|
|
||
|
|
MOTOWN 50th Anniversary Celebration Organizers Plan Free Festival at Ojibway Island for Saturday, July 11th By Robert E. Martin Anybody that has every visited the birthplace of Motown Records original Detroit headquarters can sense the magic embedded within the walls of the modest home offices that housed ‘Hitsville U.S.A. at 2648 W. Grand Blvd. Founded on January 12, 1959, Motown quickly became as significant a manufacturing factory as the stylistic shapes & models being generated by the Big Three automakers – only in this instance, the product generated was a sound unlike any heard before – an amalgamation of Gospel, rhythm & blues, and hook-laden Pop structures that branded our cultural landscape as unmistakably as the tracks of rubber burned by GTO’s, Mustangs, and Corvettes across the ribbon expanse of highways across America. From it’s first hits – Money, Shop Around, Please Mr. Postman - throughout it’s later legacy, the sheer number of chart-topping artists, musicians, and groups produced by Motown was unequaled throughout the world: Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, and Marvin Gaye – the list goes on; but obviously, founder Berry Gordy modeled his hit factory after the Detroit car assembly line that he knew so well: keep it simple, keep it memorable, churn out a great product, with a divergent array of models, and keep it consistent. To mark this landmark anniversary in Michigan Music, L.W. Productions, House of Music and Soul City Entertainment are assembling an ambitious celebration entitled The Magic Sound of Motown, slated for Saturday, July 11th on Saginaw’s Ojibway Island. With over 20 bands & artists consisting of renowned national & local performers, organizers how to glean families from all persuasions for a festive day of music, food, games, and contests, including a divergent array of vendors and even a horse-riding contest. According to organizer Lorenzo Pierson, “We put this event together because we want to give back to our community and what better way to do it that showcase music that set Michigan apart from the world.” “In times like these people need something positive to do and with money being so difficult to come by these days, many families suffer and sacrifice entertainment and enjoyment because other responsibilities must come first.” “With this event, it gives families the opportunity to get out and enjoy a beautiful day of music and activities for their children because best of all, the entire concert will be free to the public.” “We’ve created a friendly, safe, and secure environment for the entire community to enjoy the line-up of artists we have on store celebrating Motown, so it’s going to be a blast!” With performances slated by Phase Five, Serieux, Deionna, Charles Parker, Willie Max, Jasmine, Verlycia, Chandra Haliburton, Talitha Phillips, Blu Mykals, Chet Allen and more, the Motown Blues & Jazz Festival is poised to become one of the memorable mid-Michigan summer events of 2009. As for Motwn itself, by the time of the Detroit riots in the late sixties, things changed and Gordy moved west to Los Angeles. With artists like Rick James, Lioenl Richie, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder still laying down viable tracks in the 1970s and ‘80s, while much of the Motown roster faded, eventually Berry Gordy had enough of the business and sold the company to MCA, which in turn was sold to Plygram, which in turn was bought by Universal. Undoubtedly though, Motown was an entity that made history - the first black-owned, black-oriented business to make it in a major way and give white America something they couldn’t get enough of - joyous, heart-thumping grooves of aspiration, heartbreak, and poignancy. This music is eternal and does not sound dated in the least. With this celebration, Lorenzo hopes to rekindle the magic and channel an important component of musical history through the interpretations of young artists; as well as showcase performers that share the passion and commitment that placed Motown on the map in the first place. For more information, call 989-964-9053 or 989-213-1972.
|
|
|
|
||
|
home |
Out & About |
Dining |
Events |
singles |
classified |
archives |
advertising |
||
