/classical)

Diversity Stage, Music Box


9:30 p.m. Yemen Blues (global jazz)
7 p.m. Samba Mapangala (Congolese/Kenyan)
4:30 p.m. Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys (Zydeco)
2:30 p.m. Candy Band (children’s rock)


Wolverine/Spartan Outdoor Stage

9 p.m. Motor City Soul (Motown/cover band)
8 p.m. Chris Canas Band (rock/blues)
7 p.m. Lola Valley (rock)
6 p.m. The Chiropractiers (blues/rock)
5 p.m. Sean Dobbins (jazz)
4 p.m. Ben Sharkey (lounge/jazz)
3 p.m. Wisaal (Arabic/ethnic)
2 p.m. Taylor Hawkins (house/techno)
1 p.m. Detroit School of Arts students (vocal music)

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The Concert of Colors is a community-enhancing free-admission music festival with an expanding presence in Detroit’s bustling Midtown district. As of this year, it’s filling a long-vacant spot in the local music fest calendar by moving from its traditional mid-July slot to Independence Day weekend, Thursday-Sunday, July 4-7, 2013, with the 2^nd Tune Up Concert set for the evening of Saturday, June 29, 2013.

The Concert of Colors has the whole world in its bands. Curated by its founder, Ismael Ahmed, the festival celebrates the diverse global origins of metro Detroiters, as well as the indigenous sounds of our musically magical hometown. All festival performances are free and open to the public, and take place at cultural institutions on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

Presented for the second year running by Ford Foundation and produced by the Arab American National Museum with its partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Midtown Detroit, Inc. and ACCESS, Concert of Colors proudly welcomes a new partner/venue this year, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

The Concert of Colors is made possible by many generous, community-minded businesses and organizations, lead by presenting sponsor Ford Foundation and returning sponsors Comerica, Ford Motor Company, HAP and Bank of America, University of Michigan – Detroit Center, Michigan State University Community Music School and University of Michigan – Dearborn, among others.

21^st Concert of Colors presented by Ford Foundation

8 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2013, Tune Up Concert @ New Center Park

Thursday, July 4, 2013, @ Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Friday, July 5, 2013, @ Detroit Institute of Arts

Saturday, July 6, 2013, @ Max M. Fisher Music Center

9 p.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013, Official After Party @ MOCAD

Sunday, July 7, 2013, @ Max M. Fisher Music Center

All performances are free and open to the public; all venues are located on or near Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit. Find the latest news and information at www.concertofcolors.com. 

LINEUP: 22nd Concert of Colors 2014

 

 

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 7^th 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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22^nd 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. 7^th 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

 

 

************

 

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.