We’re in the first month of a new year—the determination and commitment to positive change is almost in the air. In this spirit, I would like to raise to the art world an exemplary and somewhat unusual exhibition as a torch to pass on and a footsteps to follow: Eldorado Ballroom Held at Walt Disney Concert Hall, curated by Solange Knowles. This triptych of evening performances was a beacon of clarity and artistic intent in nearly five hours of collective expression. But even leaving aside the extraordinary artistic prowess of the contributing performers, Eldorado BallroomIts impact lies in its truly thoughtful and considerate curation.
Knowles shows us that a good curator can use her platform to expand our understanding of the experience of contemporary artists and the historical framework within which their art exists. She offers multiple viewpoints in one show by setting up points of view and counterpoint that interact with each other while retaining the energy of each. She works with spaces, integrating pre-existing structures and history, allowing not only the artist but also the environment to bend in unusual ways. Above all, she knows that curating is about giving rather than arranging: by opening up new possibilities through her unique perspective, she lets the light of others shine.
On the evenings of October 10, 12, and 13 last year, Knowles and her creative agency, Saint Heron, provided education about black musical lineage and institutional possibilities. The first night’s event is titled “On Dissonance” and touches on classical, symphonic and operatic music; the second “Contrapoint” explores funk, soul, blues and jazz; and the final “Glory, Glory” Music that embodies spirituality and devotion.
The first night’s event, “On Dissonance,” featured a selection of classical music from the European tradition – which some might argue the concert hall was built for. Yet each piece was written by a black woman: Patrice Rushen, Knowles and the late Julia Perry. Perry is the first woman of color and only the third to compose for the New York Philharmonic. Her inclusion intentionally draws attention to and reinforces the place of black women in classical music. The accompanying 50-piece orchestra was also conducted by a black woman, Jeri Lynne Johnson, and was supplemented by a black opera singer, Zoie Reams. All in all, Solange’s choice of artists expands our knowledge of the genre and sets the tone for what’s to come.
Continuing from the established baseline, the second night’s “Counterpoint Counterpoint” was charged with vocal insubordination. It started as pure electronic music from emerging artist Liv.e and evolved into a raucous, funky reunion of J*Davey and Thundercat on bass. Their performances boldly celebrated the feeling, emotion, and grit that underpinned funk and rock ‘n’ roll, and defied society’s desire to keep Black pain and joy quiet and out of sight. Finally, the stately and improvisational quartet of Bilal, Cooper-Moore, William Parker and Michael Wimberley ended the evening with a collection of original and provocative music that weaved together sounds of sadness and pride. Lyrics from the slavery-era standard “Motherless Child” are combined with Pilar’s impromptu lament about “being born on a bad omen” and a plea for proof of God’s mercy. Their improvisational energy helps fuel the effort required to find their place. The foursome performs without any electronics other than amplifiers, emphasizing the body’s analog technology that transforms damage into beauty.
The final night opened with Dominique Johnson’s organ medley, which extended the theme of body as technology, before being provided by the subversively tender vocals of Moses Sumney support. Johnson concluded the evening with another performance on the hall’s magnificent 6,134 pipe organ. A collection of choral works by the late Mary Lou Williams, conducted by Malcolm J. Meriwether, with Attina McCain on piano; and finally, the Birmingham Chapter of the American Women’s Worship Chorus Gospel Music Studio During the hour-long musical celebration, the entire sold-out hall – quite literally – stood up and applauded. A feeling of deep concern, like a hug from a loved one, permeated the entire evening.
These nights reenact what has been the code of black America for decades. It shows all the ways black stories, emotions, revolutions, innovations, acceptances, joys and sorrows are packaged musically—all the pretty bows, dried blood, endless love and shards of glass that give it weight. While each night is distinctly independent, these shows comment on each other, deepening the stories of Black American expression and the authenticity of pop music’s own cultural progress felt through the cumulative performances. The second night, for example, presents a musical and temporal rebellion against the simplicity of the first night: it tells the story in a jazz, blues, funk, and lyrical manner that is in time and etiquette with the Western classical music of the first night The shows are far apart, but closer in character and style. Positioned in spiritual music. Sunday continues the sensibility of Saturday, transforming raw emotion into passionate devotion.
The performers’ physical commitment to the show reminded me of the point made by observer Fred Moten at the 2015 Arts + Practices Public Programme, that black music is so powerful because black people in particular make music Exhausting one’s energy in the process – hitting the keys, howling, turning life into a horn, making sounds with feet, and beating drums with the whole body. That dedication to conveying a spiritual depth—not just a message—in their music is evident in every one of their pieces. eldorado Performance, also lies in how they are put together. The sound profiles bumped back and forth but never hit the wall, diminishing their momentum. Looking at those eldorado At night, that deep spirit is conveyed, admired, protected and carefully carried.
The success of this journey across genres and eras is neither coincidence nor accident. It’s an intentional arrangement that demonstrates art’s ability to convey complex human nature that written history can only attempt to capture. Knowles’ arrangement, pacing, and casting of these characters attest to the generative resonance of effective plotting. She shows us that the hallmark of good curators is their style of dedication, not their talent for arrangement, and their ability to provide artists with appropriate opportunities to increase the impact of their work. Their main mission is to ensure that the truth about others comes out.
Knowles, for example, stumbled upon Johnson on YouTube and recruited her to perform at one of the world’s most famous pipe organs. Sumney, a preacher’s kid, was given the space to reinterpret one of his songs, “Destined to Be,” as a majestic and beautiful conversation with God. By combining her own classical tuba compositions with those of Perry and Rushen, Knowles emphasizes the adventurous sense of their respective legacies across time periods. By creating a framework for these invited artists, their specific musical practices and black musical lineages were visibly able to dance together center stage. eldorado ballroom Knowles is clearly personal—the name is a nod to a prominent black music hall in her hometown of Houston, Texas—but she is able to realize the possibility of black folk traditions dancing in sync with institutions rather than through her Confront the establishment. Ultra-specific shots.
An overlooked aspect of curation is that it should work with the space, integrating existing structures and various histories. Eldorado Ballroom The partnership between Solange and architect Frank Gehry is as much a partnership as that between her and the artists she chooses. Gehry created a celebrated space where Knowles brought their ideas and intentions together, imbued with an elevation of human expression; the walls vibrated with a sense of collective purpose. Just as programming allows performers to showcase their talents and connect with audiences, it also allows Walt Disney Concert Hall to function in ways it doesn’t often have the opportunity to do. It’s rare to encounter a beam of sonic frequencies like this; a floor that’s never been trod before with a choir. Everyone and everyone present in this production seemed to be given a chance to stretch.
Possibility and perspective—the ability to create space and direct viewpoints—are the cornerstones of curation. I’ve said it before, black women are the backbone of the load. and Eldorado BallroomKnowles sums up black artistic contributions not only in dialogue with each other but also in the space of this concert hall. She ended the conversation with Black worship music, which at its core is about believing and accepting that a person is worthy of love. “Sing loudly to yourself here,” she said. It’s possible. Let us all stamp our feet and clap our hands to show our admiration for history and our good fortune in this life. Let artists and audiences embrace this new, temporary, magical land we build together. Gentle and persistent, elegant and firm, curious about cooperation, confident and unique, and tolerant of everything. Other curators, please ask yourself if you are simply trying to express your own point of view, or if you are helping the voices you admire resonate further. Do you respect the space in which this art is displayed? Thinking about what happened before and what might happen next? go for a trip Eldorado Ballroom; Take notes.
