(BPRW) BGR!FEST™ Presents the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Pop Up
BGR!FEST™ Returns to the Kennedy Center to present the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Pop Up February 29–March 9, 2024
(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON — BONDVISION Media and BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® CEO Beverly Bond, in partnership with the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture program, announce the highly-anticipated return of BGR!FEST™ to the Kennedy Center with the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Pop Up. BGR!FEST™ is an immersive experience, celebrating and recognizing the exceptional cultural contributions of Black women artists, thought leaders, and creatives. This acclaimed festival, marking its fifth anniversary, will kick off Women’s History Month and run February 29–March 9, 2024 across the Kennedy Center campus.
The pop up will feature BGR!FEST™’s signature late-night music and DJ series, including the Vibes & Vinyl Party and Jam Session featuring BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Founder and CEO, DJ Beverly Bond. Accompanied by friends DJ Miss H.E.R, DJ Aktive, and DJ OP!, the iconic group of artists will deliver four signature DJ sets and a special all-vinyl DJ Jam Session on Thursday, February 29. The BGR!FEST™ After Dark stage will feature the soul-stirring sounds of Grammy®–nominated singer-songwriter Elle Varner and WHO ROCKS NEXT! artist Zada on Saturday, March 2. BLACK MEN ROCK! and WHO ROCKS NEXT! presentations will return March 7 and 9 with performances on Millennium Stage by “Ghetto Metal” founder Bazaar Royale and DMV emcee Nia Dinero, respectively.
“The BGR!FEST™ Pop Up series offers a fantastic opportunity to celebrate music, art, and culture, along with the invaluable contributions of Black women artists in these fields. We are excited to honor Women’s History Month through this series. The Kennedy Center, a leading cultural institution, presents the perfect backdrop for this immersive and vibrant experience, and we are thankful for this partnership,” said Beverly Bond, CEO of BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® and BONDVISION Media.
“It is an honor for us to continue our partnership with Beverly Bond and BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® to present BGR!FEST™ for its fifth year through the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Pop Up. BGR!FEST™ serves as an important platform for centering and elevating the stories and artistry of Black women,” says Simone Eccleston, Director of Hip Hop Culture and Contemporary Music at the Kennedy Center, “Serving a home for this annual celebration is reflective of our institutional commitment to uplift the contributions of Black women and their critical role in both shaping and shifting global culture.”
SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCES
Vibes & Vinyl Party and Jam Session Featuring DJ Beverly Bond
with Miss H.E.R, DJ Aktive, and DJ OP!
February 29, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Club at Studio K
Join us for an electrifying start to the BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Pop Up with the Vibes & Vinyl Party and Jam Session headlined by legendary DJ and BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® founder DJ Beverly Bond. Joining her will be D.C.’s own DJ Miss H.E.R., celebrity DJ and turntablist DJ Aktive, and music aficionado DJ OP!. In a special tribute to the roots of DJing, each DJ will be “diggin’ in the crates,” demonstrating the art of the collective and integrating vinyl into their signature sets. In addition, the evening will also feature a special all-vinyl jam session with all four DJs and surprise appearances by musical guests. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind celebration of music, culture, and community. It is sure to be a night to remember!
BGR!FEST™ After Dark: Elle Varner and Zada with DJ CJ
March 2 at 9:30 p.m.
Club at Studio K
In this special presentation of BGR!FEST™ After Dark, experience the soul-stirring artistry of the incomparable Grammy®–nominated singer-songwriter Elle Varner and discover WHO ROCKS NEXT! featured artist, the British Columbian Ethiopian sensation Zada. The iconic pair of artists will be joined by DJ CJ. Prepare for an unforgettable experience in a setting that promises both intimacy and inspiration.
BGR!FEST™ presents BLACK MEN ROCK!: Bazaar Royale
March 7 at 6 p.m.
Millennium Stage
Bazaar Royale is an indie rock artist of many talents: a singer, songwriter, producer, and performer. With vocals often compared to Steven Tyler and Chris Cornell, and with influences ranging from Guns & Roses and Lenny Kravitz to M.O.P. and Biggie, his music is characterized by a dynamic fusion of raw, gritty energy that showcases his versatility and relevance in today’s evolving music scene. As the pioneer of the “Ghetto Metal” movement, Royale has collaborated with a wide array of music luminaries, including Jodeci, M.O.P., DMX, Audioslave, CKY, dead prez, and Philip Collen of Def Leppard. In addition, he has received acclaim from notable figures like George Clinton and Mark Ronson for his ability to captivate a broad audience. After making his Kennedy Center debut during BGR!FEST™ 2023, Bazaar Royale returns to Millennium Stage for an electrifying performance.
BGR!FEST!™ presents WHO ROCKS NEXT!: Nia Dinero
March 9 at 6 p.m.
Millennium Stage
Emcee Nia Dinero continues to use her experience and talent to showcase her broad range of lyrical poise, edginess, sophistication, and excellence. Merging genres of hip hop, pop, and R&B, Dinero brings a unique, cunning, and clever perspective to the art of rap that she calls “Hip-Pop.” Hailing from Dumfries, VA, the DMV rapper has performed at the Sounds of the DMV: Hip Hop Showcase, celebrating 50 years of hip hop at the Kennedy Center, the first anniversary of the “Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop and Rap” at The Museum of African American History and Culture, The Fillmore in Silver Spring, and Union Stage.
ABOUT BLACK GIRLS ROCK!®
BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® is a multifaceted media, entertainment, philanthropic, and lifestyle brand that encompasses numerous experiential live events, media content, merchandise, and programs including the internationally acclaimed televised BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Awards, The BGR!FEST™, and BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Inc., a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit.
ABOUT BGR!FEST!™
BGR!FEST™ is an immersive live experience that celebrates, empowers, and elevates Black culture, arts, tech, and innovation. Curated by CEO and founder Beverly Bond, BGR!FEST™ extends the popular BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® brand to audiences, providing a larger platform to showcase musicians, singers, cultural curators, social entrepreneurs, and other creative innovators. Open to all ages, each edition of the BGR!FEST™ includes a mix of concerts, a speaker series, panels/workshops, sponsor activations, and community events. visit www.blackgirlsrock.com.
ABOUT THE KENNEDY CENTER HIP HOP CULTURE PROGRAM
With Hip Hop Culture serving as one of our nation’s greatest cultural assets and ambassadors, the Hip Hop Culture programs at the Kennedy Center recognizes hip hop’s contributions to global culture and its power to build and transform communities through art and action. Through this programmatic platform, the Center aims to create a dynamic home for Hip Hop Culture and celebrate hip hop’s role as a catalyst for innovation, exploration, and transformation with a dynamic mix of performances, humanities events, film screenings, workshops, and interactive experiences, both in person and online. In 2016, the Kennedy Center appointed iconic rapper, producer, and DJ Q-Tip as its first Artistic Director of Hip Hop Culture. In 2017, LL COOL J became the first Hip Hop artist to be awarded a Kennedy Center Honors. In 2018, the Center announced the founding members of its Hip Hop Culture Council who serve as advisors and ambassadors and lend their talents and expertise in support of Hip Hop Culture at the Center. In 2023, Queen Latifah was the first female Hip Hop artist to become a Kennedy Center Honoree.
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Source: Kennedy Center
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