In this joyful and immersive gathering, jazz artist Michael Mwenso will create a sense of community and connection by playing recordings of musical forebears who propelled the advancement of the human condition and prompting participants to voluntarily share what they feel and hear in the messages. For this special event, we invite all to come together and recenter through the collective healing, love, and nutritional uplift that’s embedded in Black roots music. There is no charge to participate. Registration is encouraged to assist in the planning process and can be completed at the link below. Please join us in community for this soul nourishing experience!

Mwenso and the Shakes will be playing their FREE Jazz in June series concert on Tuesday, June 18th at 7 PM in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden, with food festival and other activities beginning at 5 PM.

About Michael Mwenso
Michael Mwenso’s unique lifelong geographical and spiritual journey has led him to possess a perspective unlike any other in this time. His childhood was rooted in West Africa where he was raised by strong, intelligent African women. As a teenager in London he faced a period of personal uncertainty, as his mother was deported, where he found solace in Black music and where the greatest artists of all time, like James Brown, became his mentors and guiding stars.

In his late twenties, Mwenso was brought to New York City by Wynton Marsalis to helm a famed jazz club and his influence profoundly impacted the music and arts scene of NYC. He then built a community across the United States through his vehicle of love expression, Mwenso and the Shakes. Now through the umbrella of Electric Root co-founded with Jono Gasparro - he spends his energy on spreading the message of Black music to uplift, heal and empower individuals and communities across our divided nation. Past presenters of his work include Folk Alliance International, Carnegie Hall, New York Public Radio, and the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.