- Hi, I'm Christy McDonald, and here's what's coming up on "One Detroit: Arts and Culture."

It's all about the concert of colors.

(blues music) The Midwest's biggest diversity in arts festival, 28 years running in Metro Detroit, the history behind it, the founder, Ismael Ahmed, plus see performances and hear how the artists are connecting with the audience in a new way.

It's all ahead on "One Detroit: Arts and Culture."

- [Female Announcer] From Delta faucets to Behr paint, Masco Corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco, serving Michigan communities since 1929.

- [Male Announcer] Support for this program provided by the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit Public TV, The Kresge Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

- [Female Announcer] The DTE Foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit Public TV.

Among the state's largest foundations committed to Michigan-focused giving, we support organizations that are doing exceptional work in our state.

Visit dtefoundation.com to learn more.

- [Male Announcer] Business Leaders for Michigan, dedicated to making Michigan a top 10 state for jobs, personal income, and to help the economy.

Also brought to you by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and viewers like you.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Christy McDonald.

Welcome to "One Detroit," and thanks so much for joining me.

Here on "One Detroit: Arts and Culture," we're bringing you all of the events that you're missing, and this week it's all about the Concert of Colors.

For 28 years, the Concert of Colors has been Metro Detroit's premier diversity-themed music festival, happens every summer over a span of several days, 152 arts organizations, a free festival for everyone to enjoy diverse sounds and performances.

A big highlight each year is musician Don Was and his All Star Revue.

In 2020, no one could gather in person, but thanks to Detroit Public Television and WDET Radio, the concert was broadcast over four nights.

It was a chance for us all to enjoy the music that we've been missing.

This year, planners are putting things together for an August show, but to get your music fix, we will celebrate 2020's show.

You'll hear from Concert of Colors founder, Ismael Ahmed, plus performances from Last Gasp Collective, and Don Was All Star Revue with Tosha Owens and artist Xiao Dong Wei It's all coming up.

First off, Will Glover with Ismael Ahmed.

- We're here to talk about the Concert of Colors, and really quick for those of us who are uninitiated, just tell us what the concert is, how'd it get started, and what the whole idea behind it is.

- Well, the Concert of Colors has its roots going way back here in Detroit act, actually as part of an international movement called Rock Against Racism.

I've been doing a concerts for causes for years and was part of a group that had focused on bringing music into communities where racial justice questions were a big deal.

The Concert of Colors was launched 28 years ago, and it started off small, and it was a one day event of the five major communities of color, but it's now grown to include everyone.

And it's six days long this year.

It's in almost all of the major arts venues usually.

Although, this year, because of COVID, that won't be the case.

And it draws somewhere between 30 and 50,000 people.

It brings in artists from all over the world, but also focuses very much on the talent and the communities of Detroit.

And it's not just music, it's educational activities like the forum on community, culture, and race, and a whole set of other things, children's stuff.

I can go on and on, but it is a major thing in Detroit like the Techno Festival or the Jazz Festival.

And our mission is very much still the same thing, to bring communities together, to celebrate our different cultures, and to look at the questions of justice, racism, and harmony.

- So, obviously, as you alluded to, this year hasn't been normal for anyone.

And I can only imagine the difficulty that that presents when you're trying to put together a week long concert.

So was it more difficult this year to get artists to participate?

- Yeah, in fact, frankly, we lost a couple of key artists as a result of it who dropped out at the last few minutes.

But overall, I think this is gonna be an interesting pivot, because in the sense that people who watch this will be all over the world this time.

We were gonna cancel, and then Larry Bransky at the DIA said, "Well, let's go to "kind of more mainstream TV and radio "and see what we can do."

And we've had a long relationship with WTVS who are great to work with and also WDET, Detroit Public Radio.

And so, what we did is talk to them, and we came to an agreement.

So we won't be doing the kind of usual streaming that most festivals are doing.

This is gonna be a big deal.

And it's enhanced, because we have relationships with rural music festivals across the planet who are all gonna be streaming and working with us.

I just heard today that the Kennedy Center will be sending out notices across the United States.

We're talking to Quest TV about including the Don Was Revue.

It will be available to millions of people.

So, the good part is that many, many more people will get to be part of the Concert of Colors, but also view the music in Detroit, which is really important.

Almost all our artists are Detroiters, but the bad thing is we won't be able to do it together.

And there's something lost by that, especially when you bring people of all colors and nationalities and sexual preferences together to really enjoy each other and come to know each other through celebration.

And so, that's kinda missed, but I think we will have an awful good program.

- Why not take the year off maybe to recoup, restrategize?

Why is it so important that the concert continue through times like these?

- Well that's exactly right, times like these.

The world is in turmoil, and America is in turmoil, and the question of racial justice and equality are major questions now, and the place of cultures and all that is important.

So, having the Concert of Colors, which has always stood for all of that and brought together the cultures of the world to celebrate together is really important this year, more than ever.

And so we've struggled to do it, and it hasn't been easy.

Sometimes I feel like a dentist filling teeth.

Cavities just keep popping up.

We had a little bit of a COVID scare at the DIA.

They are very, very careful and very worried about taking care of the people who come there and work there.

And there was a person who had COVID, and they had to do tracing, and they sanitized the entire wing that we're in.

And so, we actually were off for a while.

We were not gonna do it.

And then after the tracing, we found that that person had been nowhere near there, and they took the time to sanitize.

So we had to change our shooting schedule and call back all of the artists.

And within that, Roy Ayers, who is 80 years old, just didn't feel comfortable coming.

So we lost his performance.

We found a really cool group out of Kalamazoo, Michigan called the Last Gasp Collective that are right in that vein, hip hop, soul, jazz, and even a little classical music, great voices, all African-American group, young people, very cool.

♪ Chasing your problems, we ain't got nothing in common ♪ ♪ Approach with caution, blessings from the Shaman ♪ ♪ Glass in my window clearing out another ♪ ♪ Beauty always finds a way to blossom ♪ ♪ Brown always been beautiful, ask autumn ♪ - If people wanna know more about this, go to concertofcolors.com.

The whole schedule is there, information about the bands, what time, how to stream, or how to watch it on TVS, 'cause you can watch it on your TV set or you can listen to it on WDET.

- Detroit Public Television partnered up with the Concert of Colors to be the production team and help bring all of these amazing performances into our homes.

We shot performances over three days.

It was a heck of a production.

So here's a look at just one of them, a performance from Last Gasp Collective.

(gentle soul music) ♪ Singing and doing what you want to, want to ♪ ♪ And you don't never come through, come through ♪ ♪ Enjoying that I do for you ♪ Baby, what am I getting into ♪ Kung fu, voodoo, really thought you, mhm ♪ ♪ It's true, I'm disappointed, boo ♪ ♪ I guess forever don't ♪ Saying and doing what you want to, want to ♪ ♪ And you don't ever come through, come through ♪ ♪ Enjoying that I do for you ♪ Baby, what am I getting into ♪ Kung fu, voodoo, really thought you, mhm ♪ ♪ It's true, I'm disappointed, boo ♪ ♪ I guess forever the best here ♪ ♪ La la la la la la la la ♪ Hey hey hey hey ♪ Saying your loves drives me insane ♪ ♪ Pretend there's no pain ♪ Just keep screaming my name ♪ Oh, babe ♪ I want you to stay ♪ Stay with me ♪ But you wanna play ♪ Gotta be okay ♪ Saying your love drives me insane ♪ ♪ Pretend there's no pain ♪ Just keep screaming my name ♪ Oh, baby ♪ I want you to stay ♪ Stay with me, yeah ♪ But you wanna play ♪ Gotta be okay ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ Yeah ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ It might not be the end ♪ You might just be a friend ♪ You might be my lesson ♪ Hope it was worth the win ♪ Might not be the end ♪ You might just be a friend ♪ You might be my lesson ♪ I hope it was worth the win ♪ Might not be the end ♪ You might just be my friend ♪ You might be my lesson ♪ Hope it was worth the win ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ ♪ I think it's crazy you think I'm crazy ♪ - The artists involved in the Concert of Colors are grateful to have this connection with the audience, even though it's a little bit different.

Will Glover talked with Xiao Dong Wei She plays erhu, which is a Chinese violin (calm classical music) - For people who are unfamiliar with the erhu, can you just give us a quick explanation as to what it is?

- For instance, there's two strings.

So when you think it's Chinese violin, people think violin and compare with the Western violin.

So we have two strings.

That's the big difference with four string, and the other big difference erhu doesn't finger board.

The third one is the erhu have only two strings.

And the bow is a track in between these two strings.

So we play, we call it inside and outside.

- What does it mean to you to be part of a now 28 year old tradition of bringing music and cultures from all over the world together?

- Oh, you know, music.

What music do is bring people together.

It's all about people.

So this Concert of Color all kinds of diverse.

Mr. Ismael produced this.

He's just such a wonderful... His music program is so great.

And so whatever he puts on, it is so diverse and bring the people together.

So I am very happy to be included in this event, 'cause I am from other country, as you couldn't tell.

(both laugh) So I feel welcomed and I feel I can really connect with people from everywhere, especially this year.

We will have more viewers to be able to share this with.

So I'm really, really happy.

- Obviously, this is not a normal year, because it's hard for us to be able to get together.

And I'm sure as an artist, it's weird not having that connection with an audience.

So how have you changed your approach?

What have you been thinking about going all this stuff?

- As a musician, we are never bored.

Outside of the world don't matter too much for us.

We just practice and enjoy ourself.

And at this time, I feel like less to be a musician for myself.

Why, it's like I'm really enjoying my time working on my stuff?

Secondly, we can share this more, because people need more music at this time.

So, even just play a piece make people forget about the trouble for two minutes.

It's worth it.

And with all the internet, all that things, we are able to share with more people.

So very lucky.

I'm always really grateful to be a musician, and now it's more than ever.

- What would you say to an artist who's getting started or may have gotten started and stalled out by the pandemic?

What would you say to encourage them, or what words of advice would you have for someone who's in that pursuit right now?

- In the any time of our life, first thing first is be truthful to your heart.

Go with what your heart tells you to go.

And sometimes it's looks like difficult or it's impossible.

Well, what do you got to is just try it.

(upbeat rock music) - The country isn't just going through a pandemic.

There's a lot of division when it comes to the United States's history with racism and the political climate right now.

Do you think that things like Concert of Colors are a way to really, I guess, bridge those gaps and truly bring people together, even if, like you said, it's only for the length of a song?

- Music and art are so powerful.

It's sometimes beyond our imagination.

So I just want to share a very short story how powerful it is.

I've been to an old soldiers reunion celebration.

So I went there.

Those are Korean War veterans.

There's a guy.

So I play the song.

I play the song in the event.

It's with (indistinct) when nobody knows what that is.

So I play a song.

After I play the song, and a guy come talk to me, very nice.

So it touched my heart and soul.

I love the music you play.

So it turns out and later other people tell me, said this guy was a Korean War veteran.

He hates Chinese, and never comes to Chinese before.

He changed after that.

- Wow.

- So that was very powerful story for me to think about bring people together, because sometimes you just love the music.

No matter where you come from, it doesn't have to the language.

That's why it's an international language is music.

(upbeat rock music) ♪ Kool Thing sitting with by the kitty ♪ ♪ Now you know you're sure looking pretty ♪ ♪ Like a dancer, not like a lover ♪ ♪ Superboy take a little chance here ♪ ♪ I don't wanna ♪ I don't think so ♪ I don't wanna ♪ I don't think so ♪ Kool Thing walking like a panther ♪ ♪ Come on and give me an answer ♪ ♪ Kool Thing walking like a panther ♪ ♪ What'd you say?

♪ I don't think so ♪ I don't think so ♪ I don't wanna ♪ I don't think so (upbeat rock music) - All right, we're gonna leave you with one last performance from Don Was and the All Star Revue along with Tosha Owens.

Enjoy it, and I'll see you next time on "One Detroit: Arts and Culture."

Take care.

(relaxed blues music) ♪ Sun gonna shine shine shine ♪ On me one day ♪ Gonna shine shine shine ♪ On me one day ♪ Wind gonna rise rise rise ♪ Blowing these away - I love you, Don.

(laughs) ♪ I got the same old blues again ♪ ♪ Same same same old blues again ♪ ♪ I got I got the same old blues again, yeah ♪ ♪ One of these days one of these days ♪ ♪ A dark storm arrives ♪ And go blow blow the blues away ♪ ♪ Same old same old same old blues again ♪ ♪ Oh, baby, I'm tired ♪ I'm tired of you being my backdoor man ♪ ♪ I don't think you heard me ♪ I said I'm tired I'm tired I'm tired ♪ ♪ Tired of you being my backdoor man ♪ That's right now.

♪ Ooh yeah ♪ Sunshine sunshine sunshine ♪ Oh Lord oh Lord put your sunshine on me ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got I got I got I got the same old blues again ♪ ♪ The same same same same old blues again ♪ Hey, why don't y'all play something for me?

♪ Yeah ♪ Oh yeah (relaxed blues music) Like butter.

Hey.

♪ Won't be long won't be long ♪ When the sun will be down ♪ Same old blues same old blues again ♪ ♪ Oh, I wanna hold me ♪ Oh yeah ♪ Having the sun go down (indistinct) ♪ Now listen here.

♪ Now wind blow wind blow wind blow oh (laughs) ♪ ♪ Wind blow wind blow wind blow ♪ ♪ Blow blow blow blow that blues away ♪ - [Christy] You can find more at onedetroitpbs.org, or subscribe to our social media channels and sign up for our "One Detroit" newsletter.

- [Female Announcer] From Delta faucets to Behr paint, Masco Corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco, serving Michigan communities since 1929.

- [Male Announcer] Support for this program provided by the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit Public TV, The Kresge Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

- [Female Announcer] The DTE Foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit Public TV.

Among the state's largest foundations committed to Michigan focused giving, we support organizations that are doing exceptional work in our state.

Visit dtefoundation.com to learn more.

- [Male Announcer] Business Leaders for Michigan, dedicated to making Michigan a top 10 state for jobs, personal income, and to help the economy.

Also brought to you by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and viewers like you.

(upbeat music) (gentle piano music)