Congrats to Grammy Nominee Christylez & Seeking Partners for the 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.

Kuku and Christylez LIVE Tonight at Bohemian Caverns in DC

I tell anyone who will listen that I had a rare opportunity to work with the acoustic soul artist Kuku in early 2002 right before he emblazoned a mighty path as an independent solo artist. At the time, Kuku was a unique vocalist-- sans the guitar-- who infused Marvin and Al Green in his vocal stylings but had not yet created his signature sound we know now so well and love. He co-wrote the song "I'm High" featured on http://www.liberatedmuse.com/ and performed by our defunct band Phreaknahdo, and has a whole host of lyrical credit to his name, mostly all of the songs that he performs originals from his brain to his pen. Since then, Kuku has performed across the country, been featured on film soundtracks and collaborated with many luminaries including the jazz soul vocalist Vinx.

Kuku will be performing tonight at the famous Bohemian Caverns on U street in DC-- the very street where Kuku grew his audience and honed his craft as an instrumentalist and vocalist. He will be performing with the incomprable Christylez in a two-man show. Visit Liberated Muse to get the details on the event.


IFE by KUKU (KUKULIVE.COM) from Ayoola Daramola on Vimeo.

Christylez in Concert

Ok, I love this guy. He is very gifted musically, but his public persona on and off the stage is very endearing-- just a gorgeously spirited man. Check him out this coming Monday at the Kennedy Center. He has been making major moves since his appearance at our 2008 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. An artist-in-residence at the Strathmore (I believe the youngest they've ever had), he has performed at really great venues and will be appearing this summer (actually the same day as this year's Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest) at the Wolf Trap.

Christylez will lead a hour-long concert at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage in Washington DC on Monday, February 9, 2009.

The concert is commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Kennedy Center. The concert features a 12-piece orchestra including String Quartet, Piano, Upright Bass, Tuba, Didgeridoo, Human-Beatbox.

On top of all of that, the event is Free. We likes that:-)

Details:

Monday, February 9, 2009 @ 6:00PM - FREE ADMISSION - All Ages

Kennedy Center (Millennium Stage) 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC

http://www.christylez.com/

WAMMIES This Month

On another note but kind of the same...make sure to get your tickets to the upcoming WAMMIES-- DC's version of the Grammys. Christylez is nominated for four WAMMIES as are several members of our wonderful Liberated Muse network and past performers in our 1st Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest last year. Read more HERE and HERE

The Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest 2009 Planning in the Works

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.