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| Celebrate Black Music Month in Harlem! Celebrate Black Music Month in Harlem throughout June at nearly 100 events at nine venues throughout the area. The month-long celebration, presented by Bid On Culture, features Jazz, Blues, Gospel, R & B, Classical, Caribbean, Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Funk and Soul music performances as well as spoken word, art and other entertainment. Known worldwide as the epicenter of Black culture, Harlem's contribution to American music and all the arts is legendary. Experience the exciting sounds of Harlem at BID ON CULTURE's Black Music Month at Aloft Harlem, Apollo Theater, Dwyer Cultural Center, Harlem Stage, Lenox Lounge, Melba's, Showman's Café, Studio Museum in Harlem and Sylvia's Also Lounge. The 125th Street Business Improvement District (the 125th Street BID), the Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) and Harlem Community Development Corporation (HCDC) have joined forces to create BID ON CULTURE to showcase and promote Harlem's unique heritage while bringing recognition to the many talented entertainers and venues throughout the area. "We are pleased and proud to continue the celebration of the rich history of music in Harlem, " said Barbara Askins, President and CEO, the 125th Street BID. "Home to numerous music legends and the center of many history-making moments at clubs and concert halls, Harlem is the perfect place to celebrate Black music in June and all throughout the year." Highlights of Harlem's Black Music Month celebration include Stevie Wonder; Nat Adderley, Jr.; Jason Marshall Trio; Ray Schinnery; Cynthia Holiday; Danny Mixon; From Havana to Harlem: 100 years of Maria Bauza with Bobby Sanabria, Candido, Jon Faddis, David Amram, La Bruja, Charenee Wade and Felipe Luciano; Onaje Allan Gumbs, Alex Blake, Sounds of Afrika, Taeko Fukao, Fred McFarlane, Ben Williams & Sound Effect; Kwame Afrifa; Mighty Voices of Praise and many more. "It is a pleasure and a privilege to join our partners, the 125th Street BID and Harlem Community Development Corporation, to once again recognize the contributions of Black music and musicians to the world of entertainment, said Voza Rivers, Chairman of the Board of the HAA. "Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, Billie Holiday and many more world-renowned musicians have made their mark on Harlem. Likewise, Harlem has been the inspiration for the creation and development of the ever-evolving music scene and, without a doubt, will continue to be the heart and soul of Black music." Wayne Benjamin, Harlem CDC's Director, Residential Development, added, "Harlem is more than a neighborhood, it is a way of life. Our businesses and cultural organizations share the goal of showcasing Harlem as a unique, culturally diverse and vibrant community. The 2011 Black Music Month celebration is an excellent way for Harlem to exhibit our one-of-a-kind culture and embrace New Yorkers and visitors from around the world." The BID ON CULTURE project is an on-going initiative of the 125th Street BID in partnership with the Harlem Arts Alliance and Harlem Community Development Corporation. The project showcases the cultural vitality of Harlem along its primary commercial thoroughfare – the famed 125th Street. Its objective is to promote recognition and understanding of Harlem's unique and authentic heritage, its role as a vibrate center of culture and to help promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the economic and artistic heart of Harlem. Among the BID ON CULTURE's upcoming events is the third annual Banner Competition in which professional artists submitted designs in celebration of Harlem's musical legacy as well as personalities and venues associated with Harlem's contribution to the history and development of music in America. Winners will be announced on June 21 and the winning banners will be hung from streetlight poles along 125th Street from Fifth Avenue to Morningside Avenue. The sponsors of the BID ON CULTURE project are Aloft Harlem, Applebee's, The College of New Rochelle, Con Edison, City College of New York, the Hip-Hop Culture Center, The Mama Foundation and NYC & Company. 125th Street Business Improvement District: The 125th Street BID is a non-profit organization funded primarily from an additional tax assessment collected from the property owners within the defined boundaries. Organized in compliance with state and city laws, the property and business and business owners determine the services and programs needed for the district. The BID will utilize the competition to bring visibility to its streetscape improvement efforts and to enliven the community's central business district. www.125thstreetbid.com. Harlem Arts Alliance: As Harlem's arts service organization, HAA nurtures the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations in Harlem and surrounding areas, and serves as a strong advocate for the health and vitality of the Harlem cultural community. www.harlemmaa.org Harlem Community Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Empire State Development Corporation, serves the greater Harlem community through planning and implementing a range of community development and revitalization initiatives for restoring Upper Manhattan as an economically stable and culturally vibrant community. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |