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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2016)
Page 14 Black History Month Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Ernest J. Hill, Jr. Agent 4946 N. Vancouver Avenue, Portland, OR 97217 503 286 1103 Fax 503 286 1146 ernie.hill.h5mb@statefarm.com 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service R February 10, 2016 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Prodigy Fronts Neosoul Concert State Farm R Got belly dance? We do! shimmymob.com Singer and songwriter Raheem Deaughn, a Grammy nominated R&B, Neo soul rock and hip hop musician from Newark, N.J., will front a Neosoul Night at the Tao Event Center, Thursday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. A night of swag, sprit and soul f eliCia s lider T he P OrTland O bserver You don’t want to miss the musical magnitude of Raheem Devaughn’s irst time visit to the Rose City. The Newark, N.J. born and Maryland-based musical prodi- gy, the son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadud, will be in Portland to per- form Thursday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. at Neosoul Night at the Tao Event Center, 631 N.E. Grand Ave. A singer and songwriter whose vocal artistry is a force of nature, Devaughtn’s lyrics are a trifecta of fantasy, fetish and lava. His debut album, “The Love Expe- rience,” reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. His 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Perfor- mance for the single “Woman” gratiies the soul of generations. Portland hometown artist “Nehemiah,” will also perform during the concert, saturating the stage with his soul music swag and spirit. Karanja Crews, the award-win- ning educator from Portland’s black community, and founder of the annual Teaching with Purpose Conference, is the event’s pro- ducer. The Portland Observer asked Crews to give us a take on how he keeps his ears and eyes on Port- land’s music scene. When did you fall in love with music? by Upholste r y C le an ing • S of a/L ove s e at • Pet St ains • Flo o d R estorat ions 5 0 3 - 7 0 5 - 2 5 8 7 2 Rooms + Hall $ 59 95 Complete House $ 109 95 We Also Do Janitorial Services Licensed • Bonded • Insured Carpet Cleaning Spot/Stain Removal • 24 Hour Flood Service Upholstery Cleaning • Area Rug Cleaning • Dry Time 2-4 Hours With Free Deoderizer Free Estimates • Available Weekends I fell in love with music at the age of 9. I used to attend shows with my brother and listen to mu- sic like Run DMC. How important is it to be a ist-class event producer? I keep up with music trends by looking at a lot of underground and breakthrough artists. This in- dustry is often about networking and making connections. I pride myself on being the full package of promoting premier events. Tell us about a “day in the life” of an event producer? It’s great... I’m always multi- tasking. From research to con- tacting the artist, the labels, booking and promotions, adver- tising and ticket sales, things are constantly moving. I also coordi- nate items on a band’s tour. This includes anything from the air- line and hotel accommodations, to food, to whatever the artist may need or like to make sure their event is A+. Who was the irst artist you did a concert promotion for? The artist “GZA” of the leg- endry hip-hop group Wu-Tang. Who would be your dream artist to promote? My dream artist would be Nas, the legendary New York- based hip hop entertainer. For R &B, I would have to say one of my favorites is Anita Baker. Both are legendary, not just in their genre, but in the industry of music. They transcend true art- istry in crossing over different categories of music. And they are both renowned in their own name.
