Singer – Composer – Musician – Producer
Chris Walker
headlines at the
African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
*Sankofa Jazz Fest
Saturday, April 3, 2021 ~ 5-9pm
6161 Northwest 22nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33142
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (AHCAC), welcomes the public to the sixth annual Sankofa Jazz Festival on Saturday, April 3, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event celebrates jazz and welcomes the AHCAC’s alumni and the greater community to reconnect on the historic grounds of Liberty City’s AHCAC, 6161 NW 22nd Avenue, Miami, at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Moonlight Way. General admission for this event is $20 per person and $50 for a group of four. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.
The sixth annual Sankofa Jazz Festival, hosted by Hot 105.1’s Rodney Baltimore, is a part of the Center’s community outreach program. The outdoor event is a platform used to maintain the rich history of music of the African Diaspora, while introducing local and emerging artists. Strict rules, including social distancing and required face masks, will be enforced to keep the public safe.
This year’s event will honor the legacy of Miami’s own, legendary jazz musician and composer Melton Mustafa, Sr. during private renaming ceremony of the Center’s concert hall. The “Sankofa Jazz Fest” lineup includes:
• Jesse Jones, Jr. - Jesse Jones, Jr. is a saxophonist extraordinaire, an international recording artist, and a native of Miami, Florida. A phenomenal reed player, Jesse will pay tribute to his late brother, Melton Mustafa, Sr. Jesse is technically a virtuoso on the alto, soprano and baritone saxophone, as well as flute. He combines the hard-bop influence of Cannonball Adderley, the funk of Hank Crawford, and the sweetness of Paul Desmond. His latest single “Cabbage Alley” is available on music platforms.
• Nikki Kidd - Nikki Kidd is an international jazz vocalist with a palpable passion for music. Nikki's accolades include working with acclaimed artists Gloria Estefan, Michael Bublé, KC and the Sunshine Band, Aloe Blacc, Thelma Houston, Mary Wilson, Shannon and Jennifer Holiday, and Cory Henry with the Nu Deco Ensemble.
• Cachita Lopez - Cachita López is a culturally influential singer, known around South Florida for her seamless fusion of styles and musical genres and her dynamic performances. She is particularly known for her jazz and traditional Cuban repertoire. She has graced the stage and studios with the likes of Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, Negroni's Trio, Jose Feliciano, Edwin Bonilla, Natalia Gimenez and Idina Menzel.
• Chris Walker - This year’s headliner. Singer, composer, musician, and producer, Chris Walker is most known as Al Jarreau’s musical director, co-vocalist and bassist. He has played with jazz greats such as Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, Bob James, Jimmy Heath, Cassandra Wilson, and R&B songstress Regina Belle.
This event will be a celebration and safe, family-friendly affair. Festival goers must purchase tickets in advance. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance. Strict rules, including social distancing and required face masks, will be enforced to keep the public safe.
“Sankofa
Jazz Fest is a celebration with engaging performances that showcase incredibly talented
and authentic jazz musicians,” explained Marshall Davis, AHCAC Managing
Director, “and it also serves as a special time, when we reunite and reconnect
with all the multitalented alumni that have received their arts instruction and
training at the AHCAC. Giving young people a solid start and foundation in the
arts is central to our Center’s mission.”
A premier arts training institution in Liberty City, the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is nationally-recognized for developing hundreds of outstanding artists in all arts disciplines over the last thirty-three years. Known as the artistic home of alumnus Tarell Alvin McCraney, co-creator of the award-winning movie, Moonlight, the Center’s other distinguished alumni include Robert Battle, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Bianca Brewton, dancer (Janet Jackson and Beyoncé); Shareef Clayton, a Jazz trumpeter (Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder); and tap dancer Marshall Davis, Jr., associate choreographer of the Tony-nominated play, Shuffle Along.
For more
information about the Sankofa Jazz Fest, vendor opportunities or tickets, call
305-638-6771 during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
or visit www.ahcacmiami.org. Follow us on social
media @ahcacmiami, #AHCAC, #AHCACMiami and #SankofaJazzFest
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is managed and operated by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, with support from the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The Center was founded in 1975 to serve as the nesting ground for emerging talent in the performing and visual arts in the heart of Liberty City. By providing quality instruction, inspiration and encouragement to young people within the community, the Center has fulfilled its mission for more than 40 years, and creates opportunities everyday for youth to discover their artistic talents.
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center serves as the nucleus of arts learning, training and access for Miami-Dade County’s African-American community. The Center promotes and fosters the rich, diverse cultural perspective of people of African heritage through high-quality instruction for children and youth in dance, drama, instrumental music, vocal music, media and visual arts; the nurturing of in-house performing arts companies; a residency program for emerging artists; as well as exciting performances and visual arts exhibitions for the public.
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center complex includes a black box theater, a music conservatory that features a concert hall, piano lab and several practice rooms, a dance studio that is accessible to individuals with disabilities, an art gallery, several studio spaces, a scene shop and classrooms.
The Center is located at 6161 NW 22nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33142 (MAP). Visit the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center online at www.ahcacmiami.org and follow us on social media @ahcacmiami and #AHCAC.
*Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” The sankofa symbolizes the Akan people’s quest for knowledge among the Akan with the implication that the quest is based on critical examination, and intelligent and patient investigation.The symbol is based on a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward with its head turned backwards. Thus, the Akan believe the past serves as a guide for planning the future. To the Akan, it is this wisdom in learning from the past which ensures a strong future. The Akans believe that there must be movement and new learning as time passes. As this forward march proceeds, the knowledge of the past must never be forgotten.
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