Projects

MIND THE GAP: Reflections on Beauty

Creating a musical story of Madam C.J. Walker and the strong communities she fostered in America at the turn of the 20th century.

  • Project Created By

    PUBLIQuartet

    PUBLIQuartet is four classical renegades who find common ground in the spaces and sounds that aren’t written down. For the past decade, they have created and performed music that tells stories, asks questions, speaks out against injustice, and amplifies unheard voices.

  • Project Location
    New York, New York
  • Composer
    Co-Composer, Co-Producer, Arranger, Co-Engraver
    Co-Compoer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, Sound-Designer, Engraver
    Co-Composer, Co-Producer
  • Project Dates
    Start Date
    October 1, 2019
    End Date
    December 21, 2019

MIND THE GAP: Reflections on Beauty

Creating a musical story of Madam C.J. Walker and the strong communities she fostered in America at the turn of the 20th century.

This particular work would chronicle the life of the first female African-American self-made millionaire in America, Madam C.J. Walker, through a convergence of music, poetry, and literature. From her origins as an uneducated washer-woman in St. Louis, to her final residence in Harlem, Madam Walker’s legacy as a massively successful hair-care business owner, philanthropist, social activist, and educator has had both deep roots and lasting influence in Harlem and in African-American communities. In honor of the 2019 centennial anniversary of her death, PUBLIQuartet will work directly in collaboration with Madam Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, to create a unique and unforgettable performance experience, which, ideally, will be premiered in Harlem for the community. Madam Walker’s life is a story of hardship, perseverance, and triumph. It is a story that deserves to be told, and PUBLIQuartet’s multi-faceted composition will make it a story to be remembered.

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