World Music with a Message: Sweet Honey in the Rock and Paddy Moloney with Chieftains and Special Guests at the Kimmel Center, February and March
JANUARY 15, 2010
- Grammy® Award-winning female a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock performs earthy renditions of spiritual, gospel harmonies with African-American roots (Saturday, February 6, 2010)
- Irish ambassadors to the world, Paddy Moloney with Chieftains and special guests perform works from their forthcoming March 2010 release, San Patrico (Saturday, March 13, 2010)
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 3pm
Verizon Hall
Price: $35-65
“This ensemble is the gold standard…Their voices are all fabulous, and they unite to create a sound so pure, smooth and homogenous that it does not seem humanly possible.” –
Grammy® Award-winning female a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock performs its own special blend of soulful harmonies and storytelling in Verizon Hall on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 3pm. The six-member group has evoked the complex sounds of blues, spirituals, gospel hymns, rap and reggae for more than 30 years. Accompanied by hand-held instruments, such as the African percussive shakere, rhythm sticks and egg shakers, their ex
Referred to as “a national treasure” by First Lady Michelle Obama, Sweet Honey in the Rock was invited to participate in the first concert of Barack's Obama's presidency in the White House — a performance with 180 students in honor of Black History Month in February 2009. Highly collaborative, the group also composed Go in Grace, a touring production featuring original songs from Sweet Honey for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 50th anniversary last year. Recent work also includes the album Experience…101, which received a 2008 Grammy® nomination. In 2005, Sweet Honey was featured on PBS’ American Masters documentary series.
Internationally renowned Sweet Honey in the Rock was founded by civic rights activist Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973 at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company. A vital, innovative presence in the music culture of
Saturday, February 6, 2010| 1:30pm
Commonwealth
Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble
Celebrate Black History Month at the
Paddy Moloney with Chieftains
and Special Guests
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3pm
Verizon Hall
Price: $37-77
"The uniquely gifted [ensemble]...successfully wedded the best of the folk and classical traditions. Beneath their virtuosic musicianship and symbiotic interplay were instantly hummable tunes that spoke directly to the heart and soul.” —
Paddy Moloney, founder and frontman of the six-time Grammy® Award-winning ensemble The Chieftains, joins with fellow Chieftains Matt Molloy and Kevin Conneff and other special guests to evoke the spirit of St. Patrick's Day at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 3pm. The ensemble will perform selections that span The Chieftains' latest and greatest hits, as well as selections from their forthcoming album of Celtic-Mexican influences, San Patrico, scheduled for release on March 9, 2010 and “one of the most eagerly awaited albums of 2010,” according to The New Yorker.
One of The Chieftains' most unique projects ever, San Patrico includes the collaborative talent of Grammy® Award-winning singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder along with guest stars Linda Ronstadt, Liam Neeson, Los Tigres del Norte and many other celebrated Mexican, American and Irish musicians and singers. An unprecedented blend of the musical heritage of
"Ireland's most influential folk ensemble" (New York Times), The Chieftains have entertained audiences with a distinctive blend of music, humor and step dancing in a career that spans nearly five decades, and continue to inspire interest in Celtic music worldwide. The group of
"The Chieftains are virtuosos and historians...moving through jigs loaded with optimism and delight along with more stately, melancholic pieces. [They] mixed a clear melodic beauty with dance rhythms that had members of the audience stomping their feet in time to the music.” —New York Times
Paddy Moloney, uilleann pipes, tin whistle
With Chieftains
Matt Molloy, flute
Kevin Conneff, bodhrán, vocals
Special Guests
Jon Pilatzke, fiddle, step dancing
Triona Marshall, harp
Jeff White, guitar, vocals
Deanie Richardson, fiddle
Nathan Pilatzke, step dancing
Cara Butler, step dancing
Alyth McCormack, vocals
Saturday, March 13, 2010 | 1:30pm
Commonwealth
Danaher and Cloud
Kate Danaher and Amy Cloud are traveling storytellers who keep memories alive, in the great tradition of the bards, with story, poetry, and song. They both go back to their roots, Kate to
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for these performances. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the
Kimmel Center Presents' 2009/10 Season is sponsored by Citi. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents.
Free at the Kimmel programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from the Wachovia Foundation.
The Kimmel Center is the recipient of partnership funding through the nationally recognized PNC "Grow up Great" initiative, a ten-year, $100 million investment in preparing children for success in school and life. Funding give support to the Kimmel Center's early childhood program "Bop and Swing," an arts program for children 1-5 years old, designed to promote an appreciation for American culture.
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