2011 Artists
Jus Us Band - Old School R&B/Soul
www.jususband.com
Jus Us Band is a funky-soul band out of Springfield, MA founded in 2002. The nine piece group performs old school funk and soul music with a touch of today's hip-hop to give them a unique, upbeat sound. Each band member has an extensive musical background, performing in various local and regional groups over the past thirty years. The members of Jus Us Band have previously opened for major artists such as The Temptations, Gladys Knight, B.B. King and Taj Mahal. These old school masters will provide an unbeatable performance with their talent and enthusiasm for soul and funk music.
Crucial Massive - Reggae
www.crucial-massive.com
Crucial Massive is the hottest and the most excellent crowd pleasing reggae band in Hartford and throughout New England. Since the early 1990's this band has been pervading the cultural side of reggae music throughout Connecticut, Massetusets, and Rhode Island. With the synthesis of conscious lyrics and a quality sounds this reggae band strive to address the crucial and massive dubiety of Love , Life, and Reality.
Voices - Gospel
VOICES is a diverse group of individuals with one thing in common, “praising the Lord” through song. We specialize in contemporary and traditional gospel music. Our goal is to minister to all that will listen and receive the message. God has anointed our voices and has allowed us to lift his name through song at many venues. Some of which are the Office of Black Catholic Ministries Awards Program, Bloomfield, CT “Concerts on the Green,” the Annual Music from the African Diaspora Celebration at the Bushnell Memorial, Family Day in Keney Park, the Evelyn Preston Fund Summer Festival, The Kwanzaa Celebration and the Int. Festival of Arts & Ideas on the New Haven Green, and the American Cancer Society for their Annual Luminaria Program.
We also performed at the Black History Month Celebration for the Department of Public Safety by special request of the State Police Commissioner of CT and for GlORY AM Radio Station’s 1st Fund Raider. VOICES was voted “Group of the Month” in February ’07, by the Lift Every Voice and Sing Committee. Because of this honor, we performed at their Annual Gospel Festive in Bushnell Park. VOICES has also performed at many churches in and around Connecticut.
We were blessed to open for recording artists Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson and Kenny Hamber.
Our family includes the following members: Libby Gray, Al Harris, Sr., Ronnie Jenkins, Estella Lewis, Dawn McKinley, Mikki Ortiz, LaShawn Robinson, Linda Robinson, Angela Shropshire, Bobbie Shropshire, Jr. and Brittany Shropshire.
Davonne Biggins - Spoken Word
Davonne “Biggs The Poet” Biggins
Born in Hartford, Connecticut on February 1, 1978, Davonne Biggins grew up in Hartford’s North End neighborhood. Growing up in an urban landscape introduced him to many harsh realities, social inequalities, and hardships at an early age. Though never participating in any negative behaviors himself; he learned volumes of life lessons from neighborhood kids, peers, and family members. “My upbringing in the church served as my foundation allowing me to plant my feet in morality while my eyes allowed me to learn the lesson…Always search for the best in myself and others.”
Davonne began writing poetry as a student at Hartford Public High School. Though he never shared his poetry with peers or any audience, he would often use his material in conversations to inspire friends. He used the lives lived by friends to inspire his poetry. He graduated for high school in 1996 and went on to get a degree as a Dental Hygienist from Tunxis University. During his college years he continued to add poems to his collection of work but had yet to perform any of them publicly.
In 2008, inspired by the rise of then presidential candidate Barack Obama, Davonne decided it was time to share his poems with the world. He describes his style as clean cut, eloquent, and writes in the spirit of love and inspiration. In the past 8 months his passion for spoken word has led him to perform AT The Russell Lounge, delivered multiple crowd pleasing performances at The Bushnell, a role in the socially conscious play 'Posthumous'. Recently, Davonne recited his poetry on Brad Davis' radio show for 100,000 listeners. His latest endeavor is converting his poems and ideas into love ballads and theater works. "In these times of hardship, people have an unquenchable thirst for Truth and Love."
Boubacar Diabate - Senegalise Band
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AizAOAJ-JJo&
Griot singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter and storyteller Boubacar Diabate from Bamako, Mali comes from the Mande lineage and has combined traditional rhythms with modern influences to create his own style of contemporary Malian Griot music presenting his own compositions and arrangements, singing and playing guitar with his group, Samba Lolo. Singing in Bambara and Manding, Boubacar Diabate and SambaLolo create a performance that spans the full spectrum of Traditional to Contemporary Malian music from West Africa combined with Blues, Jazz, Reggae and Bluegrass - Bouba sings of our common shared experience of love, life and humanity, giving all an opportunity to hear the age-old West African tradition of Griot storytelling through song.
The word SambaLolo is a combination of the words "peace" and "star" in Bamanan language.
"My music is about life, building community, and giving good messages to people to make society stronger" -- Boubacar Diabate
Sankofa Kuumba - Dance, Drumming and Stilts
www.sankofakuumba.org
Sankofa Kuumba seeks to perpetuate African culture through instruction and performance of traditional performing and visual arts. Sankofa is a consortium of performing and teaching atists in many disciplines including dance, music, and visual and textile arts. Our programs are designed as imaginative journeys that promote cultural enrichment, arts education and a greater understanding and appreciation of African culture by all.
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, the company provides a vehicle for teaching, learning and experiencing the arts of Africa and the African diaspora.
Mr. Ques - R&B
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ayIeqSH7dU
Born in Hartford, Ct. Mr. Qwes’ foray into music began at an early age, writing a kiddy song titled “Robot” while in elementary school, learning how to play the keyboards on his own by playing around with his father’s keyboard, and singing in choirs while in high school. The first “real” song he wrote and composed was titled “I Think of You,” while in high school.
“In high school is where I began to find myself as an artist and a performer,” says Mr. Qwes. “I won Most Outstanding Male Solo Vocalist at a festival in Virginia Beach. That was a big boost for me, especially for someone not knowing what they are about.”
After finishing high school, Mr. Qwes left Connecticut and went to college at Hampton University in Virginia. It was while he was in Virginia that his musical aspirations began to get serious and he released his first song titled “Mr. Rebound,” featuring rapper Duke Nice. Inspired by a real life situation, Mr. Qwes wrote “Mr. Rebound,” and it became a hit on local radio stations in the Hampton/Norfolk area as well as making him a much sought after artist.
“I had a female friend who was dating somebody and I liked her, but she would always run to me to talk about the problems in their relationship,” remembers Mr. Qwes. “So I felt like I was an emotional coach. I took that experience as well as others, and molded it into a song.”
Mr. Qwes says he plays secretary a lot to his friends, and from their stories he is able to create heart-felt lyrics. In addition to writing his own songs, he has contributed used his pen to write songs for others as well.
He has combined his vocal and writing talents with Velez Brothers for the song “She Keeps Me Cool,” off of their 2009 album “Feel The Rain,” which is available on Itunes and at Amazon.com. Mr. Qwes has also performed as a backup singer for a variety of gospel acts including Karen Clark Sheard, and Marvin Sapp.
Although only in his early 20’s, Mr. Qwes has a vast knowledge of music from the past and cites Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Luther Vandross, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and even Garth Brookes as influences. Mr. Qwes is currently back in Hartford, putting the final touches on his soon to be released first album. Combining elements of soul, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, Mr. Qwes’ first release will appeal to any and everyone and state to the world that real music is still alive.
"I want to create something that’s going to be missing if you don’t own it,” Mr. Qwes says. “If you don’t own my music there is going to be something missing in your collection of music. I want to be something that someone can connect to, can be changed by, something that can stop someone from making a bad decision; I want to move someone, and to empower someone. Maybe 20 years from now someone will go online and find Mr. Qwes song ‘Mr. Rebound,’ and it will still be relevant to people at that moment.”
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