Playing For Change

After a series of shows that generated rave reviews in Los Angeles, New Orleans and the U.K., it was announced today that Playing For Change will launch a national concert tour. Kicking off Oct. 20th at The Birchmere in Washington, DC, the fall tour will bring the Playing For Change movement to over 20 cities nationwide including Town Hall in New York on Oct. 25. The Playing For Change band features musicians from around the globe, many of whom appeared in the now ubiquitous "Stand By Me" video (which has been viewed on the internet more than 30 million times) including New Orleans based blues singer Grandpa Elliott and soul singer Clarence Bekker from Amsterdam.
Momentum has continued to build for the project as founder Mark Johnson and the musicians of Playing For Change were just named "Persons of the Week" on ABC's "World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson." This honor fell on the heels of Johnson's return from a triumphant keynote speaking appearance at the internationally renowned Ted (Technology, Education & Design) Conference in Oxford, England. Playing For Change has been profiled many times nationally including NPR's Morning Edition, CBS News Sunday Morning and PBS' Bill Moyers Journal just to name a few. Meanwhile, the Playing For Change band recently performed a thunderous set headlining the world stage at England's Glastonbury Festival, played before a rapturous audience at Tipitina's, New Orleans' landmark concert hall and returned to the place where the movement began, kicking off the Santa Monica Pier's summer-long 100th anniversary celebration with an amazing hometown show on July 3rd. In addition, the PFC Band has performed on NBC's The Tonight Show twice within the last 4 months with more television appearances scheduled soon.
Grammy-winning producer/engineer/filmmaker Mark Johnson founded Playing For Change on the simple idea that the world can be connected through music. Starting in Santa Monica, California, Mark captured a performance of "Stand By Me" by legendary street blues singer Roger Ridley, then he took the show on the road. In New Orleans, he put headphones on Grandpa Elliott, who harmonized with Ridley's soulful rendition of the song. And he didn't stop there. Using innovative mobile technology and travelling the world, they filmed and recorded more than 100 musicians, largely outdoors, in parks, plazas and promenades, in doorways, on cobblestone streets and amid hilly pueblos. Each captured performance created a new mix in which essentially the artists are all performing together, albeit hundreds or thousands of miles apart.
Playing For Change has been one of 2009's most unlikely and startling cultural phenomenons. Hear Music's two-disc CD/DVD Playing For Change - Songs Around the World, released on April 28th, stunned the music industry selling over twenty-six thousand copies in it's first week and landing at #10 on Billboard's Top 200 Pop chart. This remarkable and unpredicted popular response has been driven by tens of millions of video hits, countless blogs and pure viral communication between fans and followers. The project's deep emotional resonance, combined with the muscle of the internet and word-of-mouth has struck a profoundly enduring chord world-wide.
PFC Artist BIOS:
Mohammed Alidu was born into the Bizung lineage of talking drum chiefs of Northern Ghana. From the age of three, Alidu's father taught him the history of his tribe, singing and the language of the talking drum as his ancestors had done before him. In 2004, Alidu spent one year in Madagascar, collaborating with local artists. It was there that he started to compose and perform his unique blend of Afropop music, fusing traditional and contemporary elements from West Africa and Madagascar, creating a totally unique and passionately African sound.
Clarence Bekker is a singer/songwriter whom the Columbia Journalism Review recognized as "an astonishing black singer from Amsterdam" for his vocal contribution to the Playing for Change version of "Stand By Me." Now living in Barcelona, Bekker is currently working with a multicultural project, 08001, and collaborating with local DJs.
Peter Bunetta is a veteran producer/performer recognized for his drum work. With over three decades of experience in the music business and a hand in over 75 million records sold worldwide, Peter has collaborated with some of the industry's most storied figures including The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, Tina Turner, John Prine, Steve Goodman and Ringo Starr.
Grandpa Elliott has been a New Orleans street icon for decades. With his thick white beard and strong baritone voice, his music and comforting presence have touched the hearts of thousands, residents and tourists alike, throughout the years. When you think of the French Quarter, you inevitably think of Grandpa. His voice reminds us all that music can help the soul persevere many hardships.
Mermans Kenkosenki, the founder and leader of Afro Fiesta, is the multi-talented lead vocalist of the band. First learning guitar in his native Congo, then drums in Angola, he immigrated to South Africa in 1998 and joined the Young Bakuba Band. Soon branching out as a solo artist before assembling his own band of master musicians, Mermans eventually renamed the group Afro-Fiesta, reflecting the many countries and cultures of the band members. The group's first self-titled album, released in 2005, is full of songs that are a fusion of various styles including Afro-jazz, Kwasa-Kwasa, Makosa, and hints of Latin music. Widely considered innovators in the entertainment industry, Afro Fiesta has performed at numerous music festivals including Jazz on the Rocks, Joy of Jazz, Obz Festival, Light Festival and Africa Day Celebrations.
Louis Mhlanga is a highly accomplished musician from Zimbabwe. Although a guitar player by profession, he loves all instruments, from the traditional to the modern. "My music is just an expression of my experiences and the connection I have with day-to-day events," says Mhlanga. "It is also about the happiness I feel when I am able to reach other souls through music."
Juan Carlos Portillo was born in Venezuela, and acquired his extensive knowledge of music theory, harmony and performance at the Classical Conservatory of Music - Maracaibo. This experience developed his skills as a sideman, recording artist and producer preparing him for a move to Los Angeles in 1996, where he continued to explore many different styles of music from Jazz to Hip Hop, Modern Cuban to Middle Eastern and laid the foundation for his collaboration with the Playing For Change Band. Juan has worked with a diverse roster of artists including Juan Gabriel, Joan Sebastian, AfroCuban Latin Jazz Project, Nachito Herrera & Bembe Band, Martik, and the Gipsy Kings Family.
Jason Tamba, born in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC Congo, has been playing guitar since age seven, when he made his own instrument out of wood and four strings. Teaching himself guitar for a decade, he began to study classical guitar at age 20, finally earning a degree in classical guitar. After playing at churches, local venues and in Papa Wemba's traditional group Percussion Molokai, Jason decided to travel to South Africa and expose himself to more opportunities. It was there that he became guitarist for the group Afro-Fiesta. The group's first self-titled album, released in 2005, is full of songs that are a fusion of various styles including Afro-jazz, Kwasa-Kwasa, Makosa, and hints of Latin music. Widely considered innovators in the entertainment industry, Afro Fiesta has performed at numerous music festivals including Jazz on the Rocks, Joy of Jazz, Obz Festival, Light Festival and Africa Day Celebrations.
Titi Tsira hails from Gugulethu, a black African township in the Western Cape. Raised by a mother who was an actor, and a father who was a singer, Titi began singing at a very early age. Since then, she has enjoyed a successful career both as a solo musician, and as a member of various bands-- most recently, the Playing For Change Band. Her music is a mix of soul and pop fused with African influences, and she is excited to add her unique and powerful voice to the Playing For Change Movement.