Michael Mwenso News

The Blacksmiths, a new national coalition of artists, curators, producers, and organizers that forges culture for Black liberation, are kicking off a summer series of events and activities in New York City this Juneteenth Weekend, June 19 & 20, 2020.

National Sawdust's physical doors are still closed but, thanks to a generous grant from the Alphadyne Foundation, the mission of providing artists the resources and support they need to create and present new work continues with the Digital Discovery Festival, featuring over 100 artists from May through August.

ALL ARTS celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a special lineup of programming highlighting prominent queer and trans artists and activists, streaming for free on the ALL ARTS app and allarts.org/pride.

See what's coming up in February at National Sawdust!

Joe's Pub, a program and venue of The Public Theater, has announced the new class of Joe's Pub Working Group (JPWG), the venue's artist development program dedicated to enhancing the career sustainability and growth of performing artists. Entering its sixth year, JPWG welcomes five artists - cabaret artist Salty Brine, vocalist and composer Sarah Elizabeth Charles, musician and musical theater composer Jaime Lozano, Indian classical and crossover vocalist Roopa Mahadevan, and singer-songwriter Kirsten Maxwell - into the group, which represents the diversity and scope of the nightly programming at Joe's Pub.

See full details for January 2020 performances at National Sawdust

The 2019 - 2020 season of the Carlsen Center Presents Series continues with Harlem 100 a?" A Celebration of the Harlem Renaissance, on Sunday, November 10, 7 p.m. in Yardley Hall. High res photos with IDs can be found here. Video can be found here.

Celebrate the music that made Harlem the center of the music universe at Harlem 100 Featuring Mwenso & The Shakes, Sunday, October 27 at 7 pm at Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $29-$69.

City Parks Foundation's SummerStage is proud to announce the 27th Anniversary celebration of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. In the world of modern music, few figures loom as large or cast as long a shadow as saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker, celebrated as a bebop pioneer and for bringing jazz into the modern era.

Harlem based band Mwenso & The Shakes' debut album, Emergence, is out now viaRopeadope Records. The new music is receiving early critical praise—JAZZIZ calls the group, “…a unique troupe of global artists presenting music that merges entertainment and artistry” while WBGO.org furthers, “Not many bands in the orbit of jazz today can begin to approach the crowd-pleasing threshold of Mwenso & The Shakes.” ALL ARTS presented by New York Public Media adds, “The music doled out by Mwenso and The Shakes is effusive, overflowing with elements of classical jazz, blues, world music and tap. When played live, this amalgam of ideas and musical references has garnered the spiritual jazz-outfit with a reputation for energetic sets and genre-pushing inventions.” 

Harlem based band Mwenso & The Shakes' debut album, Emergence, is set for release on August 2 via Ropeadope Records. The band's new single, “No Regrets,” premieres on JAZZIZ, who calls the group, “…a unique troupe of global artists presenting music that merges entertainment and artistry.” 

On June 20, jazz prodigy Bryan Carter is proud to present JAZZ AT PRIDE, a one-night only concert event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community at (le) poisson rouge. The performance will feature a compilation of world-class musicians including Michael Blume, Linda Briceño, Cat Cohen, J. Hoard, Alphonso Horne, Brandon Lee, Sherrie Maricle, Michael Mwenso, Dida Pelled, Vuyo Sotashe, Charenee Wade, and 2019 Tony Award winner for Best Performance by a Leading Actor, Santino Fontana, all backed by the 22-piece Young Swangers Orchestra.

City Parks Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2019 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City's largest free outdoor performing arts festival, bringing nearly 100 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 17 neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs. This year's festival will showcase 200 renowned artists and rising stars from around the world to local neighborhood parks, presenting distinctly New York genres -- salsa, jazz, and hip-hop -- alongside indie, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, contemporary dance, and much more. View the official SummerStage 2019 season announce video here.

City Parks Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2019 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City's largest free outdoor performing arts festival, bringing nearly 100 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 17 neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs. This year's festival will showcase 200 renowned artists and rising stars from around the world to local neighborhood parks, presenting distinctly New York genres -- salsa, jazz, and hip-hop -- alongside indie, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, contemporary dance, and much more.  

On Saturday, March 2, Mwenso & the Shakes will bring its unique fusion of African, Afro-American, jazz, and blues music to Flushing Town Hall. The evening starts with a dance and groove workshop at 7 PM, and continues with a concert at 8 PM.

Joe's Pub, a program and venue of The Public Theater, announces the new class of Joe's Pub Working Group (JPWG), the venue's artist development program dedicated to enhancing the career sustainability and growth of performing artists. Entering its fifth year, JPWG welcomes five artists performer and songwriter Migguel Anggelo, composter and vocalist Trevor Bachman, comedian and performance artist Becca Blackwell, jazz musician and composer Yacine Boulares, and singer-songwriter Treya Lam as the core group that represents the diversity and scope of the nightly programming at Joe's Pub.

In 2019, Flushing Town Hall offers a breadth of outstanding global music, family programs, exhibitions, jazz and workshops. From January through June, Flushing Town Hall will present 72 programs, including 18 world music shows, 10 jazz performances, eight family programs, seven classical music concerts, three exhibitions, and more.  The spring season is a continuation of 40th anniversary celebrations of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA), the steward of Flushing Town Hall.

Today, Lincoln Center has announced the 20th season of American Songbook, celebrating the ever-expanding American musical canon from January 30 to March 4, 2019. This year's 15-concert series includes legendary songwriters, contemporary storytellers and interpreters of song, and musical projects by multitalented performers pushing the boundaries of pop, alternative, soul, folk, musical theater, jazz, and more.

Throughout the season, New York City teens will come together to write, produce, and perform original music with their peers and learn from leading artists through Future Music Project, a vibrant, growing creative community based out of Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing. 2018 - 2019 programming will highlight Carnegie Hall's Migrations: The Making of America festival, with young people reflecting on the impact of migration on their past, present, and future and creating new works responding to those themes. Select songs written by teens will be showcased on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. as part of Soul Mechanisms, a special concert in Zankel Hall led by celebrated performer Toshi Reagon.

 Walton Arts Center will host Harlem-based artist Michael Mwenso and his band, The Shakes, for a night of lively jazz, dancing and freewheeling rowdiness on Friday, Sept. 14 at 8 pm.