Division Releases

Ohio Celebrates Black History Month in Song, Dance and Rhythm
Concerts and exhibits help identify the role African-Americans made in music history
2/3/2009

CONTACT:
Tamara Brown at (614) 466-8591
Joyce Brown (216) 344-9966

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 3, 2009) – From jazz to rhythm and blues; rock and roll to bebop, African-Americans have influenced popular music for decades. While many of the African-Americans who pioneered genres such as funk, gospel and soul originated from the South, some of music’s greats were Ohio musicians whose presence can still be heard today in popular music. Portsmouth’s own Kathleen Battle was a five-time Grammy Award winner, and Mamie Smith, the first African-American to record a blues vocal track, called Cincinnati home.

During Black History Month, the state offers some wonderful exhibits and concerts that embrace the legacy of African-Americans in music and solidify the role these soulful musicians played to shape popular music. Following are highlights of upcoming Ohio events celebrating Black History Month.

Cleveland
Visit the nation’s rock capital to get cultured in the history, popularity and magnitude African-Americans have had on music. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum offers shows, classes and exhibits nearly every day of the month that explore music and the role of the Stax Records label on African-American history. All Black History Month events are free with a reservation. The following are just a few events presented by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate Black History Month and the golden anniversary of Motown’s contribution to the world with its newest exhibit MOTOWN: The Sound of Young America Turns 50. The Motown exhibit opened Jan. 1 in the museum’s Ahmet M. Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall. In an incredibly short amount of time, the Motown label produced 14 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. This exciting Motown exhibit features instruments, clothing, programs, posters, sheet music, original music scores, contracts, recordings and more. Items from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Jackson 5, Rick James, Martha and the Vandellas and many others will be featured.

The Cleveland Institute of Music presents The 18th Annual Black Heritage Concert, an evening of music which inspires listeners by exploring African-American contributions to music, performed by a multicultural group of musicians. Featuring ensembles from the Cleveland School of the Arts along with the R. Nathaniel Dett Concert Choir, the combined groups will perform under the direction of William B. Woods from 4-6 p.m., Feb. 8. The event is free and open to the public. Seating passes will be distributed one hour prior to this event.

Columbus
The Columbus Jazz Orchestra will join forces with BalletMet from Feb. 5 – 8 and Feb. 11 – 14 for a show titled “Jazz Moves Take 2,” where they will celebrate both the history and future of jazz. The original “Jazz Moves” in 2006 won the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Artistic Excellence Award and was the talk of the town for months. The Columbus Dispatch called the inaugural “Jazz Moves” "groundbreaking" and "a brilliant match that adds depth to the artistry of both groups.

For a month-long celebration of Black History Month, the Ohio Statehouse will offer an exhibition in the Map Room that embraces African-American culture and wraps up every Wednesday with a free lunch-time concert, focusing on the rhythms, beats and pulses prevalent in African-American music. After the concert, visit the Capitol Café (also in the Statehouse) for a special soul food menu.

Cincinnati
Just following Black History Month, on March 16 at 8 p.m., the Cincinnati Arts Association will present “DrumLine Live!,” a celebration of the African-American marching band tradition. The explosive new show created by the music team behind the hit movie “Drumline” – transports the African-American marching band tradition from the playing field to the stage. Featuring a flamboyant cast from the nation’s top historically black colleges and universities, this slice of the American experience presents the rousing and rhythmic sounds of the great brass past including Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power, side by side with the hottest contemporary hip hop and R&B. The stirring sound of trumpets, the percussionists’ precise command of rhythm and speed, and the dancers’ amazing choreography and athleticism

Portsmouth
Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio celebrates Black History Month with the theme “The History of Black Music from the Gospel to Jazz and the Blues.” All programs are free and open to the public.

Flute Performance and Discussion – Celebrated Jazz Flutist Galen
Feb. 6, noon, University Center Main Floor
The music begins with flutist Galen, a jazz musician from New York City, who will perform and discuss the history of jazz in the black community.

Blues From the Delta to the World – Johnny Rawls
Feb. 20, 7 p.m., Vern Riffe Center
The series continues with blues artist, Johnny Rawls from Purvis, Miss., who will perform “Blues from the Delta to the World.” Rawls grew up with music and is considered a “soul” vocalist but when he started in music, he was an aspiring bluesman.

Gospel Festival
Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Flohr Lecture Hall

African Children’s Choir Performance
March 16
In March, as an extension of the Black History Month program at Shawnee State University, the world-renowned African Children’s Choir will perform.

Dayton
Last February, the Victoria Theatre Association presented its first African-American Arts Festival. The month-long celebration was such a community success, a second festival has just been announced – and this time the events are spread throughout the entire arts season. With the month-long art exhibit “Visual Voices” in February 2009 as the centerpiece, Victoria Theatre Association’s 2008-2009 African-American Arts Festival will feature a performance by Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Sweet Honey in the Rock will perform on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., in the Schuster Center. Rooted in a deeply held commitment to create music out of rich textures of African-American legacy and traditions, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies, and jazz improvisations, this internationally renowned a cappella ensemble has been a vital and innovative presence for more than 20 years. Founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon with Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson and Mie in 1973 at the Black Repertory Theatre Company, Sweet Honey's collective voice, occasionally accompanied by hand percussion instruments, produces a sound filled with soulful harmonies and intricate rhythms.

Wilberforce
The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center is open year-round with various exhibits portraying African-American life and culture. One exhibit in particular focuses on the role of African-Americans in the United States during the 1950s. To supplement the display, the museum has added a 27-minute video clip titled “Music as a Metaphor,” which traces the origins of African-American music from its roots in Africa to life in America during the 1950s. Gospel, jazz, bebop, classical and protest music are just a few genres exposed, along with artists such as Paul Robeson, Fats Domino, Dizzy Gillespie and others.

Through the era that ended slavery to the Civil Rights movement, Ohio has played a key role in telling the stories of African-Americans and their challenges. Whether it was the state’s part in the Underground Railroad or showcasing the successes of African-Americans in popular culture, Ohio welcomes and celebrates Black History Month through the exhibits its towns and cities proudly display.

Looking for other ways to learn about Black history in Ohio? Visit www.DiscoverOhio.com and click on the “Multicultural” tab. Free Ohio Travel Planners and Ohio Calendars of Events can be ordered anytime, day or night at www.DiscoverOhio.com. Travel counselors are available at (800)-BUCKEYE to assist callers weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

About the Ohio Tourism Division
The Ohio Tourism Division is the premier source of information for travelers and media about Ohio's vibrant tourism experiences, attractions, and economy. Division marketing programs contributed to an estimated $38 billion in visitor sales in 2007 and 454,000 jobs sustained by visitors to the state. A part of the Ohio Department of Development, the Division's mission is to promote and celebrate Ohio's unique travel opportunities and market the state's outstanding quality of life.

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