Today is August 20, the last day of the Liberated Muse artist community on the Ning network. Make sure you leave a message in our Guestbook before the site closes! We've had fun. Stay tuned for news on our next move. For now, stay up on Liberated Muse here on Blogger and on Twitter and Facebook. Wanna write for our blog? Shoot us an email at LiberatedMuseProductions@gmail.com. Thanks for hanging with us! Here are some of our past and present members who have been with us on and off-line! Stay connected...
Liberated Muse co-founder Maceo Thomas with Jessica Solomon, founder of the Saartjie Project
Singer Anonamas who has been a member since 2008 and part of the 2010 Running: AMOK cast
International soul singer Kuku was one of our first members in 2008
noon:30 joined us in 2009 and its been awesome seeing them blow up on the music scene
Chaquis Maliq joined the community in 2008 and was an active member, keeping us updated on her successful emerging music career
Head-Roc's band GODISHEUS created a Liberated Muse profile in 2009. Head-Roc was one of the hosts for the 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, our best attended festival to date
Phenomenal singer Dee Stone joined the network in 2008, performed in the first Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest and helped us kick off our tour promoting our book in 2009
Musician Gary Young and Quineice joined us in 2009. Gary produced the soundtrack for our play Running: AMOK and Quineice was a featured actress in the play. The two were also a significant part of all of our events in 2009.
Writer Deidre Gantt joined the network in 2008 and has always been a great supporter of Lib Muse events. She hosted our poetry tent at the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest in 2008
LOVEthePoet joined the network in 2009 and hosted the 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest w/ Head-Roc and Bassey Ikpi
Singer Teisha Marie joined us in 2009 and performed in the 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. She was also a featured actress in the play Running:AMOK
James Terrell is a musician and visual artist. He participated in our book celebration of Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul and his art was featured in our art exhibit "Celebration of Freedom" at the Potter's House that ran from Sept-Dec 2009
Stephan Cox was one of the first five members of Liberated Muse. He has been a great support of Lib Muse and the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. His artwork was part of our 2009 Celebration of Freedom art exhibit
Visual artist CHOKE joined us in 2009 and was an integral part of the community. She participated offline in many of our events as a live artist. Her work was featured in our Celebration of Freedom exhibit
Hook of MYSTStudios.com (left) has been a member since 2008. He designed our logos for the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, including our popular Hip Hop Barack graphic
Singer Dionne performed in our To Haiti With Love concert and 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. She was one of the stars of the play Running: AMOK
Member Enoch 7th Prophet has been a member and partner of Liberated Muse, having us on his radio show Mental Salvation Radio to promote the To Haiti with Love concert he also participated in. Enoch performed in our 2009 and 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest
Southeast DC native Christon "Christylez" Bacon is a progressive hip-hop artist who is a modern-day Bobby McFerrin with his mission towards cultural acceptance and unification through music and multiple musical abilities ranging from rapping, singing, beat-boxing, to playing numerous instruments, including the ukelele. His recent collaboration with Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer on a children's CD garnered him, Fink and Marxer a GRAMMY nomination, announced last night.
Christylez has had a phenomenal 2009, performing nationally and becoming the first hip-hop artist to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Christylez was one of the first featured acts in the debut of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest in Washington DC in 2008.
Christylez is already poised to launch a new project in the early months of 2010. In partnership with stage director, Patrick Crowley, Christylez will produce an interdisciplinary concert which will use drama and dance to complement Christylez' musical work. During this production, the Christylez Bacon Orchestra and all new content will also be introduced. The production will result in a concert entitled; Christylez Bacon Theatricalized that will premier at Atlas Theater’s Intersections Festival late February of 2010 and will be comprised of two shows. The production will run until early March of 2010.
Visit Chrisylez' website at www.christylez.com for more information on his work.
Liberated Muse Productions Seeks Partners for 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest
Are you an arts organization or business in the Washington DC metro area seeking an opportunity to be part of one of the largest events that takes place east of the river in Washington DC? If so, we would love for you to become a partner of the 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. For more information, please email us CapitalHipHopSoulFest@gmail.com expressing your interest and to receive an invite to our upcoming Partners Meeting to take place in January 2010. Visit www.CapitalHipHopSoulFest.com for more information on the festival.
If you missed our event last night, then you missed an extremely exhilirating experience. Check out the videos below:
The event Capital Rhythm & Soul was a fundraising event for the nonprofit Southeast Ministry that benefits adults and youth in GED prep and literacy education. The event was part of the Potter's House Sounds of House benefit concert series.
Featured artists included: Anonamas, Farah Lawal, C. Love, James Terrell and Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman, featuring Gary Young. The Walidane Drummers performed the finale.
What an evening of thankfulness; a perfect pre-cursor to Thanksgiving.
If you couldn't make it but would like to donate to Southeast Ministry, email us at LiberatedMuseProductions for more information.
We are continuing our efforts to take part in the wonderful programming that takes place in the DC metro area throughout the year as a supplement to our annual festival, the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. What better way to do that than through an intimate concert venue and in a way that benefits an area nonprofit?
The event is $10 and will benefit Southeast Ministry, a local nonprofit in southeast DC that helps adults earn their GED and provides programming to young people throughout the year in the literary arts.
(In photo:Artists featured in the Liberated Muse exhibit "Celebration of Freedom" at the Potter's House at the Meet the Artists event on Nov. 14. Above are Liberated Muse artists/members, Prudence Bonds, Sherry Burton-Ways, James Terrell, and Sharon Burton, who also curated the exhibit.)
This was something that was distributed in a recent newsletter from Kicking it for Kids Who Can't (KFKWC). KFKWC participated in our Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest and is a special event that will raise money for children who are adapting to life with limb loss. All money raised goes directly to Limbs for Life, a Non Profit Organization 501(c)3, which helps provide assistace to individuals who have suffered limb loss. Here's what they said:
2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest
Saturday, July 25, 2009 brought KFKWC an opportunity to hear music, speak and have fun! From 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM, the KFKWC team set out to solicit donations, network and promote our October 11th event on the National Mall. Aside from listening to the music of up and coming artists in the DC area, the event helped us spread the word about our cause and the purpose for our existence. The sun was blazing, but it wasn't enough to stop the KFKWC team. Our hard sweat earned KFKWC $122.32, putting us a small step closer to our $50,000 goal!! Thank you Maceo Thomas (of Liberated Muse) for providing this opportunity and thank you to all who came out to support KFKWC
So, the 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest is now history, taking place on Saturday, July 25 in Marvin Gaye Park in Washington DC...can we say SUCCESS!? The second annual event boasted high attendance, two stages, freebies and vendors galore on one of the hottest days of the summer despite construction debris and untidy renovation taking place in the park.
Here are what some folks are saying in the press*...
"There was a fair amount going on here – good rotation of musicians on the main stage, vendors hawking their wares, a fashion show, indoor performance space, delicious crabcakes, sunshine, cool breezes, and at one point, people randomly walking around and giving out Blue Bunny frozen yogurt bars (side note: try this stuff, particularly white chocolate raspberry). Pretty fantastic. Tough to beat free fro-yo, greasy carnival food, and live hiphop on a warm July afternoon." -Chris Svetlik, BrightYoungThings.com
"Many view this festival as a testament to dedication in establishing a strong hip-hop scene."-Ra-Jah Kelly, The Washington Informer
We would like publicly thank the following members of Liberated Muse.com who had a role in the success of the event:
Turtel Onli, GeminiVisions, Sankofa Doll Artistry, Shan'ta Monroe, Choke, Vernessa Blackwell, Mary Gaskins, MYST Studios, all of the performing artists featured, Kevin Sabio, Mary-Frances of Capital Community News, Ron Johnson, and anyone else we may not have mentioned who spread the word, attended, vended, sent well-wishes or referred someone our way who was able to help out. The Liberated Muse network has demonstrated its community and committment to promoting the arts and we are so happy to be in community with you!
*we didn't post the link to the Washington Informer because there was inaccurate information regarding the number of folks who attended and an incomplete listing of who performed and other inaccuracies."
The 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest has come and gone and was a whirlwind of activity from this end as a producer of the event. Were you there? What were some of your highlights? (Photos below taken by Liberated Muse member Hadassah Ayodele who is in the photo above)
(Folks dancing to the music of E the R & B Rockstar who was performing on the Main Stage)
(Head-Roc of the band GODISHEUS who also was the host for the greater part of the day)
(Vendors and Liberated Muse members Sherry and Sharon Burton who were selling hand-crafted artwork)(Love the Poet who was host during part of the day on the mainstage)
(Ras Enoch and his crew working the stage in the blazing heat)
The forecast predicts it will be a HOT one! Bring your lawn chairs, water bottles (water will be sold, too) and your friends & family! A great time to be had. FREE
(In photo: MC Cool Cee Brown at the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest in 2008)
Hope you can make it out on Saturday, July 25 @ 11am to enjoy the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. Last year's fest was the inaugural event and we are pleased to offer the second annual festival. The talent is so top notch, we feel honored to have the folks on board that are performing. Check out this hot line-up:
Bomani Armah
The 5th L
Labtekwon
Enoch the 7th Prophet
Teisha Marie
Substantial
Chaquis Maliq
E the R & B Rockstar
GODISHEUS ft/ Head-Roc
noon: 30
Gods'illa
Kenny Wesley
Marcel & the Truth
Mahoganee
Anonamas
Lucky Dub
CrY
The are performing for you all for FREE! That's right, FREE. Of course, we expect that you bring bucks out to purchase music from the acts that move you to spend.
Food vendors and vendors selling a variety of neat items will be on the premises as well. An interactive kids tent will be on site as well, with arts activities, facepainting and other cool things to do.
Live performances & Artist Talk: Saturday, August 8,
5 - 8 p.m.
M3: MCs, Mics & Metaphors (M3) explores the creative power of the lyricism and poetry of hip-hop music through visual imagery. The exhibition gathers a group of emerging artists from around the country, each responding to the theme of the MC (Emcee, or Master of Ceremonies) or simply a favorite hip-hop verse or song. These visual artists are working in a variety of media, including photography, mixed media, painting, fashion, design, installation, video and animation.
Flashpoint & Press Contact: Emma Fisher 202.315.1312
"We are here to show you that DC is more than a municipality filled with institutions that import artists to exhibit or bring down last year’s broadway hit. We are here to show you that we are a city filled with innovators."
The quote above can be found on the Capital Fringe Fest's welcome page as you are greeted with the notion that this year's fest is going to innovative, filled with talent from the nation's capital, and, always, filled with productions that are by no means mainstream. Hence, the term "fringe". The Capital Fringe Festival is about performance art that is eclectic, artistic and accessible. You can find out more by visitin the website http://www.capfringe.org/.
Some of the acts in this year's Fringe Fest we hope you check out are below:
Deconstructing the Myth of the Booty
Of course Liberated Muse is biased towards the Saartjie Project. Five of the members of the Saartjie Project are members of the Liberated Muse online network @ http://www.liberatedmuse.com/, including Liberated Muse co-founder, Khadijah Ali-Coleman. But aside from the bias, the Washington Post has also identified the Saartjie Project's "Deconstructing the Myth of the Booty" as a must-see show out of the 100+ performances showcased in this year's festival. Click HERE to get details about the Saartjie Project show. Click HERE to read the Washington Post article.
Headscarf & the Angry Bitch
Zed Headscarf performs a tongue-in-cheek romp through faith and growing up Muslim in America. Featuring hits like 'The Only Thing I'll Do Five Times a Day is You' and 'I Lost My Virginity During Ramadan.' With the US' growing international wars with people in other nations who are often of the Islam faith, this performance is guaranteed to be a boundary-stretching adventure as we confront our ethnocentric views and prejudices often perpetuated through the media. Get ticket info HERE.
So Do You Love Me Yet?
Liberated Muse member, Farah Lawal, who is also featured in our book Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul examines relationships and love in her one-woman show "So Do You Love Me Yet?" This 70-minute show weaves storytelling and spoken word into an enthralling show by Lawal who has appeared in a multitude of stage shows, most recently the play "Native Son". "Farah Lawal brings unexpected tenderness and devotion to Bigger's lover, Clara," said one Washington Post review of her performance in Native Son. Read the review HERE.
Watch Farah in the video below and visit HERE to purchase tickets to her show:
Hip-Hop Theater Festival
Founded in 2000, The Hip-Hop Theater Festival continues to invigorate the fields of theater and Hip-Hop by: nurturing the creation of innovative work within the Hip-Hop aesthetic; presenting and touring American and international artists whose work addresses the issues relevant to the Hip-Hop generation; and serving young, urban communities through outreach and education that celebrates contemporary language and culture.
In each of its Festival cities, New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago and San Francisco, The Hip-Hop Theater Festival presents live events created by artists who stretch, invent and combine a variety of theatrical forms, including theater, dance, spoken word and live music sampling. Through open submissions and aggressive curating both nationally and internationally, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival is fully dedicated to finding, developing and introducing to the public new artistic creations from a diversity of cultures and points of view.
The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and Hip-Hop Theater Festival is proud to present all events free of charge this year as the festival hits Washington DC. Online reservations are required, however, for many of the events are already filled to capacity already. Last night's Howard Zinn show at the Kennedy Center was filled to capacity in a very short time, leaving many guests who arrived later to search for something else to do for the night because they couldn't get in.
Here are some FAMILY-FRIENDLY choices we want to check-out this week:
THURSDAY, JULY 9 7 PM :: Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation MythWritten and Directed by Psalmayene 24Originally Commissioned by Imagination StagePremiere performance January 24, 2009
Zomo the Rabbit in search of wisdom
Set in our Nation's Capital, Zomo is a contemporary, high-energy take on an African tale. Zomo the Rabbit calls the Sky God (on his cell phone) requesting the ultimate prize of wisdom. The Sky God gives him three tasks and Zomo succeeds in trickster fashion, but it's only by sharing the prize that he invents Hip-Hop, leading all the characters to celebrate their culture together. Enjoyed by Ages 4+. THEARC Theater :: 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SENOTE: For Thursday, July 9 performance, HHTF Shuttle Van running from Southern Avenue, Green Line Stop from 6 PM – 7 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 11 12 PM :: Step Into a World Open House :: ALL AGES WELCOME
Each year this event welcomes families, community leaders, local artists, and young people out east of the river to enjoy some of the art and music created by the students of the DC Urban Arts Academy. This year, Words Beats & Life is inviting several local organizations, community groups, and programs to come showcase their programs. Throughout the day there will be interactive workshops in arts & crafts, Hip-Hop history, chess, a b-boy/b-girl exhibition, an interactive student art exhibition and performances, all for ages 6 and up. For more information email Ayana Patrick or call 202-667-1192. Benning Park Recreation Center :: 5100 53rd Street, SE (@ Fitch Street
(In photo: Marquita "Storm" Siler and her partner at the 2008 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest in Washington, DC on July 26, 2008. Photo by Khadijah Ali-Coleman)
Liberated Muse Productions is a proud supporter of Authentic Contemporary Art and its founder Sharon Burton who is a member of our Liberated Muse network. Sharon is at it again, planning another amazing event, featuring the artwork of a local artist and poetry and prose from two local poets who are doing big things.
As part of the Multifarious exhibition, featuring artist Heather Schmaedeke, Authentic Contemporary Art is hosting an evening of poetry and prose. A portion of the sales going to CARE's I Am Powerful Campaign.
Date: Friday, May 15, 2009 Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm Location: Space 7:10 at Kefa Cafe Street: 963 Bonifant Street City/Town: Silver Spring, MD
Amy Jackson is an established poet, artist, and author, having six poems published in the US and Europe, with three solo and six group poetry performances from 2001 to the present. She is currently wrting three novels and was a National Novel Writing Month Contest Winner in 2006.
Marquita "Storm" Siler is a local entrepreneur, poet, and author of "Dreams in Motion: A Collection of Poetry and Short Stories". She was a featured author at the 2008 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest (http://www.capitalhiphopsoulfest.com/) and is a proud new mom-- which hasn't slowed her down a bit. With several irons in the fire, Marquita is a one woman tour de force.
The 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest will announce next week all of the main acts to grace the stage at the premiere outdoors summer festival which will take place on Saturday, July 25 in Washington DC's Marvin Gaye Park. Here is a sneak peek at some of the slated acts:
Substantial
Substantial is back again this year after rocking the mic in 2008. This MC is top notch talent and is currently on tour in Europe.
The 5th L
Socially-conscious and lyrically gifted, this group, a staple of Baltimore culture will grace the stage representing the unity of artists up and the down the beltway.
The Infinite Soul Music Family
Last year, Infinite Soul Music first lady Anonamas graced the stage at the debut of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. She is back, this time with her boys, representing true hip hop of DC.
Teisha Marie
Bringing all of her loveliness to the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, Teisha Marie is a DC Princess amassing fans to claim her Queendom. This is one of our favorite videos. Period.
Marvin Gaye will immortalized on the streets of Washington DC. Celebrating his life, not his death, the Ward 7 area of Washington DC-- Marvin Gaye's hometown area-- had a dedication ceremony today where the 5200 block of Foote Street in Northeast Washington is now Marvin Gaye Way. This street is the street along the perimeter of the Marvin Gaye Park named after Gaye only a few years ago. Marvin Gaye, Motown's golden child known for such classic songs as "Let's Get It On", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "What's Going On" and dozens upon dozens of other songs was shot to death 25 years ago, the day before his April 2 birthday. His life inspired songs written and performed by such top performers as Diana Ross, Teena Marie, and Spandau Ballet.
The Marvin Gaye Park now located on Marvin Gaye Way is the site of the annual Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest which will take place this summer on Saturday, July 25, 2009. The Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest is a Liberated Muse Production. Headlining acts this summer include Bomani Armah, Head-Roc, Labtekwon, Teisha Marie and the 5th L. We are SO excited about the street's name change and will make sure folks are aware of this new landmark change. How sweet it is!
The video above was produced by EricaAmerica, a citizen journalist for MTV's Street Team '08. One of 51 journalists selected, she was hired by MTV and The Knight Foundation to create a young, national press corp to cover the historic 2008 election. Because the 2008 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest was unique in that it had voter registration drives going on and candidates present to campaign and bring awareness to various issues, EricaAmerica chose to cover it as her piece for July 2008.
Check it out!
If you haven't already emailed us for your vendor application for your nonprofit or business, make sure you email us at CapitalHipHopSoulFest@gmail.com!
The Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest debuted on Saturday, July 26, 2008 in Washington DC in Marvin Gaye Park. The 19 act line-up was intense. The roster of acts included hip hop artists Substantial, Christylez, Mello-D & the Rados, Gods'illa and soul singers Rogiers, Afi Soul, Chaquis Maliq and Tia Dae. Well-attended, DC council-members Yvette Alexander and Kwame Brown participated as well.
As planning moves forward, Liberated Muse Productions would like for nonprofits, vendors and artists interested in participating to be on the look-out for dates for submissions and sponsor/vendor applications. Visit www.capitalhiphopsoulfest.com to get a listing of some of last year's vendors, sponsors and performing artists.
(Folks dancing to the music of E the R & B Rockstar who was performing on the Main Stage)
(Head-Roc of the band GODISHEUS who also was the host for the greater part of the day)
(Vendors and Liberated Muse members Sherry and Sharon Burton who were selling hand-crafted artwork)
(Love the Poet who was host during part of the day on the mainstage)
