Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Nursing students take heritage tour

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently provided a heritage tour for freshmen in the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing at Delta State University.  The tour included discussion of the Delta's rich cultural heritage and stops at Dockery Farms, the grave of Fannie Lou Hamer, Mound Bayou, and Po' Monkey's Lounge, among other places.  PHOTO:  The freshman class of the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing in front of the Mississippi Blues Trail marker at Dockery Farms.  Photo by Lee Aylward.

 

 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Bridging the Blues - Po' Monkey's

PHOTO:  Terry "Harmonica" Bean performs at Po’ Monkey’s Lounge.

CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State University’s Delta Center for Culture and Learning recently collaborated with the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce and Cat Head Blues and Folk Art, Inc., to host an evening of live Blues music at historic Po' Monkey's Lounge, in Merigold.  Terry "Harmonica" Bean and his band, together with several visiting musicians, provided the music.  The event was part of the new "Bridging the Blues" series, over a week of live entertainment in the Delta.  The series began with the Highway 61 Blues Festival in Leland, and ends with the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas, one week later.  In between the festivals there has been live Blues music at numerous venues in the central Delta.  People from China, Japan, England, Belgium, France, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as Americans from across the country attended the Po' Monkey's event, which was filmed by a documentary crew, and observed by two French travel writers who will publicize next year's events in Europe. 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Delta Center provides tour for the Mississippi Center for Justice

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently provided a heritage tour for the Mississippi Center for Justice.  Participants in the tour included Center for Justice staff and members of their governing board.  The group is pictured in front of the Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Money Road, north of Greenwood, where they heard gospel music provided by the Heavenly Voices.  The group spent most of Friday and all of Saturday morning touring the Delta, and stopped at the B. B. King Museum in Indianola, Po’ Monkey’s Lounge for Blues music by Sean Appel and a tasting of locally produced tamales, and a visit to Peter’s Pottery in Mound Bayou.  Saturday afternoon, they drove to Oxford for a tour of Ole Miss and William Faulkner’s home. 

 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Mississippi Blues Commission receives check for $10,000

Dr. Luther Brown, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, was on stage with the King of the Blues, B. B. King, on Tuesday, August 21, when representatives of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Mississippi Blues Marathon presented members of the Mississippi Blues Commission with a check for $10,000 to be used by the Benevolence Committee in support of ailing Bluesmen and women.  Brown has been a member of the Blues Commission since its founding by Governor Ronnie Musgrove and is a member of the Benevolence Committee.  The presentation preceded the unveiling of the 159th stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail, in Kilmichael where B. B. King spent much of his early youth.  The Mississippi Blues Trail now has stops across the State, in several other states, and one stop in Europe.  More stops are planned, telling the stories of the Blues and drawing visitors to Mississippi.  PHOTO:  From left, Blues Commissioner and Senator Willie Simmons, Blues Commissioner Luther Brown, The King of the Blues B. B. King, Chris Chapman of the Mississippi Development Authority, Tony Huffman of the BCBS Blues Marathon, Blues Commissioner and Chair of the Benevolence Committee Dr. Edgar Smith, John Noble of the BCBS Blues Marathon, and Alex Thomas, Mississippi Tourism Authority.  Photo by Lee Aylward

 

 

Italian Blues fans visit the Delta Center

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University was recently visited by Italian fans of the Blues Davide Serini and Erika Barussi.  Serini is the lead guitar player for a band called Down Town Blues Band, of Genova, Italy.  The band opened for B. B. King at the 2012 Pistoia Blues Festival and can be viewed on You Tube.  The couple will be in the Delta visiting Blues sites for the next week.

 

 

 

Friday, August 10, 2012

Delta Center provides tour for Tunica Chamber members

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently provided a heritage tour for the Tunica Chamber of Commerce and the Tunica Convention and Visitor's Bureau.  The tour began at the Tunica CVB welcome center, where the new Gateway to the Delta Blues Museum will be built next year, and made stops at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, the B. B. King Museum in Indianola, and Po' Monkey's Lounge in Merigold.  The tour was led by Delta Center Director Luther Brown.

                                                                                                                           

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Spreading the Word about the Delta's Heritage

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently provided a heritage tour for Teach For America recruits and Robertson Scholars.  The tour stopped at Dockery Farms, Fannie Lou Hamer’s grave, historic Mound Bayou, and Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, among other places.  Participants included Teach For America staff members and new teachers, as well as ten Robertson Scholars from Duke and the University of North Carolina.  It was led by Luther Brown and Lee Aylward of the Delta Center.  The Delta Center is currently the manager of the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. 

 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Delta Center welcomes Robertson Scholars

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta State University Delta Center for Culture and Learning recently welcomed another class of Robertson Scholars to the Delta.  Each scholar will stay in the Delta four to six weeks working at the St. Gabriel Mercy Center in Mound Bayou, the Sunflower Freedom Project in Sunflower County, or in the Delta Center.  Robertson Scholarships are prestigious awards that allow recipients to take classes at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina.  They also allow recipients to travel anywhere during their summers, and many spend time in several countries before graduation.  PHOTO: Robertson Scholars pictured at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.  (L to R) Ademide Adelekun (Dolly Adelekun), UNC; Oren Bukspan, Duke; Minhazul Islam, Duke; Julian Borrey, Duke; Gihani Dissanayake, UNC; Minali Nigam, Duke. 

 

 

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

 

                                                                         

 

 

Monday, April 9, 2012

German National Radio Visits Delta Center

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University was recently visited by Stephen Lina, senior editor for Bayerisher Rundfunck (Bavarian Broadcasting), a member of the German National TV and Radio network. Lina is based in Munich, Germany.  He is producing a radio show about the American South, and came to the Delta after recording the re-enactment of the Battle of Shiloh.  He interviewed Dr. Luther Brown, Director of the Delta Center, about the Mississippi Blues Trail and the work of the Blues Commission.  Lina also recorded at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale and at Po' Monkey's Lounge in Merigold.  PHOTO:  From left, Stephen Lina and Dr. Luther Brown.

 

 



Hayes Cooper Students Visit Dockery Farms

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently  provided an introduction to Dockery Farms to second graders from Hayes-Cooper School.  Lee Aylward, of the Delta Center, provided the tour, and Allyson Hardy led the class.  According to Hardy, "Hayes Cooper Center's 2nd annual Art and Soul 2012, A celebration of the visual and performing arts" has the theme "Rollin on the River,  Reflections of Faces and Places of the Delta.”  Second graders are creating an ABC book of the Delta, and have been learning about all things Delta, including the History of the Blues."

 

 

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Oregon School Visits the Delta State University

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently introduced a  group of Oregon high school sophomores and juniors to the Delta’s cultural heritage.  The students from Oregon Episcopal School were accompanied by the school’s safety director T’na Meyerhoff,  the head of their English department Rick Rees, and Ron Silver, Assistant United States Attorney, Oregon District.  Silver participated in the 50th anniversary of the Mississippi Freedom Rides where he met members of the Delta Center.  The Center’s Lee Aylward led the tour.  The class is pictured in front of the collection of Blues life-masks, on display in Ewing Hall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Delta Arts Alliance
PO Box 763
104 S. Court St. 
Cleveland, MS 38732
P: 662-843-3344
F:662-843-3344 (call first)
delta.arts@hotmail.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Delta-Arts-Alliance/355562755951 



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Jazz Great Mose Allison to give free performance at Delta State

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Composer, poet, pianist and vocalist Mose Allison will appear in concert  on Wednesday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Jobe Hall on the Delta State campus.  The concert, titled “DSU Welcomes Mose Allison Home,” is free and open to the public. 

 

Born in Tallahatchie County where he was influenced by the bluesman that lived and performed on his father’s farm, Allison has long lived in New York City.  He has been a major influence on musicians over the last 50 years and has been touring for at least that long. His songs have been recorded by, among others, Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Diana Krall, John Mayall (with Eric Clapton) and Elvis Costello. His singular style, a unique blending of jazz and blues, and his profound lyrical wit mark him as a true American original.    Paul Bernays of Artisan Pictures in the United Kingdom presented an hour-long documentary about his career, titled “Ever Since I Stole the Blues.” 

 

Allison will have a busy schedule when he comes home to Mississippi.  After his performance at Delta State, he will be honored in Jackson, where the Mississippi Arts Commission will present him with a Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Wednesday, February 16, at 1:00 p.m. in Wells Memorial United Methodist Church.  The following day, he will be present at the Allison Mercantile Store in Tippo at 1:30 p.m. when the Mississippi Blues Commission unveils a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in his honor.  Both the Governor’s Awards and the Mississippi Blues Trail unveiling are free and open to the public.

 

Immediately following the unveiling ceremony all are invited to the CARE building in Charleston for a reception and short program presented by CARE.   Allison’s performance at Delta State is made possible by funding from the Delta State Foundation, Delta Center for Culture and Learning, the Bologna Performing Arts Center, the Tri-State Education Foundation, the Delta State College of Arts and Sciences, and the Mississippi Arts Commission.

 

Mississippi Grammy artist Dorothy Moore scheduled for DMI All Access Series

CLEVELAND - The Delta Music Institute, a music industry studies program at Delta State University, will host Grammy nominated singer Dorothy Moore Tuesday, January 17, at 6:00 p.m. in Jobe Hall on the campus of Delta State University for an interactive discussion as part of the DMI All Access series. Moore will be joined by arranger Harrison Calloway, Jr. to discuss her career and the production of her new recording project. DMI All Access is a series of open forums and lectures featuring industry professionals from various areas of the music business. The series is hosted by Delta State artist in residence Steve Azar and is open to the public at no charge.

 

From her hit single "Misty Blue" to her latest single "Lie To Me," Dorothy Moore has warmed the hearts of millions with her songs. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Moore had a singing talent that was detected at an early age by her mother, who began buying her musical instruments and taking her to gospel programs. Ms. Moore began singing with The New Stranger Home Baptist Church Choir at age five, and eventually she became a soloist.

After graduation from Lanier High School, a recording company producer in Jackson discovered Moore and 1966 she signed with Epic Records. While attending Jackson State University, Moore and two other students formed a female group called The Poppies. The Poppies worked with The Four Tops, Bobby Goldsboro, and Wilson Pickett. They recorded the hit singles "Lullaby of Love" and "He’s Ready" for Columbia Records in 1966. After performing with the Poppies, Moore established a solo career in 1976 with Malaco Records in Jackson where she recorded the Grammy-nominated hit single, "Misty Blue," which rose to #1 on the R&B charts. Two years after "Misty Blue," Dorothy recorded a second Grammy-nominated single, "I Believe You."

Moore has earned awards and recognition, including four Grammy nominations, an Image Award, NATRA Female R&B Vocalist of the Year, Billboard Magazine Award, and many other awards worldwide. Throughout her career, Moore has appeared with such stars as Lou Rawls, Al Green, B.B. King, and The Temptations. She has also appeared on such shows as "American Bandstand," "Rock Concert," "Soul Train," and "The Midnight Special.” She has recorded with several different recording labels, including Volt, Rejoice, GSF, Chimneyville, and Malaco. Moore now records for her own label, Farish Street Records.

Moore was honored with a sidewalk marker of her likeness in 2001 at the Alamo Theater on Farish Street in Jackson where she started her professional career. Local honors have included the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1996, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame in 2001 and numerous Jackson Music Awards. Moore serves on the board of the Blues Foundation and BB King Museum Advisory Board. She tours, produces, and records in Jackson.

The Delta Music Institute is an independent center of study under the College of Arts & Sciences at Delta State University, offering a B.S. in Music Industry Studies degree. The focus of the DMI is to provide students with a broad and thorough education in the technological, creative, and business areas of the music and entertainment industry. For information, contact (662) 846-4579 or visit http://dmi.deltastate.edu.