Mourning [A] BLKstar | Konzert

(Blues & Soul, Rock & Rap / USA)

Mourning [A] BLKstar already have mourning in their name. And the US-American collective truly lives up to it. But anyone who thinks of "mourning music" as wailing, melancholy sounds is thinking of it exclusively as a Western European concept. Compare Frédéric Chopin's grave funeral march with the lively sound of the New Orleans Jazz Funeral. Yet Mourning [A] BLKstar are not from Louisiana - but from Cleveland, Ohio. And that's right, there was something: the fantastic cultural summer attendance record concert by Welshly Arms 2024 from Cleveland, Ohio.

Mourning [A] BLKstar spans American pop culture of the last 50 years through an experimental approach: by looking at the past and imagining new futures, they tell of America's currently unfolding apocalypse with diverse vocalists and a diverse musical range. Influences as far-reaching as Eddie Galle's late-sixties spiritual jazz opus Ghetto Music and the world-famous works of poet, playwright and essayist June Jordan.

All of this is combined with soul, blues, gospel, punk, jazz and hip-hop to create unique music comparable to SAULT and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. They have already performed together live in Germany at XJAZZ Berlin and the Enjoy Jazz Festival, among others, and have just been invited to play at North Sea Jazz Rotterdam.

Here comes stirring, complex, relevant, exciting, contemporary music from the USA - welcome to the opening event of the City of Oldenburg's Kulturbegegnungen:USA 2025 festival!

Between defiance, sadness and triumph, the US collective Mourning [A] BLKstar plays emotionally complex protest music - with a furious mix of soul, psych-rock and R&B - BYTE FM