AMHERST, Mass. — The UMass Fine Arts Center will bring its fall 2024 performing arts schedule to a spectacular finish on Sunday, December 8 as it welcomes to Bowker Auditorium Electric Root Presents: The Sound of (Black) Music. The concert features all of the songs from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music reinterpreted through the varied musical styles of the global African diaspora. The all-ages performance is offered as a matinee with a curtain time of 3 p.m.
Recognized as among the “Best of Theater, 2021” by The New York Times, The Sound of (Black) Music is a vibrant one-act concert in which Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved songs take on the sounds of jazz, gospel, blues, soul, funk and Afrobeat. With a joyful approach and a desire to uplift and empower, Electric Root’s touring company of outstanding vocalists and musicians offers a fresh and invigorating perspective on such familiar songs as “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”
The Sound of (Black) Music is co-directed by Shariffa Ali and Kamilah Long, with arrangements by Mathis Picard and music direction by Charenee Wade. The concert channels the singular musical gifts of some of today’s most talented Black musicians into an overflowing celebration of Black roots music. Vocalists C. Anthony Bryant, Brianna Thomas, Charenee Wade, and Zhanna Reed are supported by an electrifying band to bring to life the most
Electric Root is a dynamic and vibrant collective of artists whose mission is to heal, uplift, and bring joy to communities across the United States through the soul-stirring magic of Black music. Founded on the belief that music has the transformative ability to unite people and create positive change, Electric Root is dedicated to fostering cultural enrichment, audience development, and community engagement through performances, festivals, and artist residencies.
Full-price adult tickets for Sunday’s performance are available for $60, $45, and $35 via the Fine Arts Center box office. Tickets for Five College students and youth ages 17 and under are $15.