At the end of this week, West Side residents can enjoy musical performances led by two prominent Black musicians at Austin’s Kehrein Center for the Arts.
Afro-Cuban singer and composer Daymé Arocena takes the stage Oct. 19 for a performance that promises soul and jazz sounds inspired in Cuban rhythms. Arocena was described by NPR as a “strong and powerful voice” who is “reigniting the Cuban soundtrack.”
She will visit the Austin arts center as part of the Global Music Series presented in partnership with Old Town School and the International Latino Cultural Center. Admission is free and the event starts at 7:30 p.m.
Following Arocena’s performance, Emmy-Award winning composer and trumpeter Orbert Davis will return to the Kehrein Center for the Arts.
On Oct. 20, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, which he co-founded, will present “Orbert Davis’ Soul Migration.” The jazz group aims to draw attention to the history, heritage and future of jazz in Chicago, one deeply influenced by Black musicians.
“Orbert Davis’ Soul Migration” is inspired by the Great Migration, drawing on the stories of 6 million African Americans who fled north in the Jim Crow era. It was commissioned in 2016 for the Chicago Jazz Festival on the 100th anniversary of the Great Migration launch.
“Last year the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic had this idea to come to the Kehrein Center to present three concerts …” he said last month at the venue’s mural unveiling ceremony, where he invited attendees to upcoming presentations.
Tickets are $1 and the event starts at 7 p.m.
“It’s about us. It’s about making it affordable, making accessible, making it real,” Davis said.
To learn more about the events and purchase tickets, visit the Kehrein Center for the Arts website.
