Westminster Church Blues and Soul Mondays

For the Washington City Paper's March 30 "Best of" issue, I highlighted Westminster Church in SW DC that hosts Blues and Soul Mondays from 6 to 9 pm.  It's a great DC treasure. Oh, the newsprint version of this issue mistakenly lists someone other than me as the writer of the item. But the below link now has me correctly listed.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/bestofdc/artsandentertainment/2012/best-place-to-hear-blues-outside-a-club

Live DC Area Events from March 21 to April 1

My updated DC/Baltimore area  soul, whirled, African, Latin, roots, Asian and more calendar for the end of March 2012. To get a monthly calendar emailed to you once a month, you can subscribe -send an e-mail to dcbworld-subscribe@yahoogroups.com    Just to be contrary, I only throw indie-rock gigs in at the bottom. They get enough props elsewhere.

Wed. Mar. 21

Celtic Crossroads - Wolf Trap (the Barns)

Vetusta Morla (Spanish rock band from Madrid) at U St. Music Hall

a program focusing on Czech polka dances, with music performed by the polka band Czech and Then Some for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (and streamed online)

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Thurs. Mar.  22

Bomba Estéreo and Maracuyeah DJ Crew - Black Cat (Mainstage)

Brasil Guitar Duo - Strathmore (Mansion)

the Holmes Brothers and Leyla McCalla - the Hamilton (Bluesy soul)

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Fri. Mar.  23

Rakim y Ken-Y (reggaeton) at  9:00pm at Galaxy Nightclub, 2031 University Blvd

Hyattsville, MD

Public Enemy, Epmd, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Moe D, and Black Sheep - DAR Constitution Hall

Hector Tricoche (Puerto Rico) at 10:00pm at V3 Lounge, 6763 R3 Wilson Blvd

Falls Church, VA

Underground Kings Benefit Concert with Big K.R.I.T (rap) at Fillmore

8:00 PM

T-MICKEY & ALAN CAVE (HAITIAN KONPA POP) AT ARBOR BALLROOM, 3600 NEW YORK AVENUE NE, DC

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 Sat. Mar. 24

Angelique Kidjo (Benin afropop/funk) - Lisner Auditorium

Montez de Durango (Mexican banda) at  9:00pm at El Boqueron

1336 E Gude Dr., Rockville, MD

The Art of Kabuki: Bando Kotoji - the Freer Gallery [1050 Independence Ave SW, WDC] (2 PM Show)

Shamrock Fest: the Dropkick Murphys, Gavin DeGraw, Carbon Leaf, Icewagon Flu, Scythian at RFK Stadium grounds/parking lot

Celtic Crossroads - Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis) (All-Ages Matinee)

Celtic Crossroads - Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis) (8 PM 21+ show)

Rhythm and Blues Revue - featuring Tommy Castro Band, Deanna Bogart, Joe Louis Walker, and Debbie Davies - State Theatre

LeRoy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners at the Bumper Car Pavillion of

Glen Echo Park

Josh Feinberg on sitar with tabla player at Gandhi Memorial Center, 4748 Western Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816

Afro-Cubana percussionist Melena and salsa djs with tribute to women in salsa at Artisphere

METRO MAMBO FROM 2 TO 4 AT SMITHSONIAN ANACOSTIA MUSEUM, 1901 Fort Place S.E., Washington, latin-jazz and Mambo have long been a conduit for inter-cultural expression, with ardent fans of every creed, race and culture. Kicking-off "Metro Mambo's" 3rd season, join Jim Byers, radio personality from WPFW 89.3FM’s “Latin Flavor Classic Edition," as he hosts a panel of speakers including Didier Prossaird - French-born bandleader of the featured band, Sin Miedo - and others who will discuss their own personal paths to immersionin Latin music.

Maracuyeah Presents: Kali Mutsa- Chilean pop gypsy electronica at Marx Cafe

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Sun. Mar.  25

Huey Dunbar at the Salsa Room (ex DLG; salsa & r’n’b)

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Mon. Mar.  26

Luminescent Orchestrii  ( New York based Balkan and Gypsy group blends gypsy melodies, punk , tangos, klezmer,  hip-hop beats and Appalachian fiddle)  for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (and streamed online)

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Tues. Mar.   27

Chris Thomas King (blues) at IOTA   BLUES ALLEY

Van Hunt at the Hamilton (funk, r'n'b, rock)

MC Soultana all the way from Rabat, Morocco, along with local heavies GoldinGirlTribe!

Plus resident DJs Mothershiester and bent, at 7pm (performances start at 8)

Marrakech Lounge 1817 Columbia Rd NW DC FREE! 

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Wed. Mar. 28

Hapa at the Barns of Wolf Trap

Van Hunt at Baltimore Soundstage

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Thurs. Mar.  29

Georgia Anne Muldrow - LIV Nightclub, 2001 11th Street NW, WDC

HAPA - Wolf Trap (the Barns)

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Fri. Mar. 30

Hapa - Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis)

Patti LaBelle - Strathmore

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Sat. Mar. 31

The Jive 5 featuring Eugene Pitt, at Harmony Hall Regional Center,

10701 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, Md (doo wop/r’n’b)

Leon Redbone at Birchmere

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Sun. 4-1

Eva Ayllon (Peru) at the State Theatre

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Other cool stuff (mostly indie rock):  3-22  Kurt Vile & the Violators @Rams Head Live!; 3-26- the Joy Formidable, A Place to Bury Strangers, and Exitmusic - 9:30 Club; 3-28-Grant Hart @ Black Cat; 3-31- Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg featuring Michale Graves (ex-Misfits singer) @ Sonar/Talking Head; 4-1 -Cloud Nothings at Ottobar

Googoosh: Iranian Diva in DC Saturday Night March 17

   
Iran’s nuclear program and its films, such as the Oscar winning A Separation, get plenty of American media attention.  Iranian music, not so much so.  While some Iranian filmmakers have managed, despite the mullahs, to create critically acclaimed works seen around the world, Iranian musicians  who have not left their country are forced underground and have difficulty making an impact.  But some Iranian musicians now living in exile, once were part of the international cultural conversation, or at least popular in large parts of the non-English speaking world—Russia, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iraq.   Saturday night March 17, Iranian singer Googoosh will be at DAR Constitution Hall.

While she does not have a current  major label release, the now Los Angeles-based 62-year-old singer, born Faegheh Atashin, the daughter of Azerbaijan immigrants,  was once a huge star in pre-Khomeini  Iran, beginning in the late 1960s. Starring in movies, releasing records, creating fashion trends and beloved by young girls, she has been described as a combination of Madonna, Barbara Streisand, and Marilyn Monroe.  However, then the revolution occurred. From 1979 to 2000 she remained in Iran, but the Islamic Republic never allowed her to sing. By 2000 she resumed singing and eventually moved to the US.  Googoosh is more than just a lounge diva. Hipster reissue specialist label BMusic/Finders Keepers has put out a collection of her singles and B-sides, and while the synth backing on some of her current material smacks of schmaltzy Euro-pop, her Azeri Turkish as well as Persian vocals display a trace of Persian classical vocal traditionalism and a unique artistry that is her own.  Live she performs songs from multiple eras, and the event will definitely have a nostalgia vibe.  But no matter what she's singing I find her vocals as interesting or more than say, current rock/dance critics fave EMA, who is going to be at U. St. Music Hall Saturday night.

Zieti: Ivory Coast and DC Cd Release Dance Party

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/03/08/how-zieti-got-the-band-back-together/

Nice hybrid Coite D'Ivorie (Ivory Coast) and DC  afropop project, Zieti, created despite the difficulties of life in Coite D'Ivorie.  I unfortunately missed the gig with the DC members of Zieti at Bossa  that also included local DC-based Cameroonians on the bill.

Soul Salvation with Ruthie Foster

Here's my City Paper blogpost interview with impressive Texas soul/folkie/gospel singer Ruthie Foster.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/03/07/soul-salvation-with-texas-singer-ruthie-foster/