Black Women Rock

Black Women Rock! Debuts in Detroit at the Charles H. Wright Museum


DETROIT – February 23, 2010 – Renowned poet, writer and performer jessica Care moore and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History present Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Betty Davis, a multi-media live music concert, dialogue and master class to take place the weekend of March 27th and 28th.

In 2005, Care moore produced Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Rock Icon Betty Davis in conjunction with The National Black Arts Festival to showcase young, independent women artists of color who made a living as composers, guitarists, vocalists, producers and arts educators in the genre of Rock and Roll. These contemporary artists defy the stereotype of what a rock and roll artist looks and sounds like, and are the spiritual descendents of Betty Davis, Tina Turner, Nona Hendrix, Patti Labelle Maxanne, and Janis Joplin. These trailblazing pioneers have spent their careers fighting biases and breaking down barriers of image, politics and sexuality in the music industry.


“This event will celebrate their music and inspire young women to not just be a “part” of the music industry, but to build an institution around their work,” says Care moore.


On Saturday, March 27th at 8 pm, Black Women Rock! premieres in Detroit at the Charles H. Wright Museum with full band performances by Imani Uzuri, Tamar Kali, Steffanie Christi'an, and jessica Care moore. On Sunday, March 28th at 1 pm, Care moore and Piper Carter will lead an intimate conversation with local greats such as Monica Blaire for aspiring female musicians who write, play or sing music. As curator, jessica Care moore is excited to introduce these strong, feminine voices to the city of Detroit.

“I’ve known these artists for years. Imani Uzuri is our Nina Simone, our Bessie Smith and she’s performed all over the world. Steffanie Christi’an is a powerhouse vocalist who still lives here! It’s important for young girls to know these women exist, and to teach them how they can have successful music careers and write their own terms; in effect, define their destiny in life.”


The night will also feature a collection of women in history from The Black History 101 Mobile Museum, the Museums rotunda will display an original art exhibition created by NY based painter, Renaldo Davidson who will also be in attendance. Chicago’s Marcia Jones and Detroit artist, Sabrina Nelson will provide live art both days. Sounds provided by DJ Chaka Rae. The event will be live streamed around the world courtesy of Mind Mobile Mafia.


Both events are FREE and open to the public. For more information, please call (313) 494-5800 or jessica Care moore: direct: 313 974 5111 or detroitbutterfly@gmail.com.












Who is Betty Davis?
A wildly flamboyant funk diva with few equals three decades after her debut, Betty Davis combined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futuristic fashion sense of David Bowie, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis, her husband for a year. It's easy to imagine the snickers when a 23-year-old model married a famous musician twice her age, but Davis was no gold digger; she turned Miles onto Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, providing the spark that led to his musical reinvention on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, then proved her own talents with a trio of sizzling mid-'70s solo LPs.

jessica Care moore
An internationally renowned poet, publisher, literary activist, performance artist, playwright and actor, jessica is a five-time Showtime at the Apollo winner. She was featured on hip-hop mega-star, Nas' "Nastradamus" album, and is a returning star of Russell Simmons’ HBO Series, Def Poetry Jam. jessica has been featured in The New York Times, Essence, Blaze, Source, and Vibe.

Imani Uzuri
Frequently compared to artists like Grace Jones and Nina Simone, vocalist/composer/performer Imani Uzuri has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Talib Kweli, and Sly and Robbie; performed on "David Letterman" with Peter Gabriel; and appeared at venues such as Central Park Summerstage, Barbican Center and ICA (London), Le Lieu Unique (France), World Festival of Sacred Music (Japan), The United Nations, Apollo Theater, Kazan Live Festival (Russia/Tatarstan) and Festival d’Essaouira (Morocco).

Steffanie Christi’an
Fusing the musical influence of such greats as Janis Joplin, Prince, Bob Marley and Tori Amos, Christi’an’s talents have been noticed by Eminem, Erykah Badu and Amp Fiddler. Steffanie is currently touring as a background vocalist and percussionist with Jocaine & 75 North, who have appeared with artists such as Uncle Kracker, Ty Herndon, Brett Micheals, Tantric, SheDaisy and country legend David Allen Coe.

Tamar-kali
Whether channeling Billie Holiday or Bad Brains, Brooklyn native and resident hardcore-soul queen Tamar-kali wields her pen and guitar with equal ferocity. This fiercely independent performer has graced the stages of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Lincoln Center.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MEDIA CONTACT:

April Woodard

Focal Point Media Group

(313) 623-3694

focalpointmedia@gmail.com

Artist Imo Imeh in NYC

A good friend and big brother of mine, artist Imo Nse Imeh is being displayed in New York City. I met him during an open mic here in Detroit when the feature was another mutual friend of ours poet David Ragland. He was impressed with some of my poetry and I was invited to recite while at his art exhibit for the University of Toledo. Now he's in the display "Wearing Spirit". "Wearing Spirit" is a group show curated by Shantrelle P. Lewis in NYC, running March 11 - May 21, 2010. He is one of 25 artists featured in the show. His contribution was a large painting titled "Mechanisms in Uyai" (48 x 96 Inches, Mixed Media on Canvas). His work discusses the Ibibio philosophical and aesthetic traditions of seclusion and ritual fattening by way of the mbopo sorority. It describes the newfound post-seclusion identity of the "fattened bride" as icon.

Female-Artist-Scholar-Activist? What is That?

President's Dining Room, 7 p.m.-9:p.m.
The UDM Women and Gender Studies Program
presents : "Female-Artist-Scholar-Activist"? What is that?

Are academic culture and social activism incompatible? What motivates minority women artists and educators to spend their lives working for social justice? Why is there so little research available on the lives of such women? What strategies and inspirations can todays artists, activists, and educators draw from their experiences?

Aurora Harris will discuss these and other intriguing questions in a presentation drawn from her thesis, A Multicultural Exploration of Female Scholar-Activist Artists In Detroit, Michigan. This interview-based study examines the consciousness-shaping experiences and lives of Ms. Michele Gibbs (Russell), Ms. Lolita Hernandez, Dr. Gloria House, and Ms. Emily Lawsin--four minority women artists and educators deeply engaged in our local, national, and international struggles over race, gender, and class.

Ms. Harris's talk will be followed by a panel discussion with Ms. Hernandez, Dr. House, and Ms. Lawsin and an audience question-and-answer session. This event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. For more information contact Rosemary Weatherston, Co-Director of the Women and Gender Studies Program (weatherr@udmercy.edu / 313.993.1083).

About the Speaker:

Aurora Harris was born in Detroit, Michigan and is of African American Filipina heritage. She received a M.A. in Social Foundations of Education with a concentration in Cultural Studies from Eastern Michigan University and a B.A. in Sociology from Wayne State University. Ms Harris is an award winning, internationally known published poet, educator, mentor, and community worker. Her poetry regarding women, labor, jazz, African American and Filipino life appears in several poetry anthologies. Ms Harris serves as a Board member for Broadside Press and is the hostess of the Broadside Press Poets Theater at the University of Detroit-Mercy.