Glasshaus Presents is proud to announce Grammy-winning artist Bilal on Live at Glasshaus, a mid-career retrospective featuring a supergroup of Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis.

About Bilal’s Live LP

Live at Glasshaus, out June 14 during Black Music Month, sees Bilal at the peak of his powers, pushing the boundaries of a genre-defying catalog including 1st Born Second, his famously unreleased sophomore album, Love For Sale, Airtight’s Revenge, Common’s seminal Like Water for Chocolate, as well as the premiere of Humility.

Photo Credit: Glasshaus

Surrounded by an intimate studio audience of 100 fans, the project was recorded, filmed, and livestreamed from Glasshaus in Brooklyn, NY. With stripped-down arrangements and ecstatic performance, Bilal wove fresh interpretations of beloved catalog favorites spanning 23 years of recorded output.

The album’s first single and video is “Something To Hold,” originally recorded during the height of the Soulquarian era. Now Bilal takes a raw approach with the live format, capturing his unparalleled talent and highlighting his artistic evolution:

Song from Bilal’s Live LP

Reflecting on the performance, Bilal says: “I felt comfortable to create because I knew I had some of the best motherfuckers in the world playing.” He continues, “I like intimate vibes where everyone’s drawing off the energy in the room. When you’re up there making something and giving, with the people up there listening and receiving, it creates this circular motion of energy, it’s a timeless moment.”

“The evening felt historic,” says Jarrett Wetherell, founder of Glasshaus Presents and producer of the album. “The audience was floored. So many masters creating in an intimate space together makes for a special production. We’re honored to serve Bilal, an artist in the truest sense.”

Tracklist:

Something To Hold

All Matter

All For Love

Reminisce

Funky For You

Soul Sista

Interlude: Questlove’s Story

Sometimes

Interlude: Common’s Gratitude

Humility

Levels

Connect with Bilal on Instagram.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals has announced the performance line-up for the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village.

72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village

The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.

“The anticipation around this year’s St. Thomas Carnival is at an all-time high, and the Village night performers reflect the continued influence and growth of our territory’s three carnivals,” exclaims USVI Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.

Center Stage

Adam O, Rudy Live, Temisha, Karnage, Blind Earz, VIO International, and Spectrum Band are among the performers who will take center stage to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Every year, our goal is to pay homage to the vast Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture that is at the cornerstone of these annual celebrations for natives and visitors alike,” added USVI Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull.

Haitian kompa band VAYB and Dominican salsa orchestra Chiquito Team Band will provide a cross-cultural immersion of sound, highlighting the diverse musical interests of Virgin Islands residents.

First-time performers

Rounding out the village are a few first-time performers in the territory, including TeeJay, Jada Kingdom, and Kollision Band, and returning favorites Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, and Grandmasters.

Kids Night Out Village Night

This year, the Division of Festivals will host its first Kids Night Out Village Night, with activities including the Toddlers Derby, Best Dressed Doll, and performances by TMK and OTB.

More information on 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village

For up-to-date information about the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival, visit https://www.instagram.com/usvifestivals/.

Marlena Shaw, the singer behind  “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto”, has died.

Marlena Shaw has passed away

Shaw’s daughter announced her passing on Facebook.

“It’s with a very heavy heart for myself and my family I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist Marlena Shaw has passed away,” Marla Bradshaw, her daughter, said. “She went listening to some of her favorite songs.”

Bradshaw did not specify the cause of death but said her mother’s passing was “peaceful”.

She was 81.

Music career

Marlena Shaw was a legendary musician who influenced music in the jazz, soul, disco and R&B genres.

She rose to notoriety  the 1960s after she was noticed by the Chess Records label. She sang her most recognizable single “California Soul” with the label before switching to a more jazz-focused label.

Shaw’s music transcended across many generations and has been featured and sampled in popular media, TV commercials and other songs.

Her lyrics often communicated the strength of the Black American community and Black women at a time when there was racial divide in the country and its politics.

In her career, Shaw put out 17 albums.