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September 28, 2010
Two incredible trumpet players –
Terence Blanchard and Hugh Masekela –
at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
(Philadelphia, September 28, 2010) — The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents not
one but two Grammy award-winning trumpet players over the course of two October evenings. First,
Grammy award-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard takes the stage on Sunday,
October 3, 2010 at 7:00 PM to perform music from his beautifully haunting and impassioned song-cycle, A
Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), about the physical and emotional ravages visited upon the
city of New Orleans and its residents by Hurricane Katrina. Then, on Friday, October 8 at 8:00 PM,
legendary South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela performs a mix of old favorites and music from his
most recent album Phola. Both performances take place in the Zellerbach Theatre. For tickets or for more
information, please visit AnnenbergCenter.org or call 215.898.3900. Tickets can also be purchased in
person at the Annenberg Center Box Office.
Terence Blanchard has established himself as one of the most influential jazz musicians and film
score masters of his generation, a member of a jazz legacy that has shaped the contours of modern jazz
today. With more than 29 albums to his credit, Blanchard is a multi-Grammy® Award winner, including a
Grammy® Award in 2008 for his CD, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina).
As a film composer, Blanchard has more than 50 scores to his credit and received a Golden Globe
nomination for Spike Lee's 25th Hour. In 2008, he completed the score for Lee's Miracle at St. Anna, as
well as the soundtrack for Darnell Martin’s Cadillac Records. Other film music written by Blanchard
includes Kasi Lemmons' Eve's Bayou and Talk to Me, Oprah Winfrey's Their Eyes Were Watching God,
Tim Story's Barbershop, Ron Shelton's Dark Blue and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
Blanchard will be joined by Fabian Almazan, piano; Joshua Crumbly, bass; Kendrick Scott, drums;
and Brice Winston, saxophone.
Hugh Masekela, performer, composer, producer and social activist, is best known for his
integral role in Paul Simon’s tour behind the classic album Graceland. Masekela’s Grammy awardwinning hit “Grazing in the Grass” sold over 4 million copies and made him an international star.
Masekela also co-created the Broadway smash musical Sarafina that introduced the sounds and
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Terence Blanchard and Hugh Masekela at the Annenberg Center
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passion of South African music to theater audiences worldwide. This past April he received The
Order of Ikhamanga from South African President Jacob Zuma, his nation’s highest civilian honor. This
summer, Masekela appeared in the live opening ceremony broadcast of the FIFA World Cup. As part of
ESPN’s coverage of the World Cup, Masekela and his son Selema hosted a series of videos entitled
“Umlando—Through My Father’s Eyes.”
Masekela will be joined on stage by Francis Manneh Fuster, percussion; Abednigo “Fana” Zulu,
bass; Randall Skippers, keyboards; Lee-Roy Sauls, drums; and Cameron John Ward, guitar.
Pre-Show Artist Chats
Ticket holders will have the unique opportunity to attend special pre-show artist chats with both
artists. Terence Blanchard will sit down to speak with Marc H. Morial, former New Orleans Mayor
(1994-2002) and current President and CEO of The National Urban League about his own personal ties
to the city of New Orleans and his thoughts on the state of the city and its people five years after the
devastation of Katrina. This chat will take place at 6:00 PM. Hugh Masekela will speak with Carol
Muller, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Pennsylvania about South African music and
its influence on the evolution of world music. The chat begins at 7:00 PM.
The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has been the
region's leading multi-disciplinary performance venue for theatre, dance, jazz, world music, new music
and children’s programming since its inception in 1971. The Annenberg Center’s curatorial vision
emphasizes four primary values: artistic integrity, cultural diversity, curatorial balance and a willingness
to take risks. By presenting world-renowned and cutting edge artists and companies who express
adventuresome perspectives on contemporary issues, timeless ideas and diverse cultures, the
Annenberg Center promotes critical thinking and dialogue among its audiences, creating a uniquely
rewarding arts experience.
The Annenberg Center has achieved national recognition for its outstanding Dance Celebration
series (presented in partnership with Philadelphia's Dance Affiliates), touring theatre series, and for its
superior offerings for children, including both its Student Discovery Series and the acclaimed 26-yearold Philadelphia International Children’s Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in the United States.
Through a generous grant from The Wallace Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the
Annenberg Center also showcases its commitment to local artists each year through its By Local
series.
Throughout its history, the Annenberg Center has presented innovative and critically-acclaimed
theatre productions with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen including Liv Ullmann and Sam
Waterston in A Doll's House, A Streetcar Named Desire with Glenn Close, Jessica Tandy in Beckett's
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Terence Blanchard and Hugh Masekela at the Annenberg Center
Not I, and Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth with Irene Worth and Christopher Walken.
University of Pennsylvania alumnus and noteworthy Broadway producer and director Harold Prince
staged many of his plays at the Annenberg Center before taking them to Broadway.
Terence Blanchard
A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina)
Sunday, October 3 at 7:00 PM
Zellerbach Theatre at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Don’t miss four-time Grammy® Award winner Terence Blanchard as he returns to the Annenberg
Center stage with his newest and most profound project yet. One of jazz’s most gifted
trumpeter/composers (famous for his many film scores including Princess and the Frog, Jungle Fever,
Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam and Inside Man), Blanchard performs music from his Grammy®winning A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) — a beautifully haunting and impassioned songcycle about the physical and emotional ravages visited upon the city of New Orleans and its residents
by Hurricane Katrina. Featuring 13 original compositions inspired from and featured in Spike Lee’s HBO
documentary When the Levees Broke, Blanchard’s masterpiece is an evocative, emotional journey of a
city whose spirit, even through the most devastating of circumstances, lives on as told by one of New
Orleans’ proudest residents.
Pre-Show Chat begins at 6:00 PM.
Media support for the 10/11 Jazz Series provided by City Paper and WRTI.
Tickets: $20-$45. For more information please call 215.898.3900 or visit AnnenbergCenter.org.
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Terence Blanchard and Hugh Masekela at the Annenberg Center
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Hugh Masekela
Friday, October 8 at 8:00 PM
Zellerbach Theatre at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Over the course of a 40-year career—during which he has collaborated with a myriad of international
artists from Paul Simon to Dizzie Gillespie to Ladysmith Black Mambazo to Alvin Ailey—this
extraordinary trumpeter and composer has mixed the music of his native South African roots with the
pop-jazz of the ‘60s. One of the world’s most versatile artists, Masekela’s Grammy® award-winning hit
“Grazing in the Grass” sold over four million copies and made him an international star while his
Broadway smash musical Sarafina introduced the sounds and passion of South African music to
theatre audiences worldwide. Also known for his tireless work as an anti-Apartheid activist, his hit song
“Bring Him Back Home” became an anthem for the Free Nelson Mandela movement. Now this great
legend Rolling Stone applauds as being “one of the most thrilling live performers around,” stops in
Philadelphia for one night only performing classic favorites as well as hits from his new album Phola.
Pre-Show Chat begins at 7:00 PM.
Media support for the 2010/11 African Roots Series provided by WDAS and the Philadelphia Tribune.
Tickets: $20-$45. For more information please call 215.898.3900 or visit AnnenbergCenter.org.
For further press information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Lauren Saul, Marketing and Communications Manager
phone: 215.573.8537; email: [email protected]
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