From homeless bass player on the Minneapolis Sound scene to bestselling author and healer, Resmaa Menakem now steps into playwrighting. Co-written with Kristen Adele Calhoun, Mothership premieres at St. Paul’s Penumbra Theatre as a vessel for healing and ancestral wisdom.
Tony Kiene
Posted inMSR In the News
Legacy Yacht Cruise toasts MSR’s 92nd anniversary on the St. Croix
MSR celebrated 92 years aboard the Legacy Yacht Cruise on the St. Croix River, drawing more than 300 guests across four decks of music, dancing, Black-owned vendors and raffles. Contributing writer Tony Kiene has the full recap, plus a photo gallery from the night.
Posted inArts + Culture, Music
Dance on: How Prince’s legacy of giving continues to thrive
Prince spent his entire career privately supporting causes that were near and dear to his heart.
Posted inArts + Culture, Music, Remembering Prince
Prince in concert: an experience like no other
Nearly thirty years later, it remains one of the most thrilling experiences of my entire life. Prince took us to church that night, as he did with everyone on that 44-city tour across three continents.
Posted inArts + Culture, Music
The interview that ‘blessed’ Robyne Robinson’s career
Prince’s request for an interview was still fresh on Robyne Robinson’s mind as she left Paisley Park that fateful day. It was not lost of her that no other local or national news anchor or reporter had been able to secure a sit-down television interview with the legendary entertainer.
Posted inArts + Culture, Music
Purple Music: the makings of a genius
As fate would have it, however, the month of June also happens to be Black Music Month, which by a bit of cosmic irony was first declared by President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979, Prince’s 21st birthday.
So in recognition of the 39th anniversary of Black Music Month, let us use make full use of this column’s chief purpose and honor of —if not the — greatest musicians of all time: Minnesota’s favorite son, Prince.
Posted inArts + Culture, Music, Remembering Prince
‘Purple Music’ to plumb the rich depths of Minneapolis’ musical legacy
This column will lift up the stories of others who played a critical role in the development of the Minneapolis Sound, stories which otherwise may have been lost to history. More than anything, “Purple Music” is simply a space to honor our hometown hero, his meaning to us, and his meaning to the world.