Christina Cultural Arts Center Opens Concert Season with World Music

Photo by Shervin Lainez.

Live @ Christina, Christina Cultural Arts Center’s (CCAC’s) annual concert series held in its intimate Clifford Brown Performance Space, will kick off this season on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. with noted world music ensemble Ajoyo. 

Each season, CCAC has been fortunate to welcome performances by noted artists like Gregory Porter, Delfeayo Marsalis, Snarky Puppy and Christian Sands.

Headed by French-Tunisian saxophonist, clarinetist and composer, Yacine Boularès, Ajoyo blends sounds of African tradition, jazz and soul with the silken vocals of Sarah Elizabeth Charles. Tickets for the performance are $23 and are available at ccacde.org.

“Our music stems from West and North African rhythmic traditions — Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, Oum Kalthoum and many more,” says Boularès. “But we also bring a lot of our individual experience as musicians. The sum of it all is an upbeat, eclectic brew of jazz, soul, African rhythms and indie rock.”

Last appearing at CCAC in May 2018, Ajoyo happily returns to downtown Wilmington for a repeat performance. “On tour, we tend to develop special relationships with certain audiences, and CCAC was definitely one of them,” Boularès says.

Ultimately, he says, Ajoyo is about creating music for the mind, for the heart, and for the body. “You’ll definitely want to stand up and dance,” he says.

This engagement is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts.

ABOUT CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
The mission of Christina Cultural Arts Center Inc. (CCAC) is to make affordable arts, education, career training, exhibitions and live performances accessible to youth and adults in a welcoming learning environment. For more than 70 years, CCAC has been an anchor in the Delaware arts community and Wilmington's Creative District, focusing on the tenets of Hope, Knowledge, Inspiration & Passion by providing instruction and performance/exhibition opportunities in music, dance, drama, visual arts and poetry. Christina offers one of the only integrated arts and academic programs in Delaware, utilizing the power of arts to promote school success, career training, and positive social behavior. We collaborate with local and national partners — business, educators, and artists — to promote the creative industry and advocate for the socio-economic impact of the arts in our community. Christina Cultural Arts Center is a member of the Mid Atlantic Foundation Jazz Touring Network. 

For more information visit ccacde.org.

Christina Cultural Arts Center Hosts Grammy Nominated Duo, Local Artist Exhibit to Open Season

This post content comes from a release from Christina Cultural Arts Center...

On Friday, October 5, as a part of Art Loop Wilmington, Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) will host an artist reception for local artist Stephen Kingsberry and his exhibit, “Burden of Palestine,” from 5:00 to 8:00pm.

Kingsberry’s love for art was reinforced after visiting Palestine in 2017. Kingsberry was moved by the oppression of the Palestinian people and wanted to express the emotions that consumed him on the trip.

Visual Artist Stephen Kingsberry
presents his exhibit, "Burden of
Palestine," opening October 5 at CCAC.

“The exhibit seeks to inform people about the struggles of the Palestinians living under occupation,” Kingsberry said. “I want to express what I have witnessed through the lens of art while helping to promote peace.”

Additional exhibit pieces promote the rich beauty, heritage and traditions of Africa and its people throughout the world. A Gallery Talk will be led by Mike Abel of Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights on Friday evening at 7:00pm.

“We are excited to show Stephen’s compelling copper pieces in Christina’s Edward Loper Sr. Gallery,” said Executive Director H. Raye Jones Avery. “It’s an exhibit that will undoubtedly draw strong responses from viewers and, hopefully, stimulate conversation and action.”

Also this weekend, Christina begins its live music series on Sunday, October 7, at 3:00pm in the intimate setting of its Clifford Brown Performance Center. Opening Night of Live @ Christina features the Christina debut of two-time Grammy® nominated jazz/R&B duo, The Baylor Project — Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor. 

Jean and Marcus Baylor perform at CCAC on October 7,
opening the Live @ Christina series. Photo by Deneka Peniston.

Tickets for the performance are $25 until September 29 and $35 thereafter. They can be purchased at ccacde.org.

As the children of Pastors, Marcus and Jean Baylor's musical roots were planted deep within the church, and it was there that the road was paved for the influence of gospel, blues, soul and jazz to make its mark. Their debut CD "The Journey", released on their own label, Be A Light, topped the Billboard Jazz Chart at Number 8 and a year later garnered 2 Grammy® nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance.

The engagement of The Baylor Project is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Christina has become known for its intimate performances by acclaimed jazz and R&B artists, and Live @ Christina continues with an appearance on Friday, November 2, by five-time Grammy® nominee, pianist Christian Sands.

ABOUT CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Christina's mission is to make all genres of arts education and experiences accessible to all, but most especially low-income communities. Christina is celebrating more than 70 years of delivering impactful arts experiences and education to the community. Christina faculty provide arts learning in such diverse areas as music, dance, visual art, drama, martial arts, early childhood arts education and youth violence prevention. One of the hallmarks of Christina is its annual presentation of intimate live performances of local, regional and internationally known artists in its own Clifford Brown Performance Space. 

For more information, call 302.652.0101 or visit ccacde.org.