Saturday, April 9th, 2022

Blending the traditional music of South Africa with American Jazz music, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Hugh Masekela is regarded as giving birth to jazz as it sounds today in South Africa as well as being an ambassador of this music to the rest of the world. His music protested apartheid, slavery, government, and the hardships individuals were experiencing. Masekela’s recognition is not indicative of his accomplishments, influence, and contributions to the music world, and influence on jazz, rock, folk, and world music.

Program

Don’t Go Lose It Baby
Techno-Bush, 1984

Stop
A Promise of A Future, 1968

Agbada Bougou
Rejoice, 2020

Vasco Da Gama (The Sailor Man)
Colonial Man, 1976

Child Of The Earth
The Emancipation of Hugh Masekela, 1966

Maseru
Home Is Where The Music Is, 1972

Mace And Grenades
Masekela, 1969

Grazing In The Grass
A Promise of A Future, 1968

About the Artists

Manny Arciniega, percussion

Manny Arciniega is a member of the Levine faculty and a freelance percussionist, composer, arranger, and editor. His degrees are from  Texas  Christian  University  and  the  Royal  Academy  of  Music  in  London.  He has worked with world-renowned conductors and performers and has performed in venues all over the world. Skilled in many areas of percussion, Manny’s performances vary from playing tabla and percussion with the group Tablature to playing buckets on the Netflix original TV series, House of Cards. In addition to Levine, he teaches at the Kreeger Museum, Capitol Hill Day School, and the Siena School.

Paul Bratcher, piano

Paul Bratcher is co-chair of the piano department at Levine Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Georgetown University. A native of Harrisburg, PA, he began playing piano at age 11. After high school, Paul continued his education at Messiah College where he had the pleasure of playing with and learning from jazz masters Tim Warfield, Kirk Reese, Cyrus Chestnut, and Bruce Barth. Paul continued his education at Michigan State University in the Jazz Studies program under world-renowned bassist Rodney Whitaker. Paul has shared the stage with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, Tim Warfield, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Branford Marsalis and, after graduating with his M.M. in Jazz Studies in 2013, has been busy playing and touring with Anthony Stanco and the Crucial Elements. He has participated in multiple international tours in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Canada, Uruguay, Indonesia, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, and Germany.

Karine Chapdelaine, bass

Karine Chapdelaine is currently Professor of Jazz Bass at James Madison University, the music teacher at Thurgood Marshall Public Charter High School, and a busy freelance musician. Karine’s professional performance career has taken her all over the world. She has appeared at major venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Karine has performed with Marvin Hamlisch, Bobby McFerrin, McCoy Tyner, Paquito D’Rivera, Mary Halvorson, Allison Miller, and The Washington Ballet. During her tenure with the Canadian-based pop band Creature, she recorded at SARM Studios in London, where Paul McCartney recorded some of his solo work. Karine is endorsed by Godin Guitars.

Dante’ Pope, vocals

Dante’ uses his roots based in the church to uplift and continue the legacy of Black American Music. His debut EP, After Five Music, is a nod to his roots from Chicago based in blues, gospel, jazz, and soul music. Since it’s release, Dante’ was selected as the Strathmore Artist-in-Residence Program, performed his debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and was showcased at The DC Jazz Festival and the notable Rockwood Music Hall in New York.

Prior to his solo career, Dante’ was the drummer and music director for soul artist and lyricist Raheem Devaugh and Wes Felton, known as The Crossrhodes. Their NPR Tiny Desk show was one of the highlights of his time touring nationally with The Crossrhodes. Dante’ is a GRAMMY Board member in the Washington, DC Chapter and was featured on the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated album Black Cowboys. The project was a collaboration with Smithsonian Folkways and GRAMMY award-winning artist Dom Flemons, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Tennishu, trumpet

Tennishu is a lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer from Richmond, VA. As President of his own record label, James Infinite, and a full-time member of the progressive powerhouse Butcher Brown, Tennishu has a long and deep connection to the stage and the studio.

Tennishu’s latest release, It’s Too Late, features a collaboration with South African lyricist and visual artist Jarred Van Der Vyver. Although the connection was forged over a surprise Instagram Live session, this record captures the artistic nature and sonic elements to better serve the imaginative flows of both artists while generating a familiar vibe. As only the second record from the descriptive duo, the trajectory has been plotted, and we are well on our way to something interesting.

“Just as with his jazz fusion band Butcher Brown, Tennishu defies genre and creates a beautiful new effortlessly stitching together pieces from many different influences with a humble respect and truly masterful musicianship.” – Yack Magazine

Josh Walker, guitar

Guitarist, composer, and Levine Music faculty member Joshua Walker began his musical journey at age 12. His career has afforded him the opportunity to perform with McCoy Tyner, Oliver Lake, Jon Irabagon, Steve Wilson, Sheryl Bailey, Joe Byrd, Gary Thomas, Ritchie Cole, Warren Wolf, and Jason Mraz. He has been a member of groups that have opened for Randy Brecker, Donny McCaslin, Pat LaBarbara, Charlie Byrd, and the Washington Guitar Quintet. In 2011, he won Downbeat Magazine’s annual award for Best Blues, Pop, or Rock Solo By An Instrumentalist at the College Graduate Level.

Joshua earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, began his graduate work at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and finished it at Howard University. During his time at Peabody, Joshua received multiple scholarships, including the Charlie Byrd Memorial Endowment in Guitar. Joshua also received additional grants and scholarships during his time at Howard.

Billy Williams, drums

Billy Williams is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. He has had the opportunity to work professionally with the likes of Larry Willis, Terell Stafford, Cyrus Chestnut, Warren Wolf, Raul Midon, and Steve Davis, among many others. He has also performed worldwide in prestigious venues such as the Village Vanguard in New York City; the Blue Note in Paris, France and Tokyo, Japan; and Umbria Jazz in Perugia, Italy. As an educator, Billy has been featured as an artist-in-residence at Duke University, the Centrum Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend, WA, and JazzSTL in St. Louis, MO. To learn more about Billy, please visit www.billywilliamsmusic.com.

Hugh Masekela

Blending the traditional music of South Africa with American jazz music, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Hugh Masekela is regarded as giving birth to jazz as it sounds today in South Africa as well as being an ambassador of this music to the rest of the world.

His music protested apartheid, slavery, government, and the hardships individuals were experiencing. Masekela’s contributions to the music world, personal and professional accomplishments, and influence on jazz, rock, folk, and world music, are unmatched.

“My biggest obsession is to show Africans and the world who the people of Africa really are,” confided Masekela before his passing in 2018. It was this commitment to his home continent that propelled him forward since he first began playing the trumpet.