GUELPH – Celebrate the Black artists who helped shape popular music with Freedom! at River Run Centre on Feb. 4 at 8pm.
The Main Stage event, presented during Black History Month, is a part of River Run Centre’s Showcase Series, bringing acclaimed live productions to the stage.
From church hymnals, blues, and jazz to rock ’n’ roll, R&B, and rap, music history is inextricably tied to Black culture.
But many exceptional Black musicians have been lost in history while their white counterparts went on to fame.
Freedom! – featuring a company of 10 outstanding performers – gives credit where credit is due, honouring the contributions of Black artists who helped shape popular music.
Created by, starring, and under the musical direction of Beau Dixon, Freedom! won critical acclaim as part of Stratford Festival’s 2021 Cabaret series.
The production features music by celebrated artists including Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Sam Cooke as well as several lesser-known musicians forgotten to history.
“Black music, at its heart, is about freedom – not just the idea of social and economic freedom driven by racial injustice, but a freedom of the mind and soul,” Dixon says.
“With the help of my talented brothers and sisters, we will lift up just a few of these voices – the lesser-known and forgotten artists, and the celebrated successes, shining a light on the history, culture, spirit, and legacy of Black music.”
Beau Dixon is an award-winning actor, musician, playwright, music director, and sound designer.
His plays have been commissioned, performed, and produced across Canada, including his award-winning work, Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story, which earned him two Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Individual Performance.
Tickets to see Freedom! are $49 for adults, $47 for patrons over 60, and $29 for those under 30 years old.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 519-763-3000, in person at the River Run Centre box office in Guelph, or online at riverrun.ca/whats-on/freedom.
