Providence Sound Session 2012 July 12 - 15

Now in its 8th year, Sound Session has made its mark as the summer cultural event in downtown Providence. A new segment for children and their parents, "KID CITY," has been added. This event is in collaboration with Providence City Arts! for Youth, as part of its 20th anniversary celebration.

Focusing on local and regional "Homegrown" talent has become the hallmark of Sound Session under the direction of Roots Cultural Center. In fact, more than 10,000 people attended the 2011 festival, which included some of the most recognized names in the area. "Throughout the year, Roots has given a select group of talented local artists a chance to perform, something they don't always have an opportunity to do," said Len Cabral, president of PICA. He continued, "In one weekend, Sound Session will pack in many of these performers, and more. We're thrilled that the City of Providence and the community are as excited as we are."

The streets will be rocking. Stages will be stationed on Westminster Street, from Union to Mathewson, and inside Roots Cultural Center. The Hotel Providence front yard will be the site of "Kid City" as well as Sunday buffet, which is an extension of Roots' Tuesday Night program, "Simply Jazz."

Tickets for Sound Session are $7 per day for adults and $3 per day for children under 12, children under 5 free. Tickets to the Gospel Buffet are $14.95.

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TUESDAY JULY 10 - Prelude Performance
ROOTS STAGE

ARIEB AZHAR & HIS ACOUSTIC BAND 8:00 pm
This group, from Islamabad, Pakistan, comes to Roots Cultural Center on the tail end of a month long tour as part of Center Stage, the new cultural diplomacy initiative of the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs being administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). Arieb's musical explorations are rooted in many traditional folk and urban cultures from Sufi poetry to Croatian lullabies to Irish reels and his sets reflect a deeply humanist philosophy. On the heels of Caravanserai, this performance is sure to set the stage for the next five days of Sound Session.

STRICTLY JAZZ JAM 8:30 pm
Roots' increasingly popular Jazz evening, taking place every Tuesday, entertains crowds with local and regional talent who never cease to celebrate the groove.

WEDNESDAY JULY 11 - Prelude Performances
ROOTS STAGE

CÉSAR SANTANA 8:00 pm
Santana, guitarist/singer/songwriter, was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At a very young age he arrived to New York City, a place that gave him the opportunity to be submerged in a diverse world of music. This helped him develop a voice of his own. He recently released his first independent album titled Distraído. Distraído (Distracted. Distracted) and his performances of catchy choruses and rhythms, in a fusion of styles - from Rock-Pop, like Uno Tú y Yo, to a Country-Trova like Sin Ti, to an upbeat romantic Pop-Urban style like Amanece - are designed to take audiences to another place, which he refers to as a "colorful universe." Roots is proud to present Cesar in this Prelude to Sound Session.

WEDNESDAY JULY 12
ROOTS STAGE

Pat Braxton, "Lady of the Day" 8:00

FRIDAY JULY 13
ROOTS STAGE

LUNA'S HOUSE GIRL LIGHTNING 7:00 pm
THE GNOMES 8:00 pm
WOMEN IN DOCS 9:00 pm
ORIGINAL JELLY ROLL SOUL 10:00 pm
ROBIN SOARES & FRIENDS 11:00 pm

SATURDAY JULY 14
HOTEL PROVIDENCE STAGE AREA

KID CITY
MIGUEL ALMESTICA "PLENA RHYTHMS" 4:00 pm
Percussion workshop for Kids and Families
PROVIDENCE CITY ARTS WORKSHOPS
Instruments/Masks and more 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
BIG NAZO Parade Sticks Workshop
WHOLE FOODS "Eat a Rainbow" Better Nutrition Workshop
JOE'S BACKYARD BAND 5:00 pm
Project 401 BBoys 5:15 pm
Dance workshop

WESTMINSTER STAGE

AKWAABA 6:00 pm
LOS PLENEROS DEL COCO 7:00 pm - 8:45 pm
PROCESSION: 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
CAPORALES UNIVERSITARIO SAN SIMON
BIG NAZO
PROVIDENCE ROLLER DERBY
AKWAABA
Providence City Arts

BRASS ATTACK 9:30 pm
THE AGENTS 11:00 pm

MATHEWSON STREET STAGE

WBRU - DJ SPIN 6:30 pm
WE OWN LAND 7:30 pm
THE SILKS 10:00 pm
MIRACLES OF MODERN SCIENCE 11:00 PM

ROOTS STAGE

ROOTS HOUSE DJ K-LUV 6:00 pm
DJ MacGEE 8:00 PM
MICHAEL C. LEWIS SOUL JAZZ EXPERIENCE 9:00 pm
DJ MacGEE 10:30 pm
MICHAEL C. LEWIS SOUL JAZZ EXPERIENCE 11:30 pm

STREET PERFORMERS
PROJECT 401 B BOYS
BIG NAZO
PROVIDENCE ROLLER DERBY
WOW FACEART

SUNDAY JULY 15

HOTEL PROVIDENCE

SOUND SESSION GOSPEL BUFFET 10:00 am
FEATURING TERRELL OSBORNE'S MUSIC ONE 11:00 am

ROOTS STAGE

WHO DAT BLUES/JAZZ JAM 7:00 pm