Signature Series Presents Country Music: Black Roots and Branches New Dangerfield, Dom Flemons, Donna McElroy, and Farayi Malek headline this October 29 concert spotlighting Black artists impact on country music.
By
Nick Balkin
October 9, 2024
Farayi Malek
Image by Najee Visuals
As Ray Charles once said, You take country music, you take Black music, you got the same goddamn thing exactly. Berklee's Signature Series concert Country Music: Black Roots and Branches brings this truth to life, celebrating the often-overlooked contributions of Black musicians to country music with performances by New Dangerfield, Farayi Malek, Dom Flemons, Donna McElroy, and more.
Produced by Farayi Malek, an assistant professor in the Ensemble Department, and Matt Glaser, artistic director of the American Roots Music Program, the event expands the narrative around country music's roots by highlighting the rich, interconnected history between Black and White traditions within the genre.
The concert takes place at the Berklee Performance Center on Tuesday, October 29, and will feature four sets, by New Dangerfield, Malek, Flemons, and McElroy, with additional appearances from Berklee faculty and esteemed guests. Highlights include Malek's homage to Black country singers and a grand finale performance of Freedom Highway by the Staple Singers, featuring all of the artists.
About the PerformersNew Dangerfield: This Afro-futurist string band brings a fresh take on Black musical traditions, blending old-time music with contemporary influences. Founded by award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington, the band includes Ka a Kater, Nelson Williams, and Jake Blount. Together, they celebrate and reimagine the Black string band tradition, weaving both original and historical pieces into their performances.
Farayi Malek: A Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist and rising star in American roots music, Malek will perform a set that features an homage to Black country pioneers like Linda Martell and a tribute to Ray Charles's country-soul fusion. Her dynamic interpretations honor the legacy of these artists, combining tradition with innovation.
Dom Flemons: Known as The American Songster, Flemons is a Grammy-winning musician, historian, and multi-instrumentalist whose work spans over a century of American roots music. A cofounder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons is an expert on the contributions of Black cowboys and will showcase this fascinating part of country music history in his set.
Donna McElroy: A powerhouse vocalist, McElroy will explore the connections between jazz, blues, and country music. Her set will feature unique takes on country-influenced songs, including a Nat King Cole version of Hank Williams's Cold Cold Heart and a playful rendition of The Ballad of Thelonious Monk. McElroy, professor emeritus of voice, retired from the college in 2021 after 24 years of service.
Admission is $15/$20 in advance and $20/$25 day of show. For those with a Berklee ID, admission is free/$5 in advance and $5/$10 day of show.
Tickets are available online or at the Berklee box office.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Jim Lucchese
Image by Kelly Davidson
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.
Latest
Image courtesy of Tyler Golden/NBC
Berklee Alum Aliyah Khaylyn Wows The Voice Coaches with Tamar Braxton Song The recent alums version of Braxtons Love and War for her blind audition left Michael Bubl calling her the total package.
Berklee College of Music has announced the Leon V. Rosenberg Presidential Scholarship in Jazz Studies for students who will pursue jazz at the college.
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee Announces Leon V. Rosenberg Presidential Scholarship in Jazz Studies This permanently endowed scholarship honors the legacy of Leon V. Rosenberg, a passionate jazz fan and arts advocate
Gail Wilson has been named Berklee's vice president of finance, a role she began on September 30.
Kelly Davidson
Berklee Announces Gail Wilson as Vice President of Finance Wilson will oversee Berklee's budgeting, financial reporting, controller's office, and campus services, managing the Finance Department and operating and capital budgets.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
North America Stories
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
03/06/2026
Liverpool FC and Wasabi Technologies have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, with Wasabi continuing as the club's official cloud storage...
03/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP as part of the relocation of its n...
03/06/2026
The Riedel Group has announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 201...
03/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the deployment of its intercom solutions at Itaka Arena ...
03/06/2026
Scott Coker has announced six senior executive appointments for his new global MMA promotion, which launched earlier this year with $60 million in financing. Ad...
03/06/2026
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has announced its digital and social media programming for the tournament, running Ju...
03/06/2026
The Bundesliga has announced the launch of Captain, an AI assistant built into t...
03/06/2026
Anthony James Partners (AJP) is serving as technology consultant for a moderniza...
03/06/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the recipients of its annual sales rep firm awards for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The awards were presented by Jim Schanz, Executive ...
Signature Series Presents Country Music: Black Roots and Branches New Dangerfield, Dom Flemons, Donna McElroy, and Farayi Malek headline this October 29 concert spotlighting Black artists impact on country music.
