| |
| Rhythmic
Concepts Inc. presents |
| In
the Name of Love |
| The
8th Annual Musical Tribute Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. |
|
Sunday, January 17, 2010, 7:00 pm at the Oakland Scottish Rite
Center. |
Rhythmic
Concepts, Inc., with the generous support of Target Corporation,
will present In the Name of Love, the 8th Annual Musical Tribute
honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Oakland's only non-denominational
musical tribute honoring Dr. King. Since its debut in 2003, this
program has become one of Oakland's most prominent civic and cultural
events, bringing our diverse community together to celebrate the
life and work of one of the greatest humanitarians of our time.
This year's event promises to be a profound celebration of civil
rights, with an incredible evening of music and celebration.
"In
the Name of Love" features both local and national talent, children
from our Oakland public schools, archival footage of Dr. King shown
on a larger than life screen, and the presentation of the "City
of Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award", given to an outstanding
member of our community working to make a difference. Each year,
1,400 adults, elders, children and families, from extremely diverse
backgrounds, come together to share in the inspiration of Dr. King's
teachings, through the joy of music. All of these elements help
make "In the Name of Love" one of the most memorable and soulful
events of the year.
Our
illustrious emcee for the evening will be Brian Copeland,
the multitalented comedian, writer, television host and radio talk
show host and author of Not a Genuine Black Man.
This
year's amazing line-up includes Ledisi, one of the country's
most gifted rising stars, the John Santos Sextet featuring
vocalists Kimiko Joy and Orlando Torriente; the powerful 60-voice
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir; and the Oakland Children's
Community Choir under the musical direction of Melanie DeMore
with over 200 children from our Oakland elementary schools, backed
up by Khalil Shaheed's Oaktown Jazz Workshops.
Archival
footage of Dr. King's powerful oratories will be shown throughout
the evening and the Citizen Of Oakland Humanitarian Award,
chosen in conjunction with the Oakland Department of Human Services,
will be presented to an individual who has given back to the community
in extraordinary ways.
Brian
Copeland, Emcee
If
you were
to look up the definition of the word versatility in a dictionary
of performers, chances are you'd find the name BRIAN COPELAND. The
multitalented comedian, writer, television host, talk radio host
and commentator has basked in the glow of both public and critical
acclaim for nearly a decade.
Copeland's
incisive, cutting edge standup comedy material and his unique ability
to hilariously cut to the heart of some of our most serious social
and political problems has earned him spots as the opening act for
such diverse artists as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick,
Donna Summer, Peabo Bryson, Al Jarreau, Ringo Starr, Manhattan Transfer,
James Brown, Rick Springfield, Lionel Richie, George Benson, Etta
James, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and the Queen of Soul, Aretha
Franklin. In addition to performing in clubs and concert halls across
America, he has appeared at such venues as Caesar's Palace in Las
Vegas, Taj Mahal and Trump Palace in Atlantic City and Constitution
Hall in Washington DC.
Ledisi
Ledisi
Anibade Young, one of the most talented rising starts of today,
is an R&B singer-songwriter from New Orleans. Her first name means
"to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba. Her mother sang in
a Louisiana R&B band, and at only age eight, she first began performing
with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. She moved to Oakland, California,
where she was nominated for a Shellie award in 1990 for her performance
in a production of The Wiz and performed in an extended run with
the San Francisco cabaret troupe, Beach Blanket Babylon. She studied
opera and piano for five years at University of California Berkeley
in their Young Musicians Program.
In
1995, Ledisi formed the group known as Anibade. After an unsuccessful
attempt to get the group signed to a major label, she started LeSun
Records with Sundra Manning, and with Anibade, released her demo
Take Time, which gained major airplay from local radio stations.
In 2000, Ledisi released her first album, Soulsinger: The Revival.
The album spun off four singles, "Soulsinger", "Take Time", "Get
Outta My Kitchen", and "Good Lovin". In 2002, she went on to release
her sophomore album, Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue. This album
won her an award for "Outstanding Jazz Album" at the California
Music Awards. Ledisi then took a five-year hiatus, during which
time she stated that she was unsure of wanting to stay within the
music industry. In response, Ledisi wrote the song "Alright" to
express her life. In 2007, Ledisi signed a major record deal with
Verve Forecast and received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
In 2008, she released her Christmas album, It's Christmas, Lost
& Found, which has sold 216,894 copies, and was nominated "Female
Artist of the Year". In 2009, Ledisi's fourth studio album Turn
Me Loose was released on August 18, 2009.
Ledisi's
web site
John
Santos Sextet
Four-time
Grammy-nominated percussionist and US Artists Fontanals Fellow,
John Santos is a major exponent of Afro-Latin music through innovative
use of traditional forms and instruments with contemporary music.
He's been a prolific performer, composer, teacher, writer, radio
programmer, and record/event producer for over 30 years, having
worked with acknowledged masters such as Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie,
Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Patato Valdés,
Francisco Aguabella, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner, Batacumbele, Omar
Sosa, and Carlos Santana. John was a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory
Committee of the Smithsonian Institution.
The
John Santos Sextet will shed light on the historical and cultural
significance of Latin Jazz, as well as its aesthetic characteristics
pertaining to instrumentation, rhythm, interpretation and improvisation.
Organized in 2003, their repertoire consists of original compositions
and exciting original arrangements of classics from Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and the US. Their first CD, Papa Mambo, was released on John's
Machete Records label in the Summer of 2007. Their second CD, Perspectiva
Fragmentada, released in October, 2008, also on the Machete Records
label, was selected as one of the five top Latin Jazz CDs of 2008
by New York's All About Jazz magazine, and was a nominee for a Cubadisco
award, equivalent to the Cuban Grammys. This evening, the Sextet
features special guest vocalists, Kimiko Joy and Orlando Torriente.
John
Santos 's web site
The
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir,
with its exquisite vocal harmonies and stirring gospel repertoire,
is a multiracial interfaith group of 55 vocalists united in their
love of gospel music with its message of hope, joy, unity and justice
- under the direction of Terrance Kelly. Created in 1986 by Rhythmic
Concepts, OIGC went on to form it's own independent corporation
in 1991 and is an international touring and recording group. From
1999-2003, the OIGC earned the Gospel Academy Award for "Best Community
Choir of the Year." Terrance Kelly received the 2003 Gospel Academy
Award for Best Director. The choir's has preformed with recording
stars Tramaine Hawkins, Take 6, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel and
Jeffrey Osborne.
Oakland
Interfaith Gospel Choir's Web Site
Oakland
Children's Community Choir is
a music education project provided completely free of charge by
RCI to Oakland elementary schools with little or no access to the
arts. Over 240 children from Glenview and Cleveland elementary schools
participated this season in a four-month music education and performance
project under the Musical Direction of Melanie DeMore and accompanist
Ben Heveroh. These schools were selected because of the diversity
of the population and the lack of funding for cultural programming.
Tonight's event is the culmination of their work. OCCC provides
a number of important services for underserved children: access
to a high quality music fundamental program, exposure to the teachings
of Dr. King, and an exciting opportunity to showcase their accomplishments
by performing at a high profile public event alongside professional
artists.
The
Oaktown Jazz Workshops
is a multifaceted presentation, and preservation organization dedicated
to celebrating the artistic and cultural significance of America's
Classical Music - Jazz. Under the musical direction of Khalil Shaheed,
OJW was formed in 1994 and celebrates jazz music as an American
indigenous art form of profound artistic & cultural significance.
The purpose of OJW is to promote, preserve, and present this music
so that all youth, and especially African American youth, develop
a sense of ownership and pride in jazz music as a uniquely American
cultural tradition.
Oaktown
Jazz Workshops' Web Site
******************************************************************
Concert
date/time: Sunday, January 17, 2010, 7:00 pm
Location: Oakland Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Drive,
Oakland, CA
Box
office opens 4:30 pm; doors open at 6:00 pm
Tickets:
$12 general admission; under 12 FREE
Affordable
ticket pricing made possible by Target
Tickets by phone: (800) 838-3006, or to purchase online:
click
Brown Paper Tickets.
For
more info, please contact:
Stacey Hoffman, Executive Director
2501 Harrison Street, Oakland, Ca., 94612
(510) 287-8880
RCI@jazzcampwest.com
Presented by Rhythmic Concepts, Inc. RCI is an Oakland-based non-profit
organization. "In the Name of Love" has been made possible through
the generosity of Target Corporation, City of Oakland, Cultural
Funding Program; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Clorox Foundation;
Zellerbach Family Foundation; Macy's; R.O.O.F Foundation; See's
Candies; Bay Area News Group East Bay; Oakland Tribune; KRON 4;
KBLX; and Solstice Press.
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