On February 11, Harlem Stage, the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color, will welcome Nikara Warren for the next installment of its Uptown Nights Concert Series at Gatehouse. Warren will perform music from her acclaimed debut album, Black Wall Street.
A true Brooklynite, Warren was born and bred in the eclectic and electric borough among her family, her friends, her band, and her musical pedigree are a microcosm of the county at large. Granddaughter of world-renowned jazz pianist Kenny Barron, daughter of a half Trinidadian soca/dancehall lover father, and a classic 90s “Brooklyn ’Round the Way” girl mother, Warren is taking vibes to the people with her infectious compositional sense, her post-modern patchwork of influences and cultural signposts, and her fearless musicality. Her bold quest comes from being well-versed in the vibraphone lineage, but seeking to adventure beyond it.
Warren’s debut album, Black Wall Street, represents a convergence of Nikara’s personal, cultural, familial, and musical journeys. Here, she explores abstract sound-collage, hip-hop, jazz, neo-soul, Afro-Latino and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and more. The through-line here being for Nikara — it’s all dance music. Her vision is cohesive but eclectic — just like how people’s identities are a product of their varied heritage and associations. Music critic Kira Grunenberg stated, “Black Wall Street doesn’t project its versatility and creative range through scholarly jazz arrangements or covers chasing perfectionism. Instead, it offers original music converged around a stylistically fluid foundation.”
Joining Warren (vibraphone and raps) at Harlem Stage are Craig Hill (saxophone), Alonzo Demetrius (trumpet), Parker McAllister (electric bass), Corey Sanchez (electric guitar), Axel Tosca (keyboards), and David Frazier, Jr. (drums & sampling pad), plus special guests.
With a long-standing tradition of supporting artists and organizations around the corner and across the globe, Harlem Stage boasts such legendary artists as Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Sekou Sundiata, Abbey Lincoln, Sonia Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri, Maya Angelou, and Tito Puente, as well as contemporary artists like Mumu Fresh, Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Tamar-kali, Vijay Iyer, Mike Ladd, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jason Moran, José James, Nona Hendryx, Bill T. Jones, and more. Harlem Stage’s education programs serve over 2,300 New York City school children each year.
Tickets are $25-35 and can be purchased at harlemstage.org.
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