Throughout our history, there has been no richer influence on the American songbook than Black music and culture. From early spirituals born out of the unconscionable hardships of slavery; to the creation of folk and gospel; to the evolution of rhythm and blues and jazz; to the ascendance of rock and roll, rap, and hip-hop — Black music has shaped our society, entertained and inspired us, and helped write and tell the story of our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as Black Music Appreciation Month. I call upon public officials, educators, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and appreciation of Black music.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.
TikTok Sets Black Music Month Content, Initiatives
Activist fund asks French watchdog to probe Vivendi's music spin-off | Reuters
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French media giant Vivendi's logo is pictured in Paris, France, August 12, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
Vivendi, controlled by French tycoon Vincent Bollore, is planning to cash in on its crown jewel, the world's biggest music label, by spinning off the entity to existing shareholders - for which it is seeking investor approval.
In Bluebell's letter to the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), which was seen by Reuters, the fund questioned why Vivendi pressed ahead with merging two entities within Universal before getting approval for the spin-off as a whole.
Vivendi's controlling shareholder Bollore would be one of the big winners of the Universal spinoff, which entails distributing 60% of the label's capital to shareholders.
In its letter, Bluebell said it was asking the AMF to "closely assess the reported facts and circumstances for this case, and take the appropriate corrective steps to ensure that Vivendi's shareholders are provided with sufficient disclosures in advance of the 22th of June 2021 shareholder meeting."
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
'An elegant and intimate musical venue': Towson restaurant uses music to bring people to
Wu installed stage lighting above the piano at the center of her restaurant. On performance nights, the bistro has the atmosphere of a classic New York or Chicago piano bar, radiating iconic tunes from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Peggy Lee.
Wu is committed both to classic retro music and to showcasing the talents of a diverse group of local vocalists.
"When we first opened, my vision was to create a 'Fine Arts Cafe.' We wanted to bring music to Towson that gave downtown a sense of style and elegance. I want to offer music that many different people enjoy: Jazz, Blues, Broadway, Opera," she says.
The musical event series launch on May 15 featured vocalist Janet Paulsen singing classics deemed "Cocktail Chic." Jazz, blues, and American Songbook standards — sung by a vocalist whose voice isn't lost in a wall of digital sound — resonate with the audience.
"Our restaurant was completely filled the night of our first event," she says. "I think people feel a strong need to be connected again, and smile and talk with each other."
And being able to enjoy your company as well as the concert is part of the appeal, as folks step out to enjoy entertainment again.
Later in the summer, vocalist Katyrah Love will perform classics of 60′s soul singers like Mary Wells and Aretha Franklin. (Incidentally, Love, who has performed at the famous Apollo Theatre, will also perform at Historic East Towson's Juneteenth Music Festival at the Elks Lodge on June 19.)
Wu is grateful for this opportunity to share music and joy with Towson. "I'm so happy and appreciative that our bistro made it through the long months of the pandemic. This event series is a gift back to the community that supported us through the hard times."
Cheryl Ladd Joins Country Music Movie ‘A Cowgirl’s Song’ From Samuel Goldwyn
EXCLUSIVE: Cheryl Ladd is headlining the country-music-driven feature A Cowgirl’s Song that Samuel Goldwyn will distribute worldwide. The pic, the fourth installment in the Cowgirls ‘N Angels series, begins filming Tuesday in Chickasha, OK.
Starla Christian and Jessica Barondes are producing with Reagan Elkins co-producing and serving as locations manager. Chris Freihofer is the CSA casting director. The Imaginaries, who teamed with Armstrong on the Camp Arrowhead soundtrack (as well as Maggie McClure having multiple songs featured in A Cowgirl’s Story and Cowgirls ‘N Angels ), will co-star, co-produce, music supervise, score and write the film’s soundtrack.
Ladd is renowned for playing Kris Munroe on ABC’s Charlie’s Angels for 87 episodes. She starred in such features as Poison Ivy, Permanent Midnight and Denise Di Novi’s feature directorial debut Unforgettable. Recent TV credits include Ballers, Ray Donovan and American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson as Linell Shapiro.
Attendees enjoy music, each other's company at first night of 30th annual Jazz in June | Local |
The crowd cheers for the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra on the first show of Jazz in June on Tuesday at the Sheldon Museum Sculpture Garden.
Brenda Brolhorst embraces her granddaughter, Maci McManaman, 6, during the first show of Jazz in June on Tuesday at the Sheldon Museum Sculpture Garden.
Blankets and lawn chairs once again flooded the Sheldon Museum Sculpture Garden Tuesday for the first performance of the 30th annual Jazz in June.
After holding an online-only version last year, Jazz in June staff and attendees said they were glad to be back outside for this year's concert series.
The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra kicked off this year's series. Each Tuesday for the rest of June, other local artists will appear at the outdoor venue.
The concert series usually features artists from across the country, but this year has a local focus, Jazz in June coordinator Madeline Reddel said.
The unknown nature of the pandemic meant staff had just about a month to prepare for this year's event, which is usually a year-long endeavor, Reddel said. Still, she said she was excited her team was able to make this year's series happen for the people of Lincoln.
"People are here, people look happy and healthy. It's been kind of a wild ride, but I'm excited it's happening," she said.
Girthapalooza Music Festival brings a full day of jamming to the lake
A music festival has been taking place outside of Eldon for a few years, and is a hidden gem of local talent, as well as southern artists.
Rob Wilson, the festival's organizer, and a talented musician in his own right, shares the origins of Girthapalooza and the unusual name. The festival will be held June 5 just outside of Eldon.
Girthapalooza is an annual local music bash hosted by Rob Wilson. He can currently be found playing solo shows as The Acoustic Mayhem of Rob Wilson, as a duo with Randy Jones in RnR, or with his band Weathered Soles with bassist Delbert Rowden and drummer Matt Hill. Delbert Rowden is an accomplished bassist, well known in the lake area driving the string beat for area bands for at least 25 years. Matt Hill, from the long time local HIll family of musicians echoes rhythms dating back through his family's musical roots prior to the Great Depression, with family members, even a great grandmother strumming guitar as early as the 1900's in Eastern Miller County. His father, Charlie Hill played with Monte Davidson through the 1970s in the lake area, and recorded with various Ozark artists at Audioloft Recording Studios in Linn Creek.
What is a flow artist? Pure visual entertainment! Upon research, it's an art that should be exciting to experience.
Poi & Staff spinning, hula hoop (or "hooping"), contact juggling, sphere manipulation and fan dance are some forms of flow art. New props and expressions are emerging all the time as flow artists cross pollinate with martial arts, yoga, circus, belly dance, and beyond. Circus arts at a music show? Sign me up!
The name of the festival-Girthapalooza is attributed to Wilson's roots with local bands. The band that he was in at the time the festival was originally kicked off was named 3 Inch Girth. That group has disbanded, but the title for the festival stuck.
Girthapalooza will be stopping by 11 p.m. out of respect for the few neighbors within earshot. A bonfire and open acoustic jam will finish the night. This year's music will feature The Acoustic Mayhem of Rob Wilson, Jason Kemp, Dylan Kane, Phantom Sam, Weathered Soles, and Snobby Ostrich. Past events have featured flow artists, fire performers, and fireworks. Jason Kemp and Dylan Kane are both performers from Northwest Arkansas, and both present a modern style of blues on acoustic guitar with some electronic piano and haunting harmonica melodies. Dylan Kane is an artist that one could sit and listen to for hours with his solo acoustic guitar and mellow voice.
Dylan Kane reveals an enchanted escape through his art of merging alternative compositions with a heart wrenching, old school blues As a self-taught musician, Dylan Kane showcases his thrilling talent through his versatility, expanding his range from electric guitar to bass, mandolin, piano, harmonica and banjos. The musician continues to experiment with fluid genres with his back-porch-gypsy-rumble-boogie-blues style, writing lyrics that reflect the beautiful voice hidden within our souls.
The singer-songwriter and musician released his most influential single "Medicine Man" in 2020, and his latest single "Crows Fly In Heaven" is being well-received by his listeners. Written by Dylan Kane at the age of 17, "Medicine Man" depicts the struggles with one's mental and physical health, including addiction, laced with progressive and ethereal melodies. The artist aspires to continue penning down verses that help his listeners gain hope to overcome their concerns.
The Best Music Of May: NPR Staff Picks : All Songs Considered : NPR
Top left, clockwise: Sinéad Harnett, Olivia Rodrigo, The Zolas, Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, Bill Laurance, Sound Prints. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year? In May, we swooned to Olivia Rodrigo 's Sour , marveled at the Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen collaboration, went back to the '90s with The Zolas , bathed in the opulent luxury of Sinéad Harnett's voice, got lost in Bill Laurance's piano universe, and jazz group Sound Prints expanded its possibilities.
I had a writing assignment in college where I had to tell the story of a photograph using only what I could observe. Who was in frame? Who wasn't? What were they doing? What did it all mean? On her debut album, 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo aces this assignment.
More than the year in which you're born, I think access to social media in your teenage years truly defines whether or not a person is Gen Z. Scrolling through Instagram, Rodrigo doesn't have to wonder what her ex is up to — he's posting about it, and she's crafted a thrilling breakup album reading between all the pixelated lines. Rodrigo has some quietly brilliant lines — deceptively simple turns of phrase like "I think I think too much" — subtly outlining the problem. But Sour resonates no matter when you were born; if you've ever had your heart broken as a teenager — by a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a best friend, or even yourself as your try to bridge the gap between who you are and who you want to be. I guess that's the irony: even as she grapples with her own self-image, Olivia Rodrigo shows us a songwriter with a clear vision. —Cyrena Touros
With their Jagjaguwar ties and shared inspirations, it's hard to believe that a Sharon Van Etten-Angel Olsen collaboration hadn't already happened. But timing's no matter now: "Like I Used To" absolutely delivers. An unexpected yet sensical crossover from two of today's most vital and venerated songwriters, it's a soaring showcase for both artists' strengths.
The '90s are back. Wide-leg jeans, baggy T-shirts, spaghetti strapped floral dresses — they've all made a resurgence, and from the sounds of things, The Zolas are on board. "Yung Dicaprio" sprung from an obsession with the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet , which starred, yes, a young Leonardo DiCaprio. You can see that obsession play out in the very Baz Luhrmann-influenced music video for the song, and you can hear it in the lyrics; unlike the tragic story the song was inspired by, "Yung Dicaprio" is a joyful celebration of being saved by love. While the Zolas are from Vancouver, the track sounds like a new Britpop revival. You can enjoy the '90s resurgence... even if you don't want to start parting your hair down the middle again. —Raina Douris , World Café
Like so many of us, Sinéad Harnett spent much of the last year alone. The London-born singer-songwriter was very open with her friends and fans on social media about the mental health toll of quarantine, specifically how she was using music to get through it. Every few days, she'd curl up in the curtains and sunlight of her window sill and serenade her Instagram followers with a Corrine Bailey Rae cover or an a cappella snippet of a song idea she was testing. Now, almost a year later, her latest project, Ready is Always Too Late, feels like a self-actualized level-up — one that was born out of that necessary, albeit jilting, pause. Harnett shows off masterful control on Ready in a way that allows the luxury of her tone to sink in deep. While the project boasts collaborations with stateside R&B stalwarts like Lucky Daye and VanJess , it's solo songs like "Stay" that allow Harnett to soar highest. —Sidney Madden
Bill Laurance is a multi-Grammy award-winning pianist, and an original member of Snarky Puppy . "Cables Rewired," a collaboration with The Untold Orchestra, is an immersive cinematic universe. It reminds me of long family drives through the German countryside on partly cloudy days, and driving through tunnels and emerging from the other side to sunbursts over a castle on a sloping hill above a shimmering river. It's got moments of beautiful swells, cascading piano runs, and such fantastic momentum and build up. Since discovering it at the beginning of the month, I've had it on repeat because it's such a vibe. I recommend that you close your eyes, put on your best headphones and escape into this song. —Nikki Birch
California's Coachella music festival to return in April 2022 | Reuters
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Concertgoers use their mobile phones during Eminem's performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, U.S., April 15, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
The Coachella music festival in the Southern California desert will return for the first time in two years in April 2022, the organizer announced on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old music festival, one of the largest in the world, was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers had previously worked to bring it back in October 2021, according to media reports, but that plan was scrapped.
The festival brings half a million fans to an open-air site in Indio, east of Los Angeles, over two weekends. The 2022 dates are the weekends of April 15-17 and April 22-24, organizer Goldenvoice, a festival and concert company, said in a statement. Tickets go on sale on Friday.
Performers for 2022 were not announced. The acts that were supposed to headline the 2020 lineup included Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott.
Stagecoach, a country music festival also held in Indio, will follow Coachella from April 29 to May 1.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
Marina's Music Was Caught Between Worlds. Now She's Making Her Own. - The New York Times
LOS ANGELES — Marina Diamandis moved from London to Los Angeles during the pandemic fall, but she has already discovered some of the city's trendiest literary emissaries. " Eve Babitz didn't get her due," she said recently, scanning the shelves at West Hollywood's Book Soup for the author's "Slow Days, Fast Company," a cult favorite of California-set vignettes. "Joan Didion kind of eclipsed her." With a wry smirk, she added, "There's only ever room for one woman."
The music business is its own kind of man's world, and Diamandis has been navigating its waters since her 2010 debut, "The Family Jewels," a boisterous collection of piano ballads, synth-pop and theatrical hip checks. "Along with British songwriters like Lily Allen and Kate Nash, she's redefining songs about coming of age, and the aftermath, with bluntness and crafty intelligence," The New York Times's chief pop critic, Jon Pareles, wrote just ahead of its release.
In 2019, Diamandis put out a call on social media looking for female collaborators. Sifting through recommendations from fans and friends, she formed a team that included Gavillet, the photographer Coughs and the producer Jennifer Decilveo, who has worked with Beth Ditto and Bat for Lashes. Decilveo and Diamandis, who teamed on those first two singles, wrote music together at Diamandis's West Hollywood home over Sunbasket meal-kit dishes that she had prepared.
"This is going to sound taboo, but I was drawn to the fact that Marina's a woman, and I'm one of the only female producers in the business, and we spoke each other's language," Decilveo said in a phone interview. "She's the real deal and, in this strange pop market, it's refreshing to have somebody with lyrics that are going against the grain."
With a singsong rhythm punctuated by snare drums, Diamandis impersonates Mother Nature avenging human failures on "Purge the Poison," including capitalism, racism, pollution, Harvey Weinstein and the treatment of her beloved Britney Spears. "On 'Purge,' I wasn't trying to be nice," Decilveo added. "I knew it needed to be a sock in the face."
The second half of "Ancient Dreams" is more inward-focused — a breakup album — including "Highly Emotional People," a delicate ballad interrogating male stoicism, and the plangent closer, "Goodbye." During the pandemic, Diamandis split from her longtime boyfriend, Jack Patterson of the British electro-pop band Clean Bandit, with whom she shared a house and several cats.
"On 'Goodbye' I was crying so hard as I was writing it that I actually couldn't record the demo properly," she said during a stroll near her home. Her candy-striped sundress accommodated the stifling April weather, and she covered her inky black hair with a straw hat. "Songwriting is the best cure," she added.
Growing up in a small town in Wales, Diamandis said she never demonstrated any aptitude for music, except for singing Oasis's "Wonderwall" once when she was 9 "by the fireplace like a little Victorian child." As a teenager, she moved to her father's native Greece and recalled returning with "a burning, raging urge to be a singer." She began writing and releasing music on Myspace.
Over the years, Diamandis's albums have revealed an intriguing if uneasy dialogue with her own pop persona, beginning with "The Family Jewels," which showcased her impressive vocal range and heralded a confident, unpredictable new artist.
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