DJ ctrlzora
Join us on July 4th for a poignant and powerful tribute to Frederick Douglass' iconic 1852 speech 'What to the Slave is the 4th of July?' We're honored to present an unforgettable evening of music, featuring the incredible ensemble SEBAU, led by the acclaimed Chicago based saxophonist David Boykin. We are also thrilled to introduce Hameedullah, a remarkable electronic musician who will create an evocative and thought-provoking soundscape in response to the speech LIVE! We are also excited to welcome King Sophia, the talented multidisciplinary artist from Detroit, known for their versatility and creativity in live arranging and live composing. Their unique perspective will bring a fresh and powerful voice to the IMS stage. We are also thrilled to have DJ ctrlzora setting the vibe for these truth to be self evident.
8:30 pm -Screening of NPR “What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?” read by the Descendants Frederick Douglass
8:40 pm- SEBAU
9:30 pm-Hameedullah
10:30 pm- King Sophia
$15 / $10 w/ Student ID - Tickets Available at the Door
Hameedullah
In effort to pay homage to Frederick Douglass' 4th of July speech in Rochester, Chicago based DJ, rapper, and beatmaker, Hameedullah will be performing live through electronics.
SEBAU
The Sebau is one of the most recent projects of the Chicago-based saxophonist and composer David Boykin. It aims to express the collective consciousness of Black Urban communities. It evolved out of an opera he wrote in 2015 in response to the then current swell in media coverage of murders of Black people in America by White people with impunity . It fuses jazz, soul, and hip-hop music; and incorporates soul singing, rapping, turntablism, creative improvisation, and movement; to create a style that Boykin has coined Astro-Soul.
king Sophia
King Sophia is a multidisciplinary storyteller and world-builder. Classically trained with a degree from the prestigious Frost School of Music - University of Miami, King Sophia's cellistic prowess is their main processor for the world around them. She’s also an electric guitarist, vocalist, composer, arranger, conductor, educator, and poet.As a well-rounded creator with roots in many genres from funk to bossa nova to avant-garde, King Sophia is known for their versatility expressed through live arranging and live composing — what others call ‘improvisation.’ These creations are grounded in their identities of Black Indigenous Queerness and a desire to preserve, showcase, and build upon non-hegemonic music history. Using these core cultural threads as a foundation for their practices, King explores art and intention through a holistic lens to concoct sonic experiences that motivate, illuminate, alleviate, and empower.