Soundtrack of America: Night 5
Location and dates
About this commission
Soundtrack of America opens The Shed with a five-night concert series celebrating the unrivaled impact of African American music on contemporary culture with performances by today’s most exciting emerging musicians. Conceived and directed by Turner Prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen, and developed with music visionaries and academic experts, Soundtrack traces a musical “family tree” of spirituals and blues, jazz and gospel, R&B, rock and roll, house, hip hop, and trap that has inspired a new generation of artists who continue to develop that legacy.
Special guest Natasha Diggs will play a DJ set for an hour before the concert begins.
“This sound that vibrates around the world has changed lives and minds…”
“This sound that vibrates around the world has changed lives and minds. It’s a force that seems to have always been there, and in a way it has, for ultimately it is about humanity. It’s about the recognition to exist, to be acknowledged, to be heard, to communicate, to penetrate and go beyond borders, to touch souls, to feel alive, to lull pain as well as to celebrate. And, in the end, it’s about love.”
— Steve McQueen, Director
Details
- Running time: 120 minutes
- No intermission
- All ages welcome
- Please note that each night of Soundtrack of America is a unique show with a different line-up
- Membership does not guarantee ticket availability, so we encourage you to book early
- All tickets sales are final; times and performers are subject to change
Artists
Natasha Diggs is one of the most versatile and well respected DJs in the world, playing to crowds across the globe in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Prague, Sydney, and Beijing. From amassing a huge record collection in her teenage days to being dubbed The 45 Queen known for rocking crowds with her signature all 7” vinyl sets at downtown New York City parties including her weekly Mobile Mondays event, Diggs has gone on tour with Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill, has held an residency with hip hop luminary Q-Tip at New York City’s famed Output Club, DJ’d for Damien Marley’s inaugural Welcome to Jamrock cruise, and has shared the stage with countless notable artists, such as Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars, Maxwell, Questlove, Santigold, Hiatus Kaiyote, Rakim, Dam-Funk, Kenny Dope, Kamasi Washington, Anderson. Paak, and others.
Her broad taste in music allows her to be equally comfortable playing underground loft parties as massive events like Central Park Summerstage for thousands, earning her respect in the world of music and a solid reputation amongst her clientele. Diggs has been called on as a trusted party-starter for numerous celebrity, club, and corporate clientele including Pharrell, Spike Lee, Jay-Z, Google, L’Oréal, Samsung, Adidas, Grey Goose, Nickelodeon, Vanity Fair, Lincoln Center, and MoMA. In addition to her success as a DJ, Diggs has been recognized by the fashion world for her iconic style and has collaborated with global brands such as Fendi, Net-A-Porter, and Levi’s on everything from music supervision to being featured herself in major campaigns.
When not traversing the globe, Diggs can be found holding down the decks at her weekly New York City residency, Soul in the Horn, the city’s premiere dance party and live music showcase celebrating horn-infused music from around the globe while bringing together the best New York City talent in one room. She has also appeared on Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers, MixMag Lab, and Boiler Room. Diggs is featured worldwide on Apple’s Beats1 station playing alongside Q-tip for the weekly Abstract Radio show.
“Our collective inspiration is from those who came before us…”
“It’s an absolute honor to be the chief music advisor for Soundtrack of America because in order to get where you want to go, you’ve got to know where you come from—and that’s exactly what this series serves to do. I’ve not only witnessed history, but I’ve had the honor of living it. The past influences our present more than we give it credit for, and all American music we have today is an evolution of bebop, doo-wop, hip hop, and laptop! Our collective inspiration is from those who came before us, and there’s no better way to pay respect to them than to educate and keep their legacy alive through the arts. It’s a pivotal time for the history books, so we choose light and hope to spread some of it during this production! We have some incredibly talented artists lined up for you, and although there is still much to be done, we hope you walk away with a greater sense of appreciation for the roads that our ancestors paved for us.”
— Quincy Jones, Chief Music Advisor
Night 5 Performers
Natasha Diggs is one of the most versatile and well respected DJs in the world, playing to crowds across the globe in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Prague, Sydney, and Beijing. From amassing a huge record collection in her teenage days to being dubbed The 45 Queen known for rocking crowds with her signature all 7” vinyl sets at downtown New York City parties including her weekly Mobile Mondays event, Diggs has gone on tour with Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill, has held an residency with hip hop luminary Q-Tip at New York City’s famed Output Club, DJ’d for Damien Marley’s inaugural Welcome to Jamrock cruise, and has shared the stage with countless notable artists, such as Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars, Maxwell, Questlove, Santigold, Hiatus Kaiyote, Rakim, Dam-Funk, Kenny Dope, Kamasi Washington, Anderson. Paak, and others.
Her broad taste in music allows her to be equally comfortable playing underground loft parties as massive events like Central Park Summerstage for thousands, earning her respect in the world of music and a solid reputation amongst her clientele. Diggs has been called on as a trusted party-starter for numerous celebrity, club, and corporate clientele including Pharrell, Spike Lee, Jay-Z, Google, L’Oréal, Samsung, Adidas, Grey Goose, Nickelodeon, Vanity Fair, Lincoln Center, and MoMA. In addition to her success as a DJ, Diggs has been recognized by the fashion world for her iconic style and has collaborated with global brands such as Fendi, Net-A-Porter, and Levi’s on everything from music supervision to being featured herself in major campaigns.
When not traversing the globe, Diggs can be found holding down the decks at her weekly New York City residency, Soul in the Horn, the city’s premiere dance party and live music showcase celebrating horn-infused music from around the globe while bringing together the best New York City talent in one room. She has also appeared on Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers, MixMag Lab, and Boiler Room. Diggs is featured worldwide on Apple’s Beats1 station playing alongside Q-tip for the weekly Abstract Radio show.
“These concerts will present a soundtrack of loving, dancing, partying, worshipping, struggling, protesting, feeling, believing, and dreaming…”
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as the chief academic advisor to a commission that celebrates the vibrancy of African American music. Our goal with this project is to take the audience on a series of musical journeys that convey the variety and richness of the music that African Americans have created since arriving in the United States in the 17th century and are continuing to create in the new millennium. These concerts will present a soundtrack of loving, dancing, partying, worshipping, struggling, protesting, feeling, believing, and dreaming that lets us hear the connections and influences across different styles and genres of music, that lets us hear changes and ruptures, and that lets us hear the past, present, and future of this vast and important art form that has been the soundtrack of America.”
— Maureen Mahon, Chief Academic Advisor
Keyboards
Bashiri Johnson, Percussion
Donald Barrett, Drums
Alex Al, Bass
David Delhomme, Keys / Rhythm Guitar
Tariqh Akoni, Lead Guitar
Miguel Gandelman, Saxophone
Ray Monteiro, Trumpet
Garrett Smith, Trombone
Cindy Mizelle, Vocals
Charlean Carmon, Vocals
Kenya Hathaway, Vocals
Adam Fell, Executive Producer for
Quincy Jones Productions
Alyssa Smith, Associate Producer for
Quincy Jones Productions
Thomas Duport, Associate Producer for
Quincy Jones Productions
Greg Phillinganes and Jon Kubis, Co-arrangers
Diane Louie, Music Prep Supervisor
Paul Raksit, Assistant to Greg Phillinganes
Jim Van Bergen, Head Audio Engineer
Jasu Sims, Company Manager
Indigo Sparks, Production Assistant
Hudson Scenic Studio, Scenery and
Automation Fabrication
4Wall Lighting, Lighting Equipment
Specialized Audio Video, Audio Equipment
Tait Towers, Rigging Equipment
Studio Instrumental Rental, Music Instruments
Steinway & Sons, Pianos
Tamara McCaw, Chief Civic Program Officer
Nadine Goellner, Producer
Marc Warren, Director of Production
Isaac Katzanek, Production Manager
Pope Jackson, Production Supervisor
Joe DiMartino, Technical Director
Daisy Peele, Associate Producer
Maggie MacTiernan, Director of Artist Services
Annabel Thompson, Programs Assistant
“…a living history of Black music from the richly rooted melodies and rhythms of Africa to this very moment and beyond…”
“I am deeply honored and grateful to add this extraordinary event as music director to my ever expanding list of career highlights. Everyone on our team is acutely aware of and humbled by the tremendous responsibility we’ve been given to present a living history of Black music from the richly rooted melodies and rhythms of Africa to this very moment and beyond. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy this journey and allow the music represented to be an inspiration well into the future.”
— Greg Phillinganes, Chief Music Director
Acknowledgments
Thank you to our partners
The creation of new work at The Shed is generously supported by the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Commissioning Fund and The Shed Commissioners.
Major support for live productions at The Shed is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund.
Part of a series
