Monday, May 30, 2011

Jackson Community College will present the 2011 Community Juneteenth Festival

Jackson Community College will present an evening of great music from the sound of Detroit divas to some Distorted Soul at the 2011 Community Juneteenth Festival, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. June 18 at the Riverwalk Amphitheater, downtown Jackson.

Performing at the Juneteenth event will be Rock & Soul, comprised of Teresa Marbury & Bruce Pooley, and featuring Mia Johnson, and Detroit’s musical phenomenon Nadir, whose music is called Distorted Soul because it combines funk, soul, rock, jazz, folk and hip-hop.

Rock & Soul has been performing in Michigan for more than 10 years to audiences of all ages. Teresa Marbury was recognized as Motown Music Female R&B Singer 2010. Her solo CD, “No Ordinary Girl,” was released in 2010 to great reviews and was featured on FX Radio. It was produced by her husband, Buster Marbury, drummer with the Temptations. Rock & Soul has headlined at Detroit’s best casinos since their opening, and have performed summer concerts across the state.

Mia Johnson is a Detroit native and product of the Motown era. As a young girl she would listen to records for hours and sing her heart out, and at 14 a family friend took her to her first singing gig where she made $5. She sang in every church and school choir. She has a vocal range that can handle everyone from Martha Reeves and Diana Ross to Phyliss Hyman and Aretha Franklin. She joins with Rock & Soul to perform a tribute to the Divas, including Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Martha Reeves and Tina Turner.

Juneteenth

Emancipation day celebration - later known as Juneteenth and a public holiday in Texas.Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, on June 19, 1900.
Jonah Nadir Omowale, or Nadir, is a noted singer/songwriter known for his unique blend of music into his own sound. He is a Tennessee native who relocated to Detroit in 1999 and has received 10 Detroit Music Awards. His solo debut album, Distorted Soul 2.0, was released in 2004 to great reviews and was named Best Funk CD of 2005 by SoulPatrol.com. His second album released in 2008 was entitled “Workin’ For the Man,” a combination of live and studio tracks. In 2010 he recruited a new band, and they are working on a new release slated for this year. In addition to his music, Nadir was a correspondent for MTV’s Emmy Award-winning Choose or Lose Street Team covering the 2008 U.S. presidential election. He earned a bachelor’s degree in recording industry management with a minor in music from Middle Tennessee State University.

The Juneteenth festival is a free community event that helps to raise funds for JCC’s College Preparedness Program. CPP provides two free years of college tuition to students identified by their principals in sixth grade based on their ability to benefit from the scholarship, who go on to successfully graduate high school.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of freedom for African-Americans. Originally celebrated on June 19, it commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas and originated in Galveston in 1865. The observance of Juneteenth as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes achievement.

May 27, 2011 For immediate release 517.787.0800, M-Th 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., F 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Media Contact: Marilynn Fryer, 517.796.8466 e-mail: FryerMarilynT@jccmi.edu

IMAGE CREDIT: PICA 05476, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

No comments:

Post a Comment