$8 AT THE DOOR

9:30PM DOORS/10PM SHOWTIME

21+

SPONSORED BY THE ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND AND ANSR MN  

Hosted by: Dr. Joi Lewis

Soul Tools Entertainment & KBEM Jazz 88 Present: The Feels, a wellness initiative by Soul Tools Entertainment featuring spoken word, hip hop, and the jazz diaspora curated for community healing. This months event will feature jazz, hip hop, soul, and an interactive drumming circle. 

With performances by:

Ashley Dubose, Tiffany Nicole and AJ Soul, Babatunde Lea, Radio Ahlee, and DJ Miss Brit.

 

Ashley DuBose:

Ashley DuBose is probably most widely known for her participation in Season 5 of NBC’s The Voice, but her musical journey began years before her world debut on the hit reality TV show.

Ashley began singing and writing music at the age of 10 years old – a well-kept secret at that time. The desire to be a recording artist and performer grew from watching pop artists like Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, and Aaliyah perform on television. Ashley’s first performance was in the sixth grade when she performed in her school’s talent show. Encouraged early on by her mother to sing for family, friends and strangers alike, Ashley eventually conquered her nerves enough to perform in larger talent shows, community engagements, bars, weddings, and clubs.

In May 2012, Ashley released her independent debut album, Somethin’ More. The album was created while Ashley parented her 2 year old daughter and attended college full-time. Released just a day before graduating with a 4-year mathematics degree, Somethin’ More was a culmination of Ashley’s life experiences over the four years leading up to its creation – hope, discouragement, love, betrayal, faith, and the desire to achieve what she believes is a greater calling on her life. The unplugged acoustic version of Somethin’ More was released in the following year, catering to the listeners that enjoy a more stripped down approach to the album’s originals.

Understanding that the identification of a genre is arguably as important at choosing a major in college, Ashley has decided her genre is to remain “undeclared”. A variety of tastes in music and forms of musical expression has kept Ashley from placing her artistry in that box that so many musicians dread. Ashley’s music creation process is often collaborative, unconstrained and spontaneous, very much reflective of her free-spirited nature. For this reason, one might hear elements of hip hop (inspired by the productions of producer Jimmy Easy), blended with neo-soul-like lyricism on the verses, and a catchy pop-worthy hook all in one song that’s laced with an acoustic guitar loop.

Now back home in the Twin Cities, after battling it out on The Voice, Ashley is teaming up with Jimmy Easy, producer of Somethin’ More to work on their second album together. Stay tuned world, this should be awesome!

Tiffany Nicole:

Tiffany Nicole is a singer/songwriter from Minneapolis Minnesota who has performed locally blending neb-soul, r&b and gospel vibes. On October 24thTiffany Nicole released her debut single Step-by-Step, and inspirational song introducing her unique musical style. Tiffany Nicole believes music is a remedy of great influence and hopes to bring healing, peace and joy throughout her musical career. 

Babatunde Lea:

Babatunde Lea’s vast experience of over 50 years as a master percussionist, as well as the spiritual depth and resonance he brings to everything he does, has made him one of the most esteemed musicians of the past half century. The way that music connects with audiences and with the rhythms of our everyday lives is essential to his musical philosophy: "I draw a lot from African culture, and one of the main things I've come to understand is that music is functional; in African culture, music accompanies everything... from birth ceremonies to funerals. The music is there to open people up to the deepest experiences of life. Music is a resource like oil or water; it does the bidding of who controls it. For my part, I know exactly what I want done with the energy I create with my music. It is my wish that my music will empower people to look within and become agents of peace and change in their hearts, in their families and in the world at large."

Miss Brit:

DJ Miss Brit is an interdisciplinary multimedia performance artist. Her work is rooted at the intersection social justice, healing, and art. She's the curator and resident DJ for the monthly healing event "The Feels" She works in both the public and private sector as a DJ and is represented by Soul Tools Entertainment and Meredith Model and Talent. She's a radio host on KFAI's Soul Tools Radio, and a television host on SPNN's Candy Fresh. Her first mixtape is set to be released in the spring of 2017 with Soul Tools Entertainment.