Queen Nzingha Lecture 85.

A musical journey covering the hidden history and links between some of the most popular and obscure musical forms.

Hip Hop is a billion dollar world wide industry and cultural norm, while Opera is seen as an elite art form, but what do both of them have to do with Negro Spirituals?

Dr Kimberley Hawkins will take us on an audio-visual tour including live opera singing, ‘lining’ and rap samples.

Topics Covered:

• Negro Spirituals: a form of resistance decoded
• African roots of Opera
• Voice as a weapon
• Life as a Black Opera Singer
• Civil Rights in Music: The many untold stories
• Plus Q & A

Register here

About the Lecture Series:

Queen Nzinga was an African Queen who fought against the European invasion of southern Africa (Congo/Angola). The Queen Nzinga lecture series feature Black female academics / holders of expert knowledge, speaking on topics of their choice on a monthly basis. The Nzinga lecture series will provide a regular platform for women of African descent to highlight important issues in an academic setting.

About the Speaker:

Dr Kimberley Hawkins was born in Chicago and raised in Aurora Illinois. She earned her Masters degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of California in Santa Barbara. She started her opera career while in graduate school and sang oratorio and concert repertoire with local orchestras. She has performed in concerts/recitals in New York, Chicago, London and Paris.

Art By: Amar Stewart:

This event is brought to you by Black History Walks