(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark’s hottest summer scene for electrifying outdoor concerts transforms into a online weekly series of live DJ dance parties this year when NJPAC’s Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City kicks off -- virtually -- on July 2. All concerts take place on Thursdays from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on NJPAC’s Facebook page.
An Arts Center tradition, Horizon Foundation Sounds of City concerts have brought thousands to NJPAC’s Chambers Plaza for free concerts on Thursday evenings in July and August. An artisans’ marketplace, a fleet of food trucks, an al fresco bar and a festival feeling made these weekly gatherings a signature summer event for music lovers from across New Jersey.
This year, with NJPAC’s campus closed to protect patrons, artists and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the Arts Center has transformed the series into a weekly live DJ dance party streaming on Facebook, bringing the festivities from the NJPAC campus into the homes of fans across New Jersey and around the world.
Hip hop and house music, old school R&B and Latin dance will still fill summer nights thanks to NJPAC, but in a way that allows warm-weather revelers to stay safe in their own homes. In addition to the artists listed below, special surprise guests may join some performances!
“Sounds of the City has been a part of what NJPAC means to Newark, and to New Jersey, since we opened our doors,” said NJPAC Executive Vice President and Executive Producer David Rodriguez.
“We had to find a way to keep the music playing, and that tradition alive, this summer. We’re all frustrated, we’re all uncertain. More than ever before, we really need an opportunity to surround ourselves with great music, to get up and dance, and to do so as part of a community. We hope these live dance parties, presented in a format that allows you to see that your friends and neighbors are listening in their own homes at the same time, will be a welcome weekly break in the pandemic routine for all,” he added.
The concerts, scheduled from 7:00pm to 9:00pm each Thursday, start on July 2 with chart-topping hip hop and R&B hits spun by two deejays from New Jersey -- Irvington’s DJ Ran and and Newark’s own DJ Wallah -- and conclude on Aug. 27 with a set by husband and wife team DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S., the official deejays for the Oscars red carpet and afterparty.
The series’ title sponsor, Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is the charitable arm of Newark-based Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Horizon BCBSNJ has worked closely with city officials to invest in many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants to support food bank distributions to city residents.
“Regardless of whether the stage is outside, in the living room or in the backyard, the 2020 edition of Sounds of the City will bring captivating music from world-class musicians to the people of Newark and virtual audiences everywhere,” said Gary D. St. Hilaire, President and CEO of Horizon BCBSNJ.
“Music is the perfect medicine for the body, mind and soul. Horizon is proud to continue our sponsorship with NJPAC and to support the city of Newark as it recovers and heals from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City concert series is made possible through a special collaboration of NJPAC, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and generous sponsors RWJBarnabas Health and Mars Wrigley.
HORIZON FOUNDATION SOUNDS OF THE CITY 2020
All concerts take place on Thursdays from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on NJPAC’s Facebook page.
JULY 2 - DJ Ran and DJ Wallah
Sounds of the City kicks off with a set of hip hop, R&B and house music spun by two DJs from right here in New Jersey: DJ Ran, who’s been keeping parties hopping since he was a 10-year-old growing up in Irvington, NJ, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, and DJ Wallah, a Newark native who bought his first set of turntables while he was still in high school, from 8:00pm to 9:00pm. DJ Ran has brought the beat to clubs, campaign events -- and he was even the first DJ to spin live in shopping malls, performing at Against All Odds stores around the country. DJ Wallah, a member of the Heavy Hitters DJ Crew and can be heard regularly on Hot 97 and on BET’s show 106 and Park. He’s also been the host of Sounds of the City concerts at NJPAC since 2013!
JULY 9 - DJ Blazer One
Brooklyn born and bred, DJ Blazer One has been spinning for more than 30 years, at every major club in the New York City area--from Radio City Music Hall to the Starland Ballroom--and as far abroad as Japan, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. He was the official deejay for freestyle singer Cynthia and the freestyle group, The Cover Girls. Today, he continues to spin old-school freestyle, hip hop and house music.
July 16 - ‘Home’ with Rich Medina
Go on a sonic journey through dance classics, house and rare grooves with Lakewood native Rich Medina. A member of the Rock Steady Crew and the Universal Zulu Nation, Rich is known for his deep crates, and for having created Jump N Funk, North America’s first ever dance party in tribute to Afrobeat legend Fela Anikupalo Kuti, as well Li’l Ricky’s Rib Shack, his legendary weekly party at APT in New York City’s Meatpacking District. A Cornell University graduate, he is also an educator and a Board member of The Cornell Hip Hop Collection, the largest American archive of hip hop culture.
JULY 23 - DJ Lobo
Known for his energizing mixes of reggaeton, hip hop and house, DJ Lobo got his start playing at clubs in his hometown of Queens, NY at the age of 15--and he has since played around the world, from Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Las Vegas here in the state to Paris and Amsterdam and other locations abroad. Over the course of 20-year career in radio, he moved from WCAA Univision NY to WSKQ La Mega 97.9 FM New York City, the # 1 Spanish radio station in the United States, where he’s spun since 2005. He’s shared stages around the world with artists including Romeo Santos, Tiesto, Bruno Mars, Mana, and Daddy Yankee.
July 30 - Danny Krivit, ‘718 Sessions/Body and Soul’
Since 1971, NYC native Danny Krivit has DJ’d at all the most important clubs in New York City and around the world, including The Paradise Garage & The Loft, balancing a multitude of important residencies while also tirelessly traveling the globe. With Francois K and Joe Claussell he formed the world renowned DJ trio Body & Soul (now in its 24th year) along with his own equally renowned New York-based party, 718 Sessions (now in its 18th Year). Krivit has a vinyl record collection of more than 80,000 disks. High demand for his studio work earned him a title of “King Of Editing”. 2021 will be his 50th year of working around the world as a deejay.
AUG. 6 - Felix Hernandez’s ‘Rhythm Revue Dance Party’
NJPAC welcomes back a Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City stalwart, Feliz Hernandez, and the popular live version of the metro area’s first and longest-running radio show dedicated to spinning classic soul and R&B. DJ Felix Hernandez and his “Rhythm Revue” have been broadcast by WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, WBLS-FM, 98.7 KISS-FM, and Sirius XM.
AUG. 13 - Beverly Bond
Beverly Bond is a is an artist, cultural curator, television producer, philanthropist, author and thought leader, recognized for her unwavering commitment to art, women’s empowerment and human rights. She’s also one of the world’s premier celebrity DJs. Beverly may be best known, however, as the founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK!, an organization she founded in 2006, which shines a spotlight on the successes of African American women. The BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards have been filmed at NJPAC for years, and the Arts Center is thrilled to welcome Beverly back in a new role. As a DJ in high demand since 2000, Beverly has spun at parties for celebrities including Prince, Jay-Z, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Kimora Lee Simmons and Alicia Keys. She’ll pull together a set of classic hip hop and R&B for her appearance at Sounds of the City.
AUG. 20 - ‘Make It Funky’ with DJ Spinna
Brooklyn born and raised, DJ and producer Spinna has created eclectic musical experiences from his extensive record collection for audiences across the globe. DJ Spinna has toured from Iceland to South Africa, Japan and Australia, spinning everything from hip hop to soulful house. DJ Spinna is beloved for his longform turntable tributes to classic artists including Stevie Wonder, Prince and Michael Jackson. For this appearance, he’ll be crafting a night of music in celebration of “Godfather of Soul” James Brown and all things funky!
AUG. 27 - DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S.
Husband and wife team DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S. are the official DJs for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; they deejay the Oscars’ red carpet arrivals and The Academy’s official after party, The Governors Awards. (DJ Kiss has also deejayed NJPAC’s own annual fundraising event, the Spotlight Gala!) DJ Kiss toured with Oprah Winfrey as the official DJ on her stadium tour, “The Life You Want Weekend,” and with Pharrell Williams for shows in the US and Hong Kong. Kiss was one of Prince's go-to DJs before his passing and spun for him many times at Paisley Park. She’s also created her signature mix of soulful, feel-good tunes at the weddings of actors Matt Damon and Angela Bassett and director George Lucas. DJ M.O.S. has developed an eclectic style that showcases his love of rock, soul,disco, electro, house, R&B, and hip hop, incorporating all of these genres into his sets. He’s spun at celebrations for clients including Diddy, Robert DeNiro, Kanye West, Usher, Ben Stiller, Heidi Klum and President Barack Obama, as well as for MTV, The Golden Globes, the Sundance Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the U.S. Open. For the Sounds of the City finale, DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S. will curate a tribute to musical legends including Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and more.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving approximately 3.7 million members.
NJPAC is located at One Center Street in Newark, New Jersey. It is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted nearly 10 million visitors (including over 1.7 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
