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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 26, 2004)
May 26, 2004 tlK F o r tia n i» (© baeruer page C3 H istory o f Jazz & Hip-hop 101 Free concert to empower youth with cultural and artistic knowledge The New Griot Project (NGP), an arts outreach initiative that draws on the shared musical, cultural and ar tistic heritage of jazz and hip-hop to inform and empower youth, presents a free jazz and hip-hop concert on Saturday, May 29 at 7:00 P. M. at the Matt Dishman Community Center, 77 N.E. Knott Street. The concert features several Port land jazz and hip-hop artists, includ ing rapperCool Nutz, jazz trumpeter Thara Memory, jazz pianist Darrell Grant, The Original Cats of Jazz, and smooth jazz group N’Touch, as well as breakdancers the Rose City Break ers, poet Renee Mitchell, Project workshop students and others. Arts and Culture Council, The New Griot Project Workshop teamed young people with professional art Free Jazz & Hip-hop Concert ists in a 10-day after-school work Saturday, May 29, 7pm shop held at the Blazers Boys and Girls Club. Matt Dishman Community Center, 77 N.E. Knott St. Students learned about jazz from trumpeter Thara Memory; were These performances are the cul shown the connection between hip- mination of a three-week program hop and African music by rapper Mic sponsored by the Leroy Vinnegar Crenshaw and drummer David Parks; Jazz Institute at Portland State, and and viewed the work of Portland conducted in partnership with the painter IsaakaShamsud-Din. Young Blazers Boys & Girls Club and Port emcees, poets and musicians col land Parks and Recreation. Funded laborated with faculty artists to in part by a grant from the Regional compose original poetry and songs Combs Makes Broadway Debut Sean Combs and Alexander Mitchell (AP photo) (AP) — Sean Combs, the hip- hop impresario has made his Broad way debut in “A Raisin in the Sun” at the Royale Theatre in New York. He co-stars with actress Phylicia Rashad in Lorraine Hansberry story of a black family’s South Side Chi cago apartment in the late 1950s. Rashad dominates the house hold and the play, giving a lovely, touching perform ance as the strong-willed woman who wants to lift her family out of the ghetto on the wings of a $10,000 insurance policy left by her late husband. Combs has a compelling physi cal presence, debuting as the woman’s son, an angry dreamer, frustrated with his job as a chauf feur for a wealthy white man. on themes of empowerment and so cial justice, and will perform these works on May 29. In addition, workshop students created public service announce ments (PSAs) for KBOO radio, and began work on a mural which, when completed, will be transformed into a 20 x30 ft. outdoor mural on East Burnside. The New Griot Project was in spired by the West African tradition of the “griot” as a storyteller who perpetuates the oral tradition and historyofavillageorfamily. Thegoal of NGP is the empowerment of Port land youth by putting into their hands and minds the tools with which toteli their stories - investing those sto ries with knowledge and apprecia tion for musical, cultural and artistic heritage, and assisting them in carry ing their message to the larger com munity. A ctress Starts R ecord L ab el Fans in Europe recall first being in troduced to Lunden De’LeonasJoanne Mbutu on the hit German television series Vitai Signs. Three years later, the sultry actress has catapulted that breakout role into a successful career by starring in more than 50 movies and television shows. Today, she’s giving other African- American talent achance by starting an independent label for musicians. The supermodel turned actress opened the doors to her Los Angeles based record label Dirrty records in Septem ber, s i g n i n g Lunden De'Leon aw ard-w in ning rocker DH Peligro o f Dead Kennedys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nailbomb, KEVIN & KEN BERRY'S MEM ORIAL DAY WEEKEND OLD SCHOOL PARTY FRIDAY, M AY 28»h, 2 0 0 4 AT SHENANIGAN'S 4575 H. Channel on Swan Island 9pm • 2am Hors d'oeuvres served Bast dressed and dan<e contest $ 1 0 0 .0 0 each Tickets $21.50 in advance $25.00 at the door Tickets available ah Geneva's - Njeri Hair Design - One Stop Music A Step Above * Tracy's Unforgettable Hails Rebecca Kilgore 30 and over For more information or tickets delivered call: |fe 503-469-1701 FO'f K 80'$ music, "Dress to Impress" go out and listen to live music...