Events Calendar

Saturday, July 16 2022

July 16, 2022 - 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Music Day

FREE
A shuttle bus will run between the Park & Ride lot to the west of the Brown Deer Road exit of I-43. For further information on free transportation options to Lynden, please contact us at info@lyndensculpturegarden.org or call 414-446-8794.

The HOME Refugee Steering Committee at the Lynden Sculpture Garden invites you to observe WORLD REFUGEE DAY in a series of outdoor events and programs that celebrate Milwaukee's refugee communities through art, food, fashion, and performance.

For HOME Music Day, emcee Moe Aung, of the Burmese communities, welcomes back returning bands include Congo Gospel Music Band (Congolese), Golden Melody Music Band U.S.A (Burmese), and Samba Da Vida MKE (Afro-Brazilian percussion) and some new participants including Martin Classic (Afrobeat and Bongo Flava) and C&K Music Band (Chin and Karen).

Burmese food will be available for donation to the grassroots efforts for the Myanmar democracy movement (so don’t forget to bring cash!).

PROGRAM
12 pm - Golden Melody Music Band U.S.A. (Burmese)
1 pm - C&K Music Band (Chin & Karen)
2 pm - Martin Classic (Afrobeat and Bongo Flava)
3 pm - Samba Da Vida (Afro-Brazilian percussion)
3:30 pm – Congo Gospel Music Band (Congolese)
Program and timing are subject to change.

Golden Melody Music Band U.S.A. (Burmese) is led by Burmese Muslim Mohammad Hasan alongside volunteer singers and managed by Burmese grassroots community worker Moe Aung. Hasan captures his audience with a nostalgic style and persona, both poised and enigmatic, and with sounds of yesteryear. He plays international music, oldies, and classic rock songs in Myanmar, English and Hindi (Bollywood). Hasan and his rotating band members perform at farmers’ markets, community fundraisers, and practically anywhere that they are called for. At the Lynden Sculpture Garden, Golden Melody has performed at HOME celebrations since 2019. In 2021, inspired by community activism and the Spring Revolution in his homeland and locally, Hasan advised and arranged music for the Spring Star Music Band consisting of musicians from the Karen, Kachin, Chin, and Burmese community.

C&K Music Band (Chin & Karen) was founded in 2020 by Saw Klo Futurestar and Kyaw Mu. Kyaw Mu now leads the band of music lovers from both the Chin and Karen community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They enjoy performing varied genres of music but are most inclined to rock and heavy metal.

Martin Classic (Afrobeat and Bongo Flava) is a Bongo Flava singer-songwriter from Tanzania. Martin found his love for music at a very young age. He started off singing in church choirs, and in his early teens was part of a small group. In 2016, Martin and his family resettled to the United States as refugees. In 2018, Martin released his first solo single called Twaendana along with a music video on his YouTube channel. The song created some buzz for him in the Congolese and Tanzanian communities in America. He gained a following and started performing around the United States. His follow up single, Natetema, was a hit within the African community as well. It was played at African weddings and loved by many. In 2021, Martin released his first EP, a collaboration with artist and life partner Maggie Bushiri, which naturally took the African community by storm. The EP did exceptionally well both on YouTube and on many other digital platforms. Martin has collaborated with other Bongo Flava artists who are household names within the community, including Aslay, Kusah, and more. Martin Classic is currently working on his first solo album, which he plans to release next year.

Milwaukee’s own Brazilian Samba school since 2010 and part of the International Grooversity drumming network spearheaded by Marcus Santos (Grooversity.com), Samba Da Vida MKE (Afro-Brazilian percussion) brings together people of all ages to celebrate the Afro-Brazilian and Carnaval traditions of Salvador da Bahia, Rio, and São Paulo. Directed by Julio Pabón and Bony Plog-Benavides, SDV MKE is featured in parades and performances throughout greater Milwaukee and focuses on maintaining and promoting the rich musical culture of Brazil. https://www.facebook.com/SambadaVidaMKE/

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Congo Gospel Music Band (Congolese) is led and organized by drummer and frontliner Bodack Mondembe. Based at their local church, Congo Gospel Music Band also performs at street and neighborhood events, churches and weddings, and community-led events. They have performed at Beet Street, the annual Fall Harvest Festival by Cactus Club, Friends of Zion worship concert at Benediction Lutheran Church, as well as at HOME World Refugee Day celebrations at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Their album and music video is forthcoming, and their sound, described as rhythmical, upbeat and infectious, is in high demand.

About HOME
HOME is the theme of our work with refugee community leaders, community members, Call & Response artists, and allies. The HOME Refugee Steering Committee is building a space of leading, coming together, and celebrating refugees.

For all HOME 2022 programming, click here.


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