GOODBYE CRISP AIR, hello humidity. Before things get really unbearable weather-wise in Houston, we can enjoy at least a few weeks of warmer, sunnier weather — perfect for outdoor gatherings and concerts.
On Sunday, May 5, Houston Botanic Garden continues its Music in the Garden Concert Series with Ndadie Begue, a celebration of West African culture with Houston-based, Senegalese singer and multi-instrumentalist Seyba Diouf. If you haven’t made it out to the sprawling gardens, located near the UH campus and featuring tons of walking trails and year-round exhibits, now’s a great time to check it out.
Loosely translated “fun meeting” from the Wolof language, Ndadie Begue will feature Diouf in performance with other musicians from Senegal, complementing the Garden’s current ZimSculpt exhibition of hundreds of hand-carved stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists.
Diouf has toured internationally as a singer and instrumentalist; in addition to guitar and harmonica, he plays African percussion, including djembe, talking drum, and sabar, and xalam or ngoni — which can be described as a traditional West African lute.
Here in Houston, Diouf has made it his mission to represent the culture and beauty of Senegal. He has worked with students at both Houston Community College and Houston’s Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where he has taught talking drum workshops and accompanied West African Dance classes taught in both the dance and theatre departments. He was also integral in the restaging of the musical Fela(inspired by the life of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti) at HSPVA in February 2019, by working with the students on the Afro Beat and polyrhythmic percussive style.
The ZimSculpt exhibition, which runs through June 2, features works by Zimbabwean sculptors practicing the Shona sculpture tradition — named for the nation’s largest tribe. Since the 1960s, artists from various tribes in Zimbabwe and beyond, have transformed locally sourced serpentine stone into smooth, highly polished contemporary works of art. Visitors to ZimSculpt can observe sculptors creating these works in real time, using handheld tools including chisels, hammers, and files. There’s also an on-site, one-of-a-kind marketplace of fine African art — don’t forget, Mother’s Day is coming up fast!
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Rock Superstar Mick Jagger Tours Houston Ahead of ‘Thrilling’ Show, Blasts H-Town Pics on Instagram
THE ROLLING STONES may have brought the house down at NRG last night, but not before front man Mick Jagger took time to take in some H-Town culture during the preceding days.
Jagger, 80, got some satisfaction posting pics from around Houston on his Instagram page for the benefit of his 3.2 million followers. On Friday he posted five shots from his tour of a most “welcoming” NASA, calling out astronauts Josh Cassada, Bob Hines and Jessica Meir.
And then yesterday, he posted eight more shots from around Houston, including several at the Graffiti Park near Downtown, and a few outside of interesting dives and other establishments around the area. The one near the mirror-ball-style armadillo outside Armadillo Palace is fun.
The Instagram carousel of images also included shots of the rock superstar’s stop-by at a rehearsal of the Houston Ballet. Principal Dancer Connor Walsh reposted a shot with Jagger, other dancers and himself, with the caption, “The one and only Mick Jagger stopped by the Houston Ballet studios to watch some rehearsals of Mayerling today.”
Walsh said the dancers were tipped off that Jagger would stop by. "His visit had the dancers buzzing on Saturday," said the ballet star.We were all excited to have such an accomplished artist and icon watch us work. Especially in a ballet like Mayerling that’s choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan and was premiered at the Royal Ballet where Mick has had a long history supporting.
"He was so kind and warm to everyone he met and extremely attentive during the rehearsal," Walsh added. "I’d love to say we taught him some moves, but we all know he’s got the dancing covered!"
The Ballet describes Mayerling as a psychological thriller rife with scandal and political intrigue, adding that the ballet “tells the dark tale of Crown Prince Rudolf, the sole heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1880s.” The performance runs May 23-June 2.
Jagger also posted a short video of him singing “Start Me Up” at the concert, and also two still photos from the show last night. In all, the NASA post has received nearly 100,000 likes so far, with the around-town images racking up about 45,000 and counting. The concert post has 115,000 likes at press time.
The two-hour concert was the first stop in a new tour promoting the Stone’s Hackney Diamondsrecord. Rolling Stone magazine online called the show “thrilling.”
photo from @mickjagger on Instagram
photo from @mickjagger on Instagram
photo from @mickjagger on Instagram
photo from @mickjagger on Instagram
Beyond a 'Shadow of a Doubt', Hitchcock-Themed Alley Ball Is Spellbinding Soiree
AN APPROPRIATELY DRAMATIC event, this year’s Alley Ball transformed the Post Oak Hotel into an old-Hollywood-themed tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. Bold red curtains framed large screens playing black and white clips of classic Hitchcock films, and the centerpieces made of dark red roses had crows hidden in them! This was the backdrop for a spellbinding night that raised $1.22 mil for the theater.
During cocktail hour, a large bar designed to look like a ‘50s-era movie-theater concessions stand occupied the main reception area. On the bar were curious boxes emanating smoke; guests who dared open them were surprised with a martini!
Before dinner was served, guests heard from the man himself, Alfred Hitchcock. Well, Alley actor Chris Salazar dressed as Hitchcock welcomed guests alongside fellow company members portraying some of the filmmaker’s most beloved characters from The Birds, Psycho, and Rear Window.
The live auction was a theater-lover’s dream, boasting a walk-on roll in the Alley’s beloved Christmas Carol and a luxury trip to enjoy The Devil Wears Prada on London’s West End up for grabs! The party progressed onto the hypnotic black-and-white dancefloor — a nod to the movie Vertigo — where revelers danced until after midnight to The Big Beyond.
Alley Theatre stages Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder this summer as part of its Summer Chills programming.
Dean Gladden, Roger & Connie Plank, Angela & Craig Jarchow, Rob Melrose
Scarlett Hankey & Ryan Arnoult
Kelly Noel, Valerie Jalufka, Gayle Delahunt
Tony & Cynthia Petrello
Vertigo on the dancefloor!
Hector and Victoria Longoria, Carly Standley, Arturo Chavez
Health LaPray & Travis Torrence
Ford Hubbard & Renee Lewis
Derrick Shope & Brandon Bourque
Sofia & Nadeem Sheikh
Oscar Brown & Sarah Morgan
Betty Hrncir, Sidney Faust, John Hrncir
Kelly Somoza, Brandon Weinbrenner & Beth Madison
Alex and Victoria Lazar
Roger and Connie Plank