Beyond: The Cary Film Festival and 3 Chambers Fest will present CAN I KICK IT?, an innovative film experience by Shaolin Jazz that caters to the lovers of martial arts flicks, music and everything else in between.

CAN I KICK IT film experience

On Saturday, September 7 they will screen the Quentin Tarantino classic, KILL BILL VOL. 1 starring Uma Thurman.

Fair use image

A former assassin, known simply as The Bride (Uma Thurman), wakes from a coma four years after her jealous ex-lover Bill (David Carradine) attempts to murder her on her wedding day. Fueled by an insatiable desire for revenge, she vows to get even with every person who contributed to the loss of her unborn child, her entire wedding party, and four years of her life. After devising a hit list, The Bride sets off on her quest, enduring unspeakable injury and unscrupulous enemies.

Live score

At the event, the film will be scored live (scene-by-scene) by Shaolin Jazz co- founder DJ 2-Tone Jones who mixes elements of Funk, Soul, Hip- Hop, Rock, and more. 2-Tone also uses an array of techniques and sound bites to accentuate different moments in the film ranging from aggressive fight scenes to subtle love scenes.

DJ 2-Tone Jones, says “This isn’t just playing a DJ set during a movie. We incorporate the music with the movie so you can still follow the plot and hear the dialogue. You might have one scene using a song with lyrics and another using instrumental beds underneath. It’s weaving music over and under the film audio, just scoring the film, scene by scene.”

How to participate in CAN I KICK IT? Film Experience

The event will take place at Beyond: The Cary Film Festival on Saturday, September 7 at The Cary Theater (122 E Chatham St, Cary, NC 27511).

Doors open at 7:30 PM. The film (with a live music soundtrack by Shaolin Jazz) will begin at 8:00 PM. Concessions will be available for purchase from Brew Coffee Bar.

Tickets are $5.59 on Etix. The film is rated-R and may contain content not suitable for young audiences.

This event is sponsored by 3 Chambers Fest.

Oprah Winfrey Network’s ”Love & Marriage Detroit” is set to return for an all-new season beginning Saturday, September 7 at 9/8c, immediately following the season finale of “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” at 8/7c.

Love & Marriage Detroit

Following a group of African American couples with deep ties to the reemerging city of Detroit, “Love & Marriage: Detroit” features Russell and Kolby Harris, Brandon and Kristina Bowman Smith, and Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson. The couples are determined to thrive in their community and are focused on building the best lives possible for their families.

In an emotional new season, Kristina re-evaluates her marriage to Brandon and restarts her singing career, Kolby and Russell clash over the possibility of having another child, while LaToya struggles to balance her work as a doctor and wine entrepreneur and family as a wife to Anthony. Meanwhile, two new couples, the Dobines and the Samuels, threaten to shake up the group’s dynamics.

Catch up with the Harrises, the Smiths and the Thompsons:

RUSSELL & KOLBY HARRIS

Russell and Kolby Harris have been married for four years and have a young daughter together.

The Harrises (Photo Credit: OWN)

At the beginning of the season, the couple are expecting their second child and Russell is already talking about the possibility of having a third, but Kolby, who only wanted one child, is having trouble getting through to her husband that she may have a different vision of the future. Kolby also feels she carries the burden of being the stricter parent when Russell doesn’t discipline their young daughter. Russell continues to work as a pastor and runs his non-profit, Soar Detroit, which focuses on literacy and sports, all while working to revitalize a newly purchased gym. Kolby is a rising social media influencer, but being pregnant and caring for their two-year-old is taking up most of her energy in recent months.

BRANDON & KRISTINA BOWMAN-SMITH

Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith have been married for 12 years and have two young daughters.

The Smiths (Photo Credit: OWN)

When the new season begins, Brandon and Kristina’s marriage is on shaky ground and the couple reveals that they have separated. Kristina, a stylist and influencer in Detroit who has devoted the last decade to raising their children, needs to decide what her life as a single mother looks like. Brandon is the owner of Star Factory, an artist development program, where he trains young people of Detroit with a dream to become singers and recording artists. Many of the couple’s marital woes stem from Brandon’s focus on his profession and the hours spent away from home. After a break-in at the Star Factory, will Brandon and Kristina realize they need each other to pick up the pieces in their business and marriage? Will the couple be able to resolve their differences to keep their family together?

ANTHONY & DR. LATOYA THOMPSON

Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson have been married for 15 years and share two sons and a daughter.

The Thompsons (Photo Credit: OWN)

Anthony works for a touring company and owns a production studio. LaToya is still the main breadwinner as a successful physical therapist and the owner of Opulence Wines, but Anthony still doesn’t like to admit this. Despite LaToya’s professional accolades, she is evaluating her work/life balance and struggles with mommy’s guilt. She is also coming to terms with her perfectionism and worries if she is passing this burden on to her children. In the new season, Anthony expands his work with the men’s organization he founded where the goal is for men to have an outlet to discuss relationships and life.

Love & Marriage: Detroit new couples

MARCEL & KIMBERLY DOBINE

Marcel and Kimberly Dobine have been married for 8 years and share two young children.

Kimberly is an event planner, designer and founder of the Posh & Popular brand, while Marcel works in the mortgage industry.

The couple are working on their communication, with Kimberly feeling she needs Marcel to talk through their issues and family dynamics more openly.

They also realize they are in an incredibly hectic chapter in their lives and need to make a better effort to set aside time for just the two of them.

Marcel and Kim are good friends with the Thompsons and are friendly with the Harrises. But Kimberly has a more complicated past with Kristina, with whom she had a friendship several years ago which fizzled away when Kimberly felt Kristina was not a person she could count on. Will Kimberly and Kristina’s fractured friendship create a divide in the friend group?

BRAVO & LAKEITA SAMUELS

First introduced in season one with a larger presence in the new season, Bravo and Lakeita Samuels are high school sweethearts who have been together for 20 years and married for six. Together, they have two daughters.

As a social service manager and managing their home, Lakeita wishes Bravo was more present in their household. Bravo is a successful hospitality entrepreneur who owns several clubs and restaurants around Detroit, but Lakeita is struggling over Bravo’s frequent late nights. Bravo just wants Lakeita to understand that he is working so hard to build their family legacy and secure their financial security.

How to watch

The all-new season of begins Saturday, September 7 at 9/8c, immediately following the season finale of “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” at 8/7c.

“Love & Marriage: Detroit” will then move to its regular time slot of 8/7c on Saturdays beginning September 14.

For more information, please visit the series page. 

This past weekend Artscape 2024 took over the scene in Baltimore and Unheard Voices had a chance to capture the event.

Held August 2 – 4, Artscape is one of America’s largest free outdoor arts festivals, bringing the creative vibes to Baltimore since 1982. Originally crafted to showcase Baltimore’s cultural flair, Artscape has been a driving force for community support, economic growth, and investment in the Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Charles North and Station North Arts District.

Organized by The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), the 40th Edition of Artscape this summer featured a vibrant lineup of artists, live concerts, visual arts experiences, performances, fashion showcases, family-friendly activities, films, experimental tunes, improv, comedy, literary delights, and tasty food.

Artscape 2024 Exhibitions

This year, there were a wide variety of exhibitions throughout the landscape of the festival.

The B24 Exhibition, the B stands for Baltimore and best whilst 24 is the year of 2024, placed a spotlight on emerging contemporary artists in the burgeoning Baltimore art world and The Baltimore Arts Movement.

Created by Kirk Shannon-Butts in 2019, B24 features the work of 41 of the best Baltimore City artists and the surrounding regions. Featured artists work in painting, textiles, mixed media, photography, film, video, mixed media, and animation. Artists are in various stages of their career.

Kidscape and Teenscape allowed the youth to show their creative side. Children and teens enjoyed a variety of hands-on activities and workshops, including artmaking and interactive programming including T-shirt making for shelter animals with MDSPCA, Origami artmaking with the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Books from the MD Book Bank’s book van.

For S.T.E.A. M. creatives, Gamescape highlighted the growing field of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), offering an interactive visual arts exhibition showcasing video games shown by their creators and video game-inspired artwork and music.

To name a few.

Artscape 2024 Performances

Unfortunately, inclement weather cut much of the performances on Friday and Saturday. Main stage acts like Chaka Khan and Sheila E., who were to perform Friday and Saturday evening, respectively, were canceled. But the show went on Sunday with performances on the main stage by Todd Marcus Jazz Quintet, Trinidad & Tobago Steel Drum Band, Navasha Daya, and reggae group The Original Wailers ending the festival on Sunday.

Vendors

Artscape was also an opportunity for thriving artists to showcase their original work for purchase. Unheard Voices was able to chat with a few of the artists.

Anson Asaka

This is Mr. Anson Asaka of The Asaka Gallery. Asaka is a self-taught visual artist and a civil rights attorney based in the Baltimore-DC area, who uses paintings and drawings to celebrate Black people, culture, and history. Last year, in honor of Women’s History Month, Asaka debuted his latest exhibition, “The Black Queen In All Of Her Splendor and Glory,” with an opening reception at Katsea Gallery in Townson, MD.

Abdul Badi and son at Artscape 2024

Abdul Badi of The Art of Abdul Badi, is a 50-year experienced painter out of Brooklyn, N.Y. Badi paints beautiful distinctive fine art oil paintings of East African tribes, though he’s never been to Africa himself.  The award-winning artist has sold thousands of his prints and his originals have been acquired by the most discreet seekers and collectors of the best African art.

And we talked to various more, book authors, comic book entrepreneurs, comedians. Each beginner or experienced artists, from all walks of life, showcasing their work and talent.

Artscape was a space for the creative minds to meet. From music, tech, authors, fashion, to paintings, it was a place to celebrate true art in and Baltimore’s rich art scene.