Mississippi’s Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, founded by the late great Otha Turner, is undeniably the most famous fife and drum group in the world.
On Sunday, June 1, New York’s Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely are performing on a double-bill with blues great Otha Turner’s granddaughter - Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band at Brooklyn’s Masonic Temple in Ft. Greene. 14 year-old Sharde took over leadership of the band when Otha died in 2003. She’s now 18 and traveling all over the world playing this amazing music—and making it her own.
Check out this video (Sharde was about 5 years old here) to get a small taste of what we’re talking about!
651 Production Manager, Robert Henderson, and Managing Director, Anna Glass, went down to Mississippi last week to meet with some of the musicians who will be participating in 651’s Mississippi Delta Heritage Project. They were primarily in Clarksdale, Cleveland, Greenville. Here are some classic images from the trip….
MAY/JUNE 2008 Beginning in early May 2008, 651 ARTS will present a series of concerts, performances, symposia, workshops and film screenings examining the influence that the Mississippi Delta has had on culture throughout the United States. The emphasis of the project will be an examination of the roots of Delta Blues in West African traditional music as well as how the Delta Blues has influenced and continues to influence contemporary blues, gospel, rock and jazz. This project will benefit greater New York area audiences, musicians and students, as well as the musicians of the Mississippi Delta. Because of 651’s commitment to reflecting contemporary culture of the Diaspora, we have also included three commissioned dance/theater works related to or by artists from the Delta, which will premiere during our season. 651’s Delta Heritage Project is born out of the desire to preserve a very particular and special part of American culture, as well as to illuminate its important influences. Details on upcoming shows coming soon!
