The Insider Arts + Culture Newsletter May 27-June 3, 2009 If you have trouble reading this message, you can view the online version here (and post to Facebook and MySpace also!) Zeit Recommends: World Wide Wednesdays begin, featuring Mohenjo Daro and Cultural Centre of India  Did you know you can go to a great live concert just about every day of the week during the summer on Fountain Square? This week kicks off their summer concert season, including Southern Sounds (Tuesdays), World Music (Wednesdays), Acoustic Music and Salsa (Thursday afternoons and evenings, respectively), Indie Rock and Singer/Songwriter Open Mics (Fridays) and Gospel/R&B (Sundays).
This is the first year incorporating World Music into the mix, and it is going to be quite a treat, featuring music and dance from China, India, Africa, Eastern Europe, Spain, Latin America, The Caribbean, Russia, the Middle East and more. The series showcases plenty of local and regional talent, as well as a couple of internationally touring bands! Click here to view the entire season's schedule and lineup! The season starts off this Wednesday with a Journey to India, featuring Mohenjo Daro, a trio that plays original music influenced by Indian and Middle Eastern rhythms and scales, and with traditional Indian dance by the Cultural Centre of India, led by Padma Chebrolu. Each Wednesday concert goes from 7-9 from May 27-Sept 9 and is free to the public. Bring a little cash for concessions and CDs, which artists will have on sale. Please also remember to tip the beverage servers, as tips raised will benefit the 501c3 nonprofit organization Play it Forward, to support local musicians in need. In case of rain, the concert will move to Havana Martini Club at 4th and Vine, which will also be hosting each week's afterparty. To see an audio slideshow of the performers, visit www.kurtstrecker.com/www 
Congolese musician Lokua Kanza performs to Benefit Rape Victims in the Congo  Afrika Yetu Inc. presents LOKUA KANZA, one of the most accomplished Congolese recording artists of today. Lokua Kanza will be making his Cincinnati debut on Thursday May 28, 2009, 8PM at the 20th Century Theater. Featuring WACONGO Dance Company, a traditional performing dance group from the Democratic Republic of Congo, this concert aims to promote awareness and raise funds for the hundreds of thousand women and girls in conflict zones who are kidnapped, tortured, brutally raped and sexually enslaved daily as a result of the Democratic Republic of Congo's intractable civil war. Tickets for the LOKUA KANZA with WACONGO concert are $50 VIP (which includes dinner and meet-and-greet with Lokua Kanza), $30 General Admission and $15 for students, and are available at Afrika Yetu by calling 412.281.3100 or online at www.afrikayetu.org. Tickets are also available at 20th Century Theater by calling 513.731.8000. Info available at www.Lokua-kanza.com and www.myspace.com/kanzalokua Videos are viewable here and here.
Gypsy Blues on Friday  Q: What do you get when you cross delta blues with a caravan?
A: The Sonny Moorman Band at the Gypsy Hut. Friday, May 29 from 9-1 at 4231 Spring Grove Ave is your chance to hear some of the best Southern Blues north of the river. The poster says it all. Cincy Blues Challenge 2009 Imagine scores of the top local Blues bands battling it out. Now, mark your calendars to be there! More than eight hours of the best blues await you - each band takes a 15 minute set, judged on Blues Content, Instrumental Talent, Vocal Talent, Originality and Stage Presence. Winners in each category go on to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2010. It's history in the listening! Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and music lasts from 12:30-9 p.m. Sunday May 31 at Germania Park (in Colerain). $15 or $10 for Blues Society Members, children 16 and younger are free with a paying adult. Feel free to bring your own chair, but not a cooler - they will have plenty of concessions there. More info at www.cincyblues.org Upcoming ... UNDERBELLY @ Southgate House From the twisted minds of local misfits and the desperate plottings of social deviants comes new and uncharted territory: a comedy show with no stand up. Underbelly, Cincinnati's newest and most unusual comedy
showcase, is held on the first Tuesday of every month at the historic Southgate House. The show features a rotating lineup of Cincinnati's best stand-up comedians doing improv, sketches, music, and poetry - everything except stand-up comedy. Come to see the most daring local comedic talent get out on a limb, soar and sometimes crash and burn. Get right down there on the cutting edge of Cincinnati's alternative arts scene, and experience the underbelly of local comedy. It's worth every penny of the free admission. Join their Facebook Group here and check out their promo video here. The next Underbelly will take place at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, at Southgate House in Newport. 
Shop Bellevue - Girl's Night Out  Every First Friday of the month, Bellevue hosts a grand event on Fairfield Avenue. Galleries and shops stay open late, and offer special promotions ... for the month of June, the theme is Pajama Night!
Come in your PJs and browse the avenue in comfort and style. There will be lots of special deals, as well as a chance to win a $100, $50 or $25 shopping spree. Check out the Bellevue Beadery for live music and to learn about Play it Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to serving musicians. Girls Night Out is 6-10 p.m. on Friday, June 5. Grab some girlfriends, don your favorite fuzzy slipprs, and go! For more info click here MUSE's 26th Annual Spring Concert  Freshly back from a trip to the Dominican Republic, MUSE Women's Choir is ready for their 26th annual spring concert. Their repertoire takes on a Latin twist, featuring folk music and dance genres from the Caribbean. The concert, "Gracias a La Vida," will include works that celebrate and honor life - in the traditional creative MUSE fashion.
The show will take place at 8 p.m. on Sat June 6 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 7 at New Thought Unity Church, 1401 E McMillan St. Tickets are a sliding scale donation of $8-50. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door. For more ticket outlets and further info, visit www.musechoir.org | Featured Artist Mohenjo Daro! Visit their MySpace Mohenjo Daro delivers a powerful presentation of original, yet traditional Indian and Middle Eastern inspired music. The group's inherently western methods blend with elements ranging from Indian raga and devotional music to Arabic trance and belly dance music. Over the past decade Mohenjo Daro has developed a unique repertoire that realistically combines their Western influences with their shared knowledge of Indian and Arabic music. Mohenjo Daro is playing the opening show of the Wide World Wednesday series on Fountain Square on May 27 from 7-9 p.m. Come and catch one of Cincinnati's most unique and original groups! Instrumentation: Johnny Rusza, flutes Jim Feist, tablas Zach Mechlem, strings and darabuka 
World Wide Wednesdays on Fountain Square World Music Concert Series every Wednesday from 7-9 on Fountain Square from May 27-Sept 9 All ages and free to public! May 27: Journey to India featuring Mohenjo Daro and The Cultural Center of India June 3: A Night in Brazil featuring Maggie Green and a live capoeira demonstration given by Mike Butcher June 10: Sounds of the Silk Road featuring Chinese Classical music and Chinese dance June 17 Island Flavors featuring Nature and Flora Leptak-Moreau June 24: Songs of the River featuring The Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band July 1: Celtic Crossroads featuring Greg Harper, Ceol Mhor, The Caledonian Society and The Flock July 8: Reggae Fever featuring Super Massive and Duppy a Jamba July 15: An evening in East Europe featuring Russian Duo and Romanian Nai July 22: Light up the Party featuring Luminescent Orchestrii July 29: Songs of Spain featuring Vivo Flamenco and Flamenco Talk Aug 5: Big Fat Greek Concert featuring Greek Tycoons Aug 12: Tribal Rhythms featuring Mayan Ruins and Keshvar Orchestra Aug 19: New and Old World featuring Canela and Passage Aug 26: African Explosion featuring Kinobe with Soulbeat Africa and Olubanjo Adigun Sept 2: Sounds of Unity featuring Mandala Rainbow Tribe and Eclipse Sept 9: Songs from the Earth featuring Lost in Holland and Acarya For more info, visit www.kurtstrecker.com/www Subscribe to the Zeit Insider here To submit your event for the weekly newsletter, please contact: zeit@zeitproductions.com Artist Opportunities! Great 2-Bedroom Apartment for rent!! Old world Charm! 2-br apartment for rent in Bellevue, KY. Great location! Historical District. City View. Walking distance to the river and parks. High ceilings, exposed brick, clawsfoot tub, 2 bedrooms, free cable/internet, free dishwasher, washer/ dryer in unit. Secured entry! Won't last long, move in June 1. 713 Fairfield ave at O' fallon. Call Mary Jo @ 859-620-3554. World Music concert series on Fountain Square May 27-Sept 9 Do you like listening to great music and helping people at the same time? Play it Forward, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is seeking volunteers to work the beverage booth during the World Wide Wednesday series at Fountain Square. The job entails serving beverages from approximately 6-9 p.m. on Wednesdays with tips benefiting Play it Forward. Many dates are available, from May 27-Sept. 9. You can enjoy a live concert of international music and help a charity at the same time! Must be 21 or over. To volunteer, please email playitforwardcincy@gmail.com and for more info on PIF, please visit www.pifcincy.org FULL SPECTRUM CALL TO VOLUNTEERS If you'd like to get involved with some great arts events, there is a fantastic opportunity to do so with FULL SPECTRUM. This is going to be a series of large-scale, multi-media arts events in Covington every weekend in October. There will be everything from historic tours to juried art exhibits to a World Music festival to a film festival to a haunted art house and a zombie parade. To learn more, please contact Natalie Bowers at 859-292-2322. |
