Photo by Erin Scott
By DCist Contributor Andy Cerutti
Does D.C. really need another museum? In a city full of them, it’s an ambitious undertaking to launch a concert series under the museum moniker. Most artists would shy away from such a risky endeavor; after all, it’s hard enough to draw a crowd to a regular club show. And yet, Christylez Bacon has forged ahead with his Washington Sound Museum since April 2011. First launched as a monthly series at Bloombars in Columbia Heights, the Washington Sound Museum has evolved into a quarterly offering at its new home on H Street NE, at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
A lifelong aficionado of both live music and museums, I must admit that I was skeptical of the concept and grandiose name at first. But after learning more about this project, its past collaborations and future plans, I’m sold on the concept—it truly is an auditory museum with Christylez Bacon as its curator. “Washington Sound Museum is an extension of my personal artistic goal to promote cultural acceptance and unification through music,” he explains to DCist. “Through these musical collaborations, we celebrate our differences and connect through our similarities, ultimately learning from each other.”
On January 24th and 25th, the twenty-second Washington Sound Museum takes the form of a special showcase entitled “Hip-Hop Meets the Music of India,” featuring Christylez Bacon and Nistha Raj. The two collaborated previously in one of the earliest Washington Sound Museum concerts, which Bacon still lists as one of his favorite experiences because “it stretched [him] the most as a musician.” And that’s what makes this project so notable; the artists involved are developing, in turn leading the audience along on a genuine sonic journey. Bacon has invested a lot of time and effort into the upcoming show. His goal was “to really understand the musical structure and foundation of the classical music of Northern India, with the guidance of Nistha Raj, so [he] can properly expand in that space and find the points of synchronicity with [his] genres of music.”
For those unfamiliar with Christylez Bacon, he’s a progressive hip-hop artist from D.C. who isn’t afraid to break the rules, crossing genre boundaries and taking musical risks. Not only is Bacon comfortable across genres, but also across multiple instruments, playing acoustic guitar, spoons, Djembe drum, and his personal favorite, the human-beatbox. For the past three years, Bacon has been working with Raj as two musical polymaths that truly fit. Raj specializes in Indian classical violin, but also plays Western classical violin, piano and vocals.
When asked what she hoped to accomplish with the Washington Sound Museum, Raj told DCist she “[h]opes the audience will walk away with a piece of India and a piece of D.C. hip-hop/go-go culture and a better understanding of both.” A native of Texas, she’s the perfect complement to Bacon’s musical explorations and the cultural melting pot of D.C. in general.
“I believe that Hindustani music in South Asia has been able to bring people of all backgrounds together,” she says. “When I was living in India as a music student, I met so many people from different parts of the world through music that I probably would not have met otherwise.” In the face of worldwide tragedy, she still believes that “the healing capacity of music is a universal thing that is constant throughout the world.”
Raj released her debut album, Exit 1, last year to astounding positive reception. An artist who appreciates her audience, she says she was“truly overwhelmed by the support and positive response.” Additionally, Raj was also an Artist-In-Residence at The Strathmore in Bethesda and performed live at NPR. She’s more than grateful for her fans and critics, she says. “I felt blessed to share my music with the world and have it be appreciated.”
Bacon and Raj arrived at this calling for fusion music from different experiences. Growing up in Southeast D.C., Bacon explains he “didn’t come from a household that had the financial freedom to travel the world.”
He echoes Raj’s musical experience, too: “Music and the arts in general have allowed me to connect with people that other folks would not get the pleasure of meeting.” Every part the hip-hop artist’s foil, Raj curates her roots. “Growing up as an Indian in America, I have been influenced by my environment, but I strive to remain connected to my roots and heritage with my music,” she says. “I often say that I am a blend of the East and West, as is my music.”
After establishing the Washington Sound Museum at Bloombars, with a few outings at the Kennedy Center and Atlas Performing Arts Center, Bacon is excited to host all of the 2015 events at Atlas. “Atlas is a great venue because it allows us to make these concerts as big as we can dream them,” Bacon asserts. The event is more than just a concert; It begins with a tea reception, followed by dance workshops and then the main musical performance. Upcoming Washington Sound Museum concerts will include a Brazilian music collaboration in late April and Irish traditional music in early August.
The Washington Sound Museum is set to break new musical ground and bring together people from all walks of life. Bacon says that “D.C. is a diverse place because of the embassies, the seat of politics, and the various groups that migrated here over time… but what do we truly know about each other?”
He raises a good point. Music and the arts are the best ways to build bridges across cultures, and both of these artists are committed to this very mission. Rather eloquently, Raj states, “I like to find ways to incorporate other genres of music using Indian classical as the foundation because it makes it more interesting and accessible to a wider audience. I have always believed that music is a universal language.”
—–
Washington Sound Museum’s 2015 kicks off this weekend at Atlas Performing Arts Center. See it Saturday, January 24th or Sunday January 25th. Tickets are $25.
