Mwenso and The Shakes to hold free events this week

“Your depth of community has filled our hearts. Your passion for the arts has made us feel at home. And your dedication to the future (while honoring the past) has filled us with hope,” artist-historian Michael Mwenso said.

Mwenso and The Shakes, his ensemble of Black roots musicians and performers, wants to give back to the State College community with a series of free public events starting Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.

DJ Elbow Knee Knee of Gorinto Productions will moderate an Ancestral Communal Listening Session at 6 p.m. Jan. 17, at 3 Dots Downtown, 137 E. Beaver Ave. Mwenso will discuss the Black musical experience and how to be an active listener through a program of recordings spanning the Black diaspora.

Mwenso and The Shakes will continue to use music to empower and uplift with “Night Time is the Right Time,” at 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center. No ticket is required for the free public concert.

At 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at 3 Dots Downtown, Mwenso and The Shakes will host a free Community Jam Session. Anyone who would like to play is invited to bring an instrument.

Visit Mwenso and The Shakes for more information about the events.

Acknowledgements

This performance is part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Commemoration: A Testament of Hope. It’s presented in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and the MLK Jr. Student Commemorative Committee. #ForTheCulture 

The listening event and jam session are supported, in part, by a grant from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals ArtsForward program, funded by the Mellon Foundation. The listening event is presented by the Center for the Performing Arts, 3 Dots Downtown and University Libraries. The jam session is co-presented by the center and 3 Dots Downtown.

A grant from the University Park Student Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.