The line-up for the “Harlem Creates Music Festival” (HCMF) has been announced by organizer Create X, Inc. HCMF aims to bring together Harlem’s population to celebrate, enjoy, and explore the music it creates. The event begins Saturday, September 6th at Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater and concludes with a free concert on Sunday, September 7th at Riverbank State Park.
Saturday’s show begins at 8pm (advance ticket purchase required). Sunday’s concert is from 5pm-7pm.
All the festival’s performers are rooted in Harlem, including Jacob Shaw, The Earthman Experience, Sugar Tone Brass Band, the Rakiem Walker Project, Quantum Split, The Westerlies, and the Harlem Creates Ensemble.
Rakiem Walker, owner and director of the Rakiem Walker Project, is an HCMF Board Member. The long-time Harlem resident said, “I was drawn to this project from the beginning, not only because of the opportunity for artists, but also because the festival is giving back by providing leadership, vision, and financial support for aspiring musicians in our community. I like what these guys are doing and I’m happy to lend my 22 years of musical experience in Harlem to the project.”
Create X, Inc. was started when musician Jacob Kallman and Harlem-based composer Charles Martin recognized that in Harlem, like-minded artists often lack the opportunity to interact with or perform alongside one another within the Manhattan neighborhood’s borders, thus contributing to the absence of a shared Harlem music consciousness. The two artists set out to create an event that would provide an opportunity for local performances and “amplify the creative musical voice of Harlem.”
Kallman says, “Inspiring Harlem’s musicians to be part of the festival turned out to be less of a challenge than we might have predicted. In the two months since we registered the event, the music community in Harlem has been overwhelmingly supportive–so much so that we have a waiting list of performers wanting to participate.”
“We are now in the process of engaging like-minded civic groups and community leaders,” adds Martin. “Their involvement will insure the sustainability of our efforts and assure that our message is delivered to the broadest possible audience.”
Key community leaders like Ruth Thomas are already coming on board. Thomas, the Cultural Manager of Riverbank State Park, where the event will end with a free concert on September 7th , said, “I am thrilled to collaborate with this grassroots project and see it spring to life right here in the heart of Harlem.”
For information on the Harlem Creates Music Festival, visit www.harlemcreates.org or contact Charlie Martin at info@harlemcreates.org or (813) 803-2463
Create X, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization focused on providing a genre-bending musical experience with the overarching goal of giving back to the community at all levels.
