Call for Acts: Alternate ROOTS Fest 2011

What:

Alternate ROOTS is pleased to announce artist opportunities to perform at ROOTS Fest 2011: Many Communities, One Voice, a national arts festival celebrating the very best of our nation’s local art in honor of ROOTS’ 35^th Anniversary (to learn more about ROOTS, please visit www.alternateroots.org). ROOTS Fest 2011 will be held June 22-26, 2011 in Baltimore, MD. As part of this national event, five days and evenings of local, regional and national performances, workshops, case studies, community dialogues and more will be presented. The performance/artwork content of ROOTS Fest 2011 will highlight the broad variety of performance and visual arts in multiple disciplines in various venues across the city. There will be a two day outdoor festival performance with multiple stages and at least one main stage that are all open to the general public.

The producers also seek to identify the number of artists who may be interested in site-specific performances. If you are interested in this option, please note it on your application form.

It is preferred that interested artists have been engaged in local art/community-based art-making or have been involved in a professionally-run entity/organization for a minimum of three years and have a history of their work being presented within the professional arts industry.

When:

Outdoor Festival - Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, 2011 (Festival performances will be scheduled beginning late morning through the evening.) There is a probability that there will be outdoor performances beginning Friday, June 24^th.

*Technical/dress rehearsals will take place on Thursday, June 24 and Friday/Saturday earlier in the day before an artist’s scheduled performance, as needed.

Where:

Please see attached fact sheet to learn more about the outdoor performance venue in West Baltimore, MD, also known as the Highway to Nowhere. The location of the festival will be on 52 acres of green space atop the highway.

Why participate:

ROOTS Fest 2011 is designed to attract a national audience of 25,000 to 35,000 people, the majority of whom will come from the Baltimore/Washington, DC metro area and the eastern seaboard. The outdoor festival performances offer an enormous opportunity for local artists to be seen by the local Baltimore and Washington, DC metropolitan community, a range of presenters, and a broad audience of people who appreciate local arts.

How to apply:

Alternate ROOTS is currently accepting submissions. Please fill out the attached form and submit a video of the actual selection/work you wish to perform. The selection/work can be up to a maximum of 10-12 minutes.  Please do not send video montages as your work sample.

The deadline to submit is: December 31^st, 2010.

Please note: Alternate ROOTS will make all selections of performers and artists for ROOTS Fest 2011 events.

Is there an artist fee?

Artists will receive a stipend, and other potential support such as per diem and housing, to participate in the Festival. Once programming decisions have been made all artists must submit a detailed list of their production requirements. Adequate production crew will be on hand: ROOTS Fest technical directors, lighting directors, sound & light board ops, stage management, etc. Any additional costs associated with the performance are the artists’ responsibility and will not be underwritten by Alternate ROOTS or ROOTS Fest 2011 organizers.

How do I get more information?

Send questions to:

Cheles Rhynes/MRP Inc.

Attn: Festival Producer

ROOTS Fest 2011

P.O. Box 5163

Capitol Heights, MD 20791

301-350-0092 wk/fax

301-980-0966 cell

staff@mason-rhynes.org

Check Out SoulBounce.com's Series on 30 Albums Celebrating 20 Years

Who were some of the artists you were listening to 20 years ago? Can you even remember that far back? When you think of soul music, think of some of the artists who were thriving on the charts and making the 90's one of the last decades of megastars who not only looked good but were talented as well?

SoulBounce.com is helping you take that trip down memory lane with their recent series (that ends soon) that showcases thirty of the top albums of 1990 that celebrated 20 years this year. Here are some of the albums already covered:

For the full list of albums reviewed and to read the posts on SoulBounce.com, click here. 

Who makes your own list of best remembered albums of 1990?

The Anthology of Rap is a New Book Highlighting the Past 30 Years of Rap

Writers Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois'  presented their book The Anthology of Rap to a packed house in Washington, DC at the historic Lincoln Theater this past Tuesday, and appearances by Common and Kurtis Blow brought the house down as the audience was treated to impromptu performances at the free event. Bradley and DuBois have edited an anthology that brings together more than three hundred lyrics written over 30 years, from the "old school" to the "golden age" to the present day and rappers Kurtis Blow, Kurtis Blow, Jr. and Common were on hand to talk about their own rap careers and how hip hop has transformed their lives.

Unfortunately, I had to leave this wonderful event, presented by the Smithsonian's African-American History Museum and Words, Beats & Life early, so I missed the later impromptu performance by the legendary Kurtis Blow and his son who performs internationally now. But from what I caught on Twitter, the performance of "The Breaks" was like that. If you are in the DC area and in the mood for more events centered around hip-hop, be sure to check out Words, Beats & Life's Remixing the Art of Social Change International Teach-In that is happening the rest of this week with workshops and events featuring the father of hip hop, DJ Kool Herc, and other notables.

Remixing the Art of Social Change: A Hip-Hop Approach 2010

REMIXING THE ART OF SOCIAL CHANGE: A HIP-HOP APPROACH 2010 is not your average conference or gathering. This year it takes place for six days from Nov. 16-21. It’s a teach-in where folks from across the world come together in Washington, D.C. to participate in a unique experience that’s both action-oriented and community-based.

The teach-in outlines the tools and resources necessary to develop curriculum, programs, and artistic and scholarly work based on hip-hop culture. The presenters at Remixing the Art of Social Change are the artists and educators who never gave up on hip-hop and are still actively working through it to promote love, peace, unity and having fun. Last year's teach-in featured pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and scholars, youth, organizations, artists and activists from around the world. This year's REMIXING THE ART OF SOCIAL CHANGE 2010 will feature films, promote advocacy, networking, community building, hold a career fair, present live music, interactive presentations, peer-to-peer skill sharing, arts exhibitions, and of course group ciphers!

Liberated Muse's Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman is one of this year's host/selection committee and will also be a panelist. View below for panel details. Click here for the full teach-in agenda.

Liberated Muse's Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman (far right) is a panelist on Day 5 at the Washington Convention Center

Day Five Events (Saturday November 20th)
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place Northwest Washington, DC 20001-3614

Workshop/Panel
It’s All About the Benjamins: What About Before the Money Comes?
Organization | Artist

Guest Panelists
1) Junious "House" Brickhouse, Urban Artistry
2) Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Capital Hip Hop Soul Festival
3) Nichol Johnson, Art of Soul
4) Magee McIlvaine, Nomadic Wax
5) Paige Hernandez-Funn, Independent Performing Artist

View some of the panelists in action below:


Paige Hernandez (courtesy of YouTube & CASRAM Access)


Junious "House" Brickhouse of Urban Artistry

Top Open Mics in the DC Area: Add Yours To the List

So, where are some of the hottest open mics in the Washington DC area? Well word has it that a lot of them are on or around the U Street corridor in Washington DC. Here are some we were able to find. Add your own in the comments section below:

1) Up and Up Open Mic- Tuesdays- Bohemian Caverns, U Street
The show takes place Every Tuesday @ LIV Nightclub 2001 11th Street NW, Washington, DC. **Admission adjustment** is $5.00 b4 band starts (projected 9p) & $10.00 after.

2) Busboys and Poets
Every Tuesday @ 9pm $4 14th and V street

*Wristbands for Tuesday night open mic at 14th & V are sold all day in the Bookstore beginning at 10AM until sold out.


3)Queen Makeda,1917 9th st. NW, Washington, DC, 20009
Every Thursday, hosted by Mr. BriggsManagement

4) The Channel Inn  
650 Water St, SW, Washington DC
Every Sunday 7pm-midnight, Free admission, drink minimum

5) Annie's Art Gallery, 4814 Allentown Way, Camp Springs, MD, 20748
Monthly Open Mic


Open Mic With: http://mrbriggsmanagement.ning.com/ from John Ledbetter on Vimeo.

Marsha Ambrosius Sings w/ Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder & Isley Brothers on New Mix Tape

Former member of the hit group Floetry, Marsha Ambrosius is wasting no time in transforming her image into one of the singing vixen, offering this free download, Sextape Part 1 which is a preface to her debut solo album which drops in the coming weeks.

Once you trip over to SoulBounce.com to download the free mixtape, come back and give us your feedback in the space below.