Burnt Sugar surrounding Mikel Mwalimu-Banks. Photo by Ginny Suss

Artists For Mikel Mwalimu-Banks

After suffering a violent fall on a Lower East Side sidewalk in 2018, Burnt Sugar family member Mikel Mwalimu-Banks saw a neurologist. The appointment proved a fateful turning point in his life. Mikel was diagnosed with a form of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disease that affects the muscles of your face, shoulders, upper arms, and lower legs. The devastating diagnosis upended what was once an active life in the arts, culture, and music industries. More egregiously, the condition devastated Mikel’s ability to generate a sustainable living from his craft. Having contributed his unique style of artistry, fashion, and overall humanity to New York’s progressive Black underground scene for more than 50 years—half a century—the community he inspired and influenced is now returning the favor.

Burnt Sugar Arkestra. Photos by Shane Nelson

More on ‘Hapo Na Zamani’

Led by Black artists, activists, and intellectuals in the 1960s and 1970s, the Black Arts Movement helped to shape the ideologies of Black identity, political beliefs, and African American culture at that time with an impact that can still be felt today. Hapo Na Zamani (Swahili for “then and now”) re-imagines a happening from that
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Burnt Sugar Arkestra. Photos by Shane Nelson

Lincoln Center’s Free Silent Disco & Free Fast Track

As part of the Juneteenth celebration, the audience is invited to an after-performance dance party hosted by Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis of the East Village’s Middle Church featuring a Silent Disco of re-imagined gospel music by DJ Rimarkable. Costumes, visual art and production design for this event are courtesy of the acclaimed installation artist Dianne
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NAPOLEON MADDOX presents: L'OUVERTURE DE TOUSSAINT

L’Ouverture de Toussaint

A musical tribute to a Black Revolutionary, Haitian General Toussaint L’Ouverture This Quartet features Napoleon Maddox, Jowee Omicil & musical guests. Burnt Sugar Arkestra performs featuring Cincy-Nancy Sister City Association w/ youth spoken word performances, inspired by pen-pal letters between Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy (CCPA) and Loritz Lycee School (Nancy, Fr). STOCKBOY featuring Brent Olds, John Gentry, and Michael Taylor.
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UNDERWORLD Jazz Festival

The Underworld Jazz Festival was launched in 2018 to amplify rich, colorful and nuanced Black art traditions. They use the word “underworld” because despite the revenue it generates, Black art remains marginal to mainstream society. They use the term “jazz”; less as genre and more as a way to think about approach to music, creativity
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Burnt Sugar Arkestra. Photos by Shane Nelson

BSAC BRIC Jazz Fest Edition/DJ Spinna/Downtown Brooklyn Partnership/The Plaza @ 300 Ashland

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (BRIC Jazz Festival Edition) Shelley Nicole – Vocals/Conduction ~ Bruce Mack – Vocals/Synthesizer/Conduction ~ Ms. Olithea – Vocals ~ Abby Dobson – Vocals ~ Lewis “Flip” Barnes – Trumpet ~ V. Jeffrey Smith – Soprano/Tenor Sax ~ Avram Fefer – Bari Sax ~ Dave “Smoota” Smith – Trombone ~ Leon
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Burnt Sugar Arkestra. Photos by Shane Nelson

Southern Ohio Appreciation Shout Out !

With our last Dayton Ohio performance being in 2012, BSAC would like to thank Kenneth Marcellus, Paula Ashcraft, Jim “Rev. Cool” Carter, Niki Dakota, Basim Blunt, Leslie Marie Lindsay, Don Thrasher, Napoleon Maddox, Peter Benkendorf, Eileen Carr and Chris Schadler for sweetly sticking with us ; and lastly and especially Lisa Wagner of the Dayton
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