Next weekend’s performance at ASU Gammage in Tempe looks to fit perfectly into the wheelhouse of the 2023-2024 “Beyond” Season at ASU Gammage, which seeks to focus on stories of diversity and resilience through music and dance.
Kyle Abraham’s piece “An Untitled Love” is a musical choreography that “dedicates this feel-good work — its visceral hope, solace, and joy — to family, culture, and community strengthened over generations and lifetimes,” according to the playbill on the ASU Gammage website.
The event features D’Angelo’s music - an icon in his own right. One of the musical pioneers of Neo-soul with the release of his 1995 album Brown Sugar, he sits amongst contemporaries like Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill, and Boyz II Men.
An Untitled Love is at the intersection of past and present, with Neo-soul music as the backdrop. Neo-soul music differentiates itself from classic R&B using live instrumentation, pulling from soul music in its creation.
Much like dance, Neo-soul music connects the past to the present. Through it, we can honor the past and carry it into the present with D’Angelo’s smooth voice urging us along.
Saturday, September 23 at 7 p.m. in the Gammage Auditorium, join me in experiencing a musical event that showcases love for Black culture, music, dance, community, and one another.
I can’t wait to see how they do it.
(A.I.M by Kyle Abraham)