Mediaboss Marketing

Following a sold-out show in Vancouver last night (April 27), Grammy Awardwinning artist Solange Knowles took time to meet with members of Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapters from Vancouver and the U.S.

The Dont Touch My Hairsinger, whose most recent album, A Seat at the Table, explores themes of blackness, prejudice, and womanhood, posed with a group of local black activists after her show at Chinatowns Rennie Museum. The image was shared on Instagram by American actor Jesse Williams and prominent civil rights activist and BLM member DeRay Mckesson, both of whom were also in attendance.

Knowles presented Scales, a performance-art project examining protest as meditation through movement and experimentation of unique compositions and arrangements fromA Seat at the Table.Williams called the show phenomenal while Mckesson stated, She [Knowles] is truly incredible live.

After learning of Knowless surprise performances at the Chinatown gallerya venue owned by local real-estate magnate Bob RennieBLM Vancouver published a statement on its Facebook page, expressing concern over the artists choice to perform in an area that has undergone significant gentrification at the hands of developers and marketers. The collective also called for increased access to the shows for black folks, a group Knowless work speaks to specifically.

In addition, a petition was launched by local activist organization the Anti-Oppression Network, urging Knowles to cancel her shows.

Although the performances went on at the Rennie Museum as planned, BLM Vancouver shared yesterday (April 27) that Rennie had offered members of the citys black community complimentary tickets to Knowless shows. The group states that they, along with another local collective, Black in Vancouver, decided to distribute them to marginalized black youth, black musicians, black artists, and black organizers in the city.

We see this as a positive gesture and were happy wecan agree on one point: access for black folks to music written for us is crucial, BLM Vancouver wrote. We also recognize the importance of uplifting and centering black people. Solange is a powerful black voice and she needs to speak to a black community.

Knowles is performing two more shows at the Rennie Museum at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. today (April 28). Both performances are sold out with all ticket proceeds benefiting theAtira Womens Resource Society, a DTESbased nonprofit that provides safe housing and support for women and children affected by violence.

Read the original:
Solange Knowles poses with Jesse Williams, Black Lives Matter activists after her first Vancouver show - Straight.com