Kimmel Center Heats Up as Summer Solstice and Popular World Music Wednesdays Return
April 24, 2006
All-night Summer Solstice Celebration on June 24 Features 19 Hours of Entertainment in Every Corner of the Kimmel Center kicked off by Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concerts
World Music Wednesdays Transform Perelman Theater into a Dance Club with Bands from Around the World in July and August
Tickets for both events go on sale on Wednesday, April 26 at 10am.
The Kimmel Center’s all-night Summer Solstice Celebration, featuring 19 hours of entertainment in all venues of Philadelphia’s performing arts landmark, will be highlighted by music and events in all corners of the Kimmel Center and takes place on Saturday June 24, 2006. The event begins with two family-friendly performances by The Philadelphia Orchestra at 11:00 am and 12:45pm. The rest of the day’s events are drawn from the deep resources of the Philadelphia talent pool and will include kid-friendly performances as well as classical, blues, R&B, jazz, folk, dance world music and much more. The list of performers is long as the night. Audiences can expect performances by King Britt, Xande Cruz, the Batukis Band, Chester County Concert Band, Bubboon's Tunes, Josh Komorowski, Buried Beds and organist Cameron Carpenter among many others. A complete list of more than 40 artists and performance times will be available in the coming weeks on the Kimmel Center web site at www.kimmelcenter.org.
Jugglers, chair massages, face-painting and more will be stationed in Commonwealth Plaza and on the Hamilton Rooftop Garden. Food will be available throughout the day and night as well as into the morning as those inclined to stay overnight greet the dawn with a sunrise drum circle featuring percussion ensemble Leana Song, for which all are invited to bring their own drum.
Tickets for Summer Solstice are $12 if purchased in advance and $15 on the day of the event, (including all fees) and can be purchased online at www.kimmelcenter.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. NOTE: Check the Kimmel Center website at www.kimmelcenter.org for performer updates. Additional tickets are required for Philadelphia Orchestra performances. Please indicate time preference (11am or 12:45pm) at time of order.
Summer Solstice ticket buyers who purchase tickets over the phone or in person and wish to attend either the 11 am or the 12:45 pm Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concerts will be mailed tickets or given at the time of purchase. Those individuals purchasing Summer Solstice online will receive a second email to choose their Philadelphia Orchestra family concert. Summer Solstice orders processed online will redeem the Philadelphia Orchestra tickets at the Kimmel Center box office prior to the concert on June 24. Seating for the Philadelphia Orchestra Family concerts is limited and subject to availability.
The Kimmel Center’s popular World Music Wednesdays dance parties return to the Perelman Theater beginning Wednesday, July 12, 2006 and running through August 2. Artists from around the world are highlighted in this series which transforms the Perelman Theater into a club where drinks are served and dancing is encouraged. DJ’s begin and end each of the four evenings to set the tone for each of the four hot performances. The seats on the main floor will be removed to reveal the theater’s dance floor, the lights lowered and the sound turned up. Artists include Afro-Pop stars Amadou & Mariam on July 12; the Senegalese hip hop sensation Daara J on July 19; the Rajasthani Indian folk musicians Musafir on July 26; and the hot young Latin band, Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre on August 2.
Tickets for each World Music Wednesdays show are $25 each or as a package of all four concerts for $75. Tickets go on sale as of April 26 at 10am and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings.
World Music Wednesdays begins on July 12 with West African husband and wife sensation Amadou & Mariam who effortlessly bring funky, yet sweet soul harmonies to audiences around the world. Mixing “the fizziest of afro-pop blues ever bottled” (The Observer) with rock guitar, violin, Cuban trumpet and Indian tablas, they have brought West African music into the mainstream. Their latest album Dimanche à Bamako (‘Sunday in Bamako’) was produced by Manu Chao and Amadou and Mariam are now more popular in France than Coldplay, Mariah Carey or Green Day. (DJ to be announced).
The party continues on July 19 with Senegalese hip hop sensation Daara J. “Born in Africa, brought up in America, hip hop has come full circle” proclaims Daara J. This Senegalese trio mixes raga, jazz, plus Cuban and Caribbean sounds while rapping in English, Spanish, French and Woloff (a prominent Senegalese language). Sharing heartfelt messages, Daara J crosses continents and cultures with pure style and a positive force. DJ King Britt will be on hand to spin to start and close the evening.
Third in the World Music Series on July 26 is Musafir, an energetic hybrid of Indian folk music and popular music, Musafir also features acrobatics and feats of physical endurance. Musafir, which means “traveler” in Farsi, is composed of professional musicians from the Thar Desert in Northwest India. Musafir showcases rural folk music, Indian film music and Hindustani (North Indian Classical) music. (DJ to be announced).
World Music Wednesdays comes to a close on August 2 with Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre who turns up the heat with a tropical fusion of salsa and merengue. Dance to the irresistible mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and seductive rhythms by the true modern heirs of the rich tradition of Cuban music. This hot, young Latin band offers a joyful, modern sound that keeps crowds all over the world coming back to their concerts year after year. DJ Aaron Levinson will be on hand to spin to start and close the evening.
PW is a proud sponsor of the 2006 Summer Concerts at the Kimmel Center.
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