Detroit's 19th annual Concert of Colors kicks it up a notch July 14 to 17, returning to a four-day format and adding the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Scarab Club to its family of festival venues.
Regular readers here know how much I love this annual diversity and world music festival, so imagine my delight at seeing the festival persevere and expand even as other much-loved events continue to downsize or disappear.
Grammy Award-winning producer and hometown guy Don Was, who produces the annual Detroit All-Star Revue of hometown talent for the Concert of Colors, talked about the event's role as a catalyst for hope and unity when I talked with him before last year's festival.
Don Was at 2008 Concert of Colors
"I think it's amazing that while Detroit is in such an economically disastrous situation, the people here have such a great spirit. That great spirit can overcome adversity," said Was at that time.
The Concert of Colors kicks off on Thursday (July 14) at the Wright Museum with revue-style performances from Mike-E & AfroFlow (African and hip-hop), Steffanie Christi'an (rock/soul), Amp Fiddler (soul/R&B), BombaRica (Puerto Rican folkloric drum and dance), and Omowale African Drum & Dance Ensemble.
Festival goers can also pop around the corner that same evening to the Scarab Club poetry and music with Saladin Ahmed (narrative), Audra Kubat (acoustic folk), Julie Patton with Paul Van Curin (poetry + guitar), The Doll Hairs with Tom Orange (rock/alternative/improv), and Faruq Z. Bey with James Hart and Scott Farrow (jazz and poetry).
I fondly remember both of these sites as venues for the Detroit Festival of the Arts, so I'm happy to see them participating with the Concert of Colors this year. I also saw Faruq Z. Bey as part of the Detroit All-Star Revue at the 2008 Concert of Colors, and I hope to catch a bit of his performance at the intimate Scarab Club.
Faruq Z. Bey at 2008 Concert of Colors
This year's Concert of Colors action moves to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Friday (July 15) with boogie woogie and blues from Mr. B's Joybox Express and Latin jazz from Orlando "Maraca" Valle, as well as a showing of "From Britain With Love: Africa United, which is part of the DIA's acclaimed Detroit Film Theater schedule.
The Concert of Colors moves to the Max M. Fisher Music Center for the weekend (Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17).
Saturday's schedule includes: Japanese drum performance from Raion Taiko; East Indian jazz and soul from Susheela Rama; Arabic/world fusion from Wisaal; Asian rock and soul from the October Babies; funk/jazz fusion from Will Sessions; world rock from Immigrant Suns; reggae, ska, and rock from The Layabouts; American popular music from FAR Senior Band; traditional Irish from Seacht; Detroit Bellydance performances; African drum and dance from Heritage Works; tradition Greek music from ELLAS Band; traditional Eastern European music from The Klezmorim; classical from Richard Rischar and Ling-Ju Lai; soul from Charity; and, of course, Don Was is back to coordinate his fourth annual Detroit All-Star Revue, which is always one of the festival highlights for me.
"It's my favorite night of the year," he told me when I interviewed him last year. "There's a great spirit and great music."
Don Was at 2010 Concert of Colors
This year's Detroit All-Star Revue features Martha Reeves, Mitch Ryder + The Detroit Cobras, Melvin Davis, Wendell Harrison, Ivan Kral, The Brothers Groove, Jim McCarty, The Muggs, Billy Brandt + Sarana VerLin, Black Irish, and Carolyn Striho.
I'm especially excited to see Mitch Ryder and Melvin Davis this year. Mitch Ryder's performance of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" was one of my favorite performances at the 2008 All-Star Revue, and we were recently disappointed to miss a scheduled performance of classic soul from Melvin Davis when the DIA cancelled its Friday night program due to a power outage earlier this month.
Mitch Ryder at 2008 Concert of Colors
The All-Star Revue house band backs many of the acts and includes Don Was on bass, Luis Resto on keyboards, Terry "Thunder" Hughley on drums, and Brian "Roscoe" White on guitar.
I'm also looking forward to the Sunday, July 17 Concert of Colors schedule, when Bettye LaVette headlines with what is sure to be a great soul/R&B performance.
Bettye LaVette at 2006 Detroit Festival of the Arts
LaVette began her recording career in the early 1960s, but, despite cutting some great tracks, her career remained at a very slow simmer for many years. She released her first album in the early 1980s, but it wasn't until 2004 when LaVette's career hit a real resurgence after she won the W.C. Handy Award for "Comeback Blues Album of the Year" for "A Woman Like Me".
We saw LaVette's electrifying performance at the 2006 Detroit Festival of the Arts, so I'm thrilled being able to see her again this year at the Concert of Colors.
Bettye LaVette at 2006 Detroit Festival of the Arts
Sunday's schedule also includes; Brazilian jazz and fusion from Nanny Assis featuring Sean Blackman; Columbian folk and jazz from Pablo Mayor's Folklore Urbano Orchestra; storyteller La'Ron Williams; reggae from Universal Expression; southern folk/rock from Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real; the Odu Afrobeat Orchestra; classical from Linnea Powell; jazz from Tia Hanna; the percussion duo To Hit Things; Puerto Rican folkloric drum and dance from BombaRica; Caribbean music from the Gratitude Steel Band; a contemporary dance performance with the Living Arts Youth Dance Ensemble; global fusion from the Hamtramck World Music Ensemble; traditional African music from Nanou Djiapo-Afrikan Drum & Dance; and gospel from the Nazarene Baptist Church Youth Choir.
Want to preview the artists for this year's Concert of Colors? I've included links to the Detroit All-Star Revue performers in the section about them above. You can also check out the Concert of Colors site for links and info about the rest of the performers.
Can't wait for the festival, or want to see what you missed last year? Check out Detroit's 2010 Concert of Colors is a celebration of diversity and city pride here at Midwest Guest or Tim's 2010 Detroit Concert of Colors Recap at The Wandering Photographer.
Check out video clips from the three previous Concert of Colors Detroit All-Star Revues at the Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music.
We can't wait! Will we see you there?
© Dominique King 2011 All rights reserved
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