NEWS
Four months after announcing that she would be curating the lineup for the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2023 Spring Music Series Solange revealed the full lineup for the event on Thursday (Feb. 16). The concert and film series dubbed “Eldorado Ballroom” will be co-curated by the singer and her Saint Heron Collective.
The seven events will kick off on March 30 with a concert featuring modern R&B acts Kelela, Res and KeiyaA and also feature performances by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, jazz singer Linda Sharrock, poet Claudia Rankine and gospel act Twinkie Clark & the Clark Sisters. There will also be a performance of the works of 20th century jazz pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams conducted by Malcolm Merriweather and a night of the orchestral and opera works of classical composer Julia Perry and jazz pianist Patrice Rushen.
The series will also feature two nights of “wordless storytelling” by Autumn Knight and artist Maren Hassenger titled “Type of Guest” and a pair of film showcases titled Unseen Nuyorican Pictures and Coeval Dance Films.
A description of the events on the BAM site nods to the multi-disciplinary, intergenerational nature of the lineup. “[Solange’s] dedication to reverencing and preserving the works of Black practitioners through Saint Heron continues with a lineup that consists of contemporary and historic creative revolutionaries whose artistry and innovation has left a profound mark on music and performance art,” it reads.
“The series is named after Eldorado Ballroom, a Houston historic Black music hall in her native Third Ward neighborhood, where her love for performance started. Each night is programmed to explore artistic territory through investigations surrounding the sonic and performance-based expressions that have shaped the artist’s own practice,” the description continues. “In these seven programs, the multigenerational audiences of Saint Heron’s and BAM’s communities will experience celebratory and tributary performances that honor the blueprints of these themes and genres as they are being reinvented today. “
BAM members, patrons and Saint Heron patrons can get in on the on sale beginning at noon today (Feb. 17), with the general public on sale kicking off on Tuesday (Feb. 21) at noon ET. The singer last worked with BAM nearly a decade ago when she headlined the 2013 Crossing Brooklyn Ferry music festival.
Her creative partnership with BAM follows Solange’s foray into composition in 2022. She wrote the score for Play Time for the New York City Ballet, which premiered at the end of September as part of the celebrated dance troupe’s Fall Fashion Gala.
Check out the event’s poster below.
KATSEYE have officially begun a fresh chapter with the announcement of their forthcoming single, Pinky Up.
The K-pop girl group sparked curiosity online after sharing a string of mysterious posts that quickly had fans trying to piece together the clues.
The first teaser, posted on March 30, featured the Mona Lisa gently raising a hot cup of tea with her pinky finger lifted. The next video, uploaded the next day, showed an arcade claw machine labeled with the group’s name pulling a sword from a mix of sparkling plush toys and a single teacup. Making things even more intriguing, the caption stated: “We’re screaming from cloud nine!!”
Their third update finally revealed the song title along with its cover art. The image showed a figure kneeling on a rug next to a teacup and a toy cat, while the title appeared in bright hot pink text across the visual. The group also confirmed the release date as April 9.
Pinky Up will arrive just one day before KATSEYE appear at Coachella on April 10, which will mark their first time performing at the famous festival.
The single also marks their first comeback since HYBE and Geffen confirmed that member Manon Bannerman would be stepping away for a period of time to prioritize her “health and well being.”
In a message posted on Weverse, they shared: "Hello. After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing."
The group expressed that they “fully support this decision,” and added: “KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. We look forward to being together again when the time is right.”
While she is away, the group will continue promotions with Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung.
They closed their message by saying: “Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
