culture

DJ Sun, the Loveletter Orchestra and Notables Like Poet Outspoken Bean Present UH Spectacular

DJ Sun, the Loveletter Orchestra and Notables Like Poet Outspoken Bean Present UH Spectacular

DJ Sun will perform with a large cast of musicians at UH's Moores Opera House, in a production supported by the Blaffer Art Museum and a grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

HOLLAND-BORN, HOUSTON-based DJ and producer DJ Sun has been spinning, creating and otherwise proselytizing for groove-centric soul, jazz and electronic music since the early ’90s, and the respect he enjoys from artists across the city’s creative landscape is immeasurable. On Saturday, July 23, at Moores Opera House at UH, DJ Sun will be joined by a handful of those artists — including drummer Chris Dave, rapper Fat Tony, bassist Tim Ruiz, astrologist Jasmine Richardson, singers Louis Morales and Khaili Sam-Sin, Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean and a 14-piece orchestra conducted by Marlon Chen — to bring his new studio album Loveletter to life before a live audience.

Pianist, singer and trombonist Henry Darragh is also on board, creating transcriptions of the music on Loveletter which is primarily electronic, and realized with DJ Sun’s “instrument of choice,” the Akai MPC-1000 sampler. The concert event is presented by the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston with the support of an Innovation Grant awarded by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Art.

Bean will perform two original poems with musical accompaniment by the Loveletter orchestra. The first, a “break-up” poem he says is also a “love letter” to himself is titled “The Wreckage.” The second poem, “Black Royal,” is “a love letter to Black American royalty,” which Bean originally read in his recent one-man show Poetraits at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Outspoken Bean, Houston's poet laureate

Khaili Sam-Sin

Fat Tony

“These two poems mean a lot to me,” says Bean, who and juggles the demands of not only being the city’s poet laureate and recently producing this year’s Black is Primary Juneteenth Festival for POST Market. “I’m honored to be a part of this. I want to make this time count, for sure!”

The musical inspiration for Loveletter is, not surprisingly, eclectic and very hip, with sonic references to French New Wave film and ’60s soul. DJ Sun also describes the album and concert event as “a reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment,” something Bean admits he has some trouble doing. “Man, I wish I did more of that!” says Bean, who writes, walks and exercises in an effort to give fidelity to the moment. “It’s hard to do that in a Capitalistic country.”

From Your Site Articles
Art + Entertainment
promoted

With Expertise in Blondes, Extensions and More, the Janelle Alexis Team Is a Go-To Salon

Al Torres
With Expertise in Blondes, Extensions and More, the Janelle Alexis Team Is a Go-To Salon

YOU CAN'T LIMIT Janelle to one title – Hairdresser. Her career and business has been established and built on a strong foundation. Using her two business degrees + one more in-process, this enables Janelle and the team to deliver not only a customer-focused experience, but a foundationally solid business. There is much more than meets the eye, and in sharing a little bit about Janelle, she was not only an international hair extension educator for over 14 years, but brings extensive expertise to blondes. She rounds this out with her previously launched namesake cosmetic line, which is a perfect complement to her belief that “Beauty is our Business”.

Keep Reading Show less
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less