(WASHINGTON)—BLACKGIRLSROCK! founder Beverly Bond and the John F.Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announce multi-Grammy Award®–winning R&B icon India.Arie will headline this year’s BLACK GIRLS ROCK! FEST™ as it makes its highly anticipated return—collaborating with the National Symphony Orchestra for the very first time. This must-see event will feature lush orchestrations by Dr. Henry Panion, who will also conduct. Tickets are available at the Kennedy Center box office, on the Kennedy Center website, or by calling (202) 467-4600.
“BGR!FEST celebrates black women’s creative contributions to the world and showcases the work of stellar female artists who are masters of their craft. India.Arie’s outstanding musical talents, backed by the iconic National Symphony Orchestra, will be a magical combination of high art and healing. I am thrilled to continue to grow the BGR!FEST in partnership with the Kennedy Center,” says BLACK GIRLS ROCK! CEO and Executive Producer Beverly Bond.
Now in its third year, BGR FEST™ is an immersive multi-day live experience curated to celebrate the cultural contributions of Black women artists, thought leaders, and creatives. Additional artists, speakers, and events to be announced.
A deeply generous performer known for her velvet-rich alto, India.Arie is a true believer in the power of words and music to spread love, healing, peace, and joy. She is respected worldwide by her fans and the music industry community for her incredible talent as a singer, songwriter, and performer. She earned seven Grammy® nominations for her 2001 double-platinum debut Acoustic Soul featuring the hit single “Video,” followed by the platinum-selling and critically acclaimed album Voyage to India, the gold-certified Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, and its sequel Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.
With over 10 million albums sold worldwide, the award-winning artist has performed at theKennedy Center Honors, the NAACP Awards and the Grammy Awards®. Her songs have been featured in motion pictures including A Shark’s Tale, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and Sex and the City. She has played alongside Stevie Wonder, Sting, Elton John, Bette Midler, and Michael McDonald, and many others.