Black Women Rock! Debuts in Detroit
DETROIT – Renowned poet, writer and performer jessica Care moore and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History present Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Betty Davis, a live music concert, dialogue and master class to take place the weekend of March 27th and 28th.
In 2005, Care moore produced Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Rock Icon Betty Davis in conjunction with The National Black Arts Festival to showcase young, independent women artists of color who made a living as composers, guitarists, vocalists, producers and arts educators in the genre of Rock and Roll. These contemporary artists defy the stereotype of what a rock and roll artist looks and sounds like, and are the spiritual descendents of Betty Davis, Tina Turner, Nona Hendrix, Patti Labelle Maxanne, and Janis Joplin. These trailblazing pioneers have spent their careers fighting biases and breaking down barriers of image, politics and sexuality in the music industry.
“This event will celebrate their music and inspire young women to not just be a “part” of the music industry, but to build an institution around their work,” says Care moore.
On Saturday, March 27th at 8 pm, Black Women Rock! premieres in Detroit at the Charles H. Wright Museum with full band performances by Imani Uzuri, Tamar Kali, Steffanie Christ’ian, and jessica Care moore. On Sunday, March 28th at 1 pm, Care moore will lead a master class with these artists and local greats such as Monica Blaire for aspiring women musicians who write, play or sing music.
As curator, jessica Care moore is excited to introduce these strong, feminine voices to the city of Detroit.
“I’ve known these artists for years. Imani Uzuri is our Nina Simone, our Bessie Smith and she’s performed all over the world. Steffanie Christi’an is a powerhouse vocalist who still lives here! It’s important for young girls to know these women exist, and to teach them how they can have successful music careers and write their own terms; in effect, define their destiny in life.”
Both events are FREE and open to the public. For more information, please call (313) 494-5800.
Who is Betty Davis??!
A wildly flamboyant funk diva with few equals three decades after her debut, Betty Davis combined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futuristic fashion sense of David Bowie, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis, her husband for a year. It's easy to imagine the snickers when a 23-year-old model married a famous musician twice her age, but Davis was no gold digger; she turned Miles onto Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, providing the spark that led to his musical reinvention on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, then proved her own talents with a trio of sizzling mid-'70s solo LPs.
jessica Care moore
An internationally renowned poet, publisher, literary activist, performance artist, playwright and actor, jessica is a five-time Showtime at the Apollo winner. She was featured on hip-hop mega-star, Nas' "Nastradamus" album, and is a returning star of Russell Simmons’ HBO Series, Def Poetry Jam. jessica has been featured in The New York Times, Essence, Blaze, Source, and Vibe.
Imani Uzuri
Frequently compared to artists like Grace Jones and Nina Simone, vocalist/composer/performer Imani Uzuri has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Talib Kweli, and Sly and Robbie; performed on "David Letterman" with Peter Gabriel; and appeared at venues such as Central Park Summerstage, Barbican Center and ICA (London), Le Lieu Unique (France), World Festival of Sacred Music (Japan), The United Nations, Apollo Theater, Kazan Live Festival (Russia/Tatarstan) and Festival d’Essaouira (Morocco).
Steffanie Christi’an
Fusing the musical influence of such greats as Janis Joplin, Prince, Bob Marley and Tori Amos, Christi’an’s talents have been noticed by Eminem, Erykah Badu and Amp Fiddler. Steffanie is currently touring as a background vocalist and percussionist with Jocaine & 75 North, who have appeared with artists such as Uncle Kracker, Ty Herndon, Brett Micheals, Tantric, SheDaisy and country legend David Allen Coe.
Tamar-kali
Whether channeling Billie Holiday or Bad Brains, Brooklyn native and resident hardcore-soul queen Tamar-kali wields her pen and guitar with equal ferocity. This fiercely independent performer has graced the stages of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Lincoln Center.
For media inquiries, please contact jessica Care moore at (313) 974-5111 or via email at detroitbutterfly@gmail.com.
