Contact: Jack Bailey (304) 766-4109 Jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – A multimedia celebration of African American music, history and culture through the arts is coming to West Virginia State University (WVSU) Tuesday, Feb. 11, as part of Black History Month activities on campus.
“The Legacy Show” featuring violinist Tami Lee Hughes and pianist Ellen Sommer will be performed in the Fannin S. Belcher Theater of the Davis Fine Arts Building beginning at 7 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public.
The program features violinist Hughes performing a fusion of classical, blues and jazz music with a splash of gospel and hip-hop.
Hughes has extensively toured the United States, Europe and Central America, championing the music of African American composers. Her solo album, “Legacy: Violin Music of African-American Composers,” was heralded as one of the top 10 albums of 2011 by All Music Guide. Her work has been broadcast on radio stations around the world and continues to serve as a significant artistic and cultural record of American music. Sommer is a sought-after collaborative pianist, chamber musician and coach. She has had extensive engagements throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. Recent performances include a recital playing chamber music at the Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture in Malibu, California, with Maria Newman, Scott Hosfeld and instrumentalists from the Metropolitan Opera orchestra.
Portraying musical and cultural themes of the antebellum period, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights era and modern times, “The Legacy Show” includes poetry by such writers as Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou and visual media representing significant facets of African American culture.
A special feature of the show is “Songbirds,” a tribute to women written exclusively for the show by Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer Kerwin Young. Songbirds portrays the determination, strength and beauty of women who have impacted the world.
“The Legacy Show” is part of Black History Month activities at WVSU. A complete calendar of Black History Month events can be found at .
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