This Week on One Detroit:
NEA Chair Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson heads to Detroit to discuss ‘living an artful life’
Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, the trailblazing National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair, will speak to a public audience during an upcoming conversation at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit as part of the 2023 Concert of Colors, Michigan’s largest free diversity festival.
The free conversation, presented by the Michigan Council for the Arts, Concert of Colors and The Wright Museum, will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, July 21 at The Wright Museum Community Gallery.
During her conversation with Wright Museum President Neil Barclay, Dr. Jackson is expected to share her journey as the first African American and Mexican American woman to lead the NEA, as well as the power of creativity and the transformative impact it can have on society.
In advance of her visit to Detroit, Dr. Jackson sat down with American Black Journal host Stephen Henderson to talk about the importance of the arts in building healthy communities. Drawing from her own experiences, she emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the arts, highlighting how it can promote understanding, empathy, and social change.
Plus, they discuss Dr. Jackson’s professional background and her groundbreaking appointment as the first African American and Mexican American woman to chair the NEA.
Detroit’s Armenian American music scene celebrated in “We Thrive” documentary by local filmmakers
Armenians and Armenian Americans have long been a part of Detroit’s rich cultural tapestry, and with them these immigrants brought their unique musical sounds. Now there’s a documentary, “We Thrive,” that celebrates and chronicles the history of Armenian music in Detroit. The film, directed by filmmakers Lisa Hagopian and Eric Harabadian, makes its Michigan theatrical premiere at the Maple Theater at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2.
Armenian music is characterized by its unique blend of Middle Eastern, Caucasian, and Western influences. Traditional Armenian instruments such as the duduk (a double-reed woodwind instrument), kanun (a plucked string instrument), and oud (a pear-shaped string instrument) have played a significant role in preserving the authentic sounds of Armenian music in Detroit.
The documentary shines a light on the eclectic mix of Armenian American musicians in metro Detroit and the common bond they share. We hear from the filmmakers behind the documentary about how the traditional music and instruments of Armenia continue to intertwine and influence the diverse music of local Armenian Americans today. Plus, watch a preview of the film.
One Detroit Weekend: July 21, 2023
Looking for some summer fun in Detroit? From Concert of Colors, Michigan’s largest free diversity festival, to the Ann Arbor Art Fair and Soulful Saturday Riverfront Music Festival, metro Detroit has a lot to offer!
One Detroit contributors Dave Wagner and Peter Whorf of 90.9 WRCJ share what you can do around the Detroit area during the July 21 weekend and into next week on “One Detroit Weekend.”
List of upcoming events:
- Visit the Concert of Colors, Michigan’s largest free music and diversity festival, through July 23. The festival brings international music to Detroit, as well as offering global foods and other fares.
- Explore the streets of Ann Arbor July 20-22 for the Ann Arbor Art Fair. The annual art fair, spanning more than 30 blocks, will have hundreds of artists, artisans and vendors to check out.
- Spend a night listening to some jazz at the Dirty Dog Jazz Café July 21-22 with saxophonist, composer and music educator Jushua James’ group The Aston Neighborhood Pleasure Club.
- Hear some of the nation’s top R&B performers at the Soulful Saturday Riverfront Music Festival at Hart Plaza July 22-23, featuring R&B headliners and other interactive adult activities.
- Head over to the Fowlerville Family Fair July 24-29 for fair rides, harness racing, a rodeo, a demolition derby and some of those sweet treats we all know and love.
- Celebrate Black business and its connection to African American history in Detroit at Hot Sam’s Detroit’s Black Wall Street Sunday, July 23. The event will feature fashion, music and more.
- Step into history with a visit to the Lenawee County Fair July 23-29, Michigan’s longest-running fair since 1839. The fair provides an educational format to preserve agricultural heritage.
- Get ready for some heat — Reverend Horton Heat is coming to the Blind Pig on July 26 with The Delta Bombers. Doors open at 7 p.m. for this all-ages concert.
Singer-songwriter Emily Rose performs ‘Alma,’ a love ballad about commitment through life
Taking the Marygrove Theater stage for “Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove,” Detroit singer-songwriter-poet Emily Rose sings an original song, “Alma,” a western, acoustic love ballad that tells the story of an elderly husband who is resharing his love and memories of life with his wife as they’ve aged.
“Alma is a song about dedication and commitment and love,” Rose told contributor Satori Shakoor. “It’s about an older couple, and I sing the song from the perspective of the husband who is singing to his wife and he’s telling her about their life together, because she doesn’t have the mental faculties to remember it any longer.”
Watch Rose’s performance of “Alma” on demand now. Plus, catch her live in concert Saturday, July 22 at the Detroit House of Music alongside other Detroit locals Audra Kubat and The Dangling Participles.
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