Motown Message: a Revolution in Song is a unique cultural exploration taking place Sunday April 3rd, 2016 at Tony V’s Tavern, located at 5756 Cass Ave. in Detroit, MI. This historical concert event is presented by hip-hop artist Khary WAE Frazier. Vocalists Joy Danford, Robert Palmer, and Ralph Mitchell of the Floaters (1977’s #1 Hit Song “Float On”), will interpret a selection of songs that explore the relationship between the globally-beloved Motown sound and the radicalized cultural climate in which that sound came to be. Frazier will lead the band, comprised of drummer Djallo Djakate, guitarist Ras Kente, bassist Keith Rasul, and pianist Keir Ward, with his signature style of soul-infused hip-hop performance. “[Songs like] ‘Cloud Nine,’ ‘Past Time Paradise,’ and ‘Inner City Blues’ provided a voice for many Black Americans who felt voiceless during the late 1960s and early 1970s,” says Frazier, “Motown music is so much more than ‘My Guy’ and ‘My Girl,’—to me, the real Motown sound was the voice of the people.”

The show will feature a performance of the 1971 #1 hit song “Smiling Faces” by Undisputed Truth lead singer Joe “Pep” Harris.

This will be Frazier’s first concert performance of 2016. “With this show, I’m most excited to juxtapose my hip-hop sound against that brand of soul,” said Frazier, “especially when songs like Marvin Gaye’s ‘Inner City Blues’ are just as relevant today as they were when recorded.”

Detroit is Different produces this event in collaboration with the Detroit Drunken Historical Society and Tony V’s Tavern. Enjoy a night of Motown music and the sounds that followed, live in the heart of modern-day Motown. Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 6pm: Motown Message: a Revolution in Song, at 5756 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI. Tickets are available in advance online at www.detroitisdifferent.com and at Tony V’s Tavern.