Open Mic: Saul Williams x Mivos Quartet March 19, 2014 15:00 1 Comment

Saul Williams is a true treasure and gift to the arts. His contributions in poetry, music, performance/film are vast and varied yet they all share the common thread of encouraging us to explore our deeper humanity. Although he defies classification, I'd say Mr. Williams is an old soul with a young heart. Plus, he's a Pisces which explains a lot.

Recently, Mr. Williams and the Mivos Quartet performed poetry and chamber music as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival in New York City. The one hour set included inspiring orchestral arrangements by German composer Thomas Kessler and the Mivos Quartet plus a riveting body of poetry from Saul Williams. Poetry lovers will be happy to hear his booming performance of "Said the Shotgun to the Head" as well as the U.S. premiere of "NGH WHT " featuring poetry from his acclaimed book "The Dead Emcee Scrolls."

The collaboration was a huge success and I wanted to share the moment in a special edition of Open Mic. Please listen here and visit saulwilliams.com, mivosquartet.com and kessler-thomas.com for more about the artists.

Blog written by Ayana Tomeka.

Spend Valentine's Day With Maxwell At The Borgata February 12, 2014 18:00

Hearts are aflutter in anticipation of Maxwell’s “Three of Swords” Valentine’s Day concert at the Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ. Men are preparing to wine & dine and women are ripe for the slaying. That is, after all, what happens as a result of Maxwell’s music.  And if you’ve never seen him live, then lucky ticket holders are in for a treat. I’ve had the pleasure of attending four of Maxwell’s concerts and I right-hand testify that he thrills with legendary showmanship and a desire to seduce every soul in the audience. The countless catcalls and sweaty bodies rockin’ to the music are prime examples of the heat he brings.

As if that wasn’t enough to set the mood, the Grammy Award-Winning Singer has announced his intention to unveil new music at the event. The promise of a preview is worth the price of admission alone for many of us counting down to his release of “BlackSUMMERS’Night.” However, I’m sure the crooner will woo lovers with an array of his timeless hits which include: “Lifetime,” “Ascension,” “Til The Cops Come Knockin’,” “Reunion,” “Stop The World,” and “Pretty Wings.”

Last year, Maxwell blessed Upfront members with exclusive access to concert pics and behind-the-scene videos. If you’re not already a member, join Upfront and stay-tuned for additional footage from the V-day Borgata concert as well as the Saturday show in Richmond, VA. Valentine’s Day Weekend has never looked hotter than with Love’s Maestro ready to take the stage.

For tickets visit Ticketmaster.
Maxwell's music can be purchased at iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

Blog written by Ayana Tomeka.