HIP-HOP SOUL JAM / Harlem Event

By HarlemHouse

HIP HOP SOUL JAM – A Celebration of Emerging Artists Performing For a Cause

Next Thursday May 6th, 2010 at The Shrine Bar in Harlem, marks the launch of Hip-Hop Soul Jam, a quarterly performance series showcasing emerging hip hop soul artists making music for a purpose.  The event, conceived and produced by Hip Hop Saves Lives Founder Chad Harper, aims to expose new and positive talent in the hip hop soul community, while using the power of genre of vital causes.

The event format will feature live performances by select local and international acts, highlight and benefit a chosen charity, and conclude with a DJ led dance party celebrating music genres of the Black Diaspora and bringing together actors in the entertainment community.

“We want to give a spotlight to quality hip hop soul artists, those with a focus on saying something and creating music with artistic integrity, while showing the power of hip hop soul to effect change on a global level. We’ll place emphasis on acts who follow their words with actions, personifying Hip Hop Saves Lives’ motto, ‘We don’t just talk about it, we be about it,’” Harper said. To this end he has teamed up with co-producer Jake Bright, a DJ and Director of African focused Cocody Productions, twice recognized by award winning radio program Afropop Worldwide and having produced events for The Touch Foundation and Alicia Keys’ Keep a Child Alive.

The inaugural event will feature performances by local artists including Gene Pritsker´s Sound Liberation, the concert will also feature Nahdi, Squala Orphan, Clarisa Rose, R-Kitech and Chanda Rule, as well Babaluku of Uganda and Makhtar from Senegal. The evening’s donations will benefit Charity Water (charitywater.org), which is currently working on providing earthquake survivors of Haiti with clean drinking water. Evening will also include a special photographic exhibit on Haiti by Bennett Raglin. AOC Fine Wines is sponsoring the red carpet reception.  

Hip Hop Saves Lives, founded by Chad Harper is a charitable/entertainment organization dedicated to using the powerof hip hop for global change. Its primary focus is clean water wells for Africa and educating the hip hop community on living green. Coming ventures include an on-line radio and TV show, news letter, and magazine  www.hiphopsaveslives.org

Shrine Bar, themed after the legendary artist Fela Kuti’s bar of the same name, is one of New York’s pre-eminent live music venues (www.shrinenyc.com).