Participants in this year’s Horizon Sounds of the City series at NJPAC include, from left, Tawatha Agee, Vivian Green and Cimafunk.
A tribute to the R&B group Mtume — put together by music director Ray Chew and featuring the group’s singer, Tawatha Agee, as well as singers Kenny Lattimore and Lisa Fischer — will be part of this year’s edition of NJPAC’s free, annual, Horizon Sounds of the City concert series, taking place on Chambers Plaza, in front of the NJPAC building, from June 25 to Aug. 6. Singer, songwriter, keyboardist and percussionist James Mtume, who led the group (known for hits such as “Juicy Fruit,” “You, Me and He” and “Breathless”), died in 2022, at the age of 76.
The tribute will take place on July 9. Other artists scheduled to perform this summer include Cuban funk-rocker Cimafunk (whose El Alimento was nominated for a Grammy in the Latin Rock or Alternative Album category in 2023), with the New Orleans-based band Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars opening, July 30; rap pioneer Kurtis Blow, July 23; and R&B singer-songwriter Vivian Green, Aug. 6.
As usual, food trucks will be on hand, and there will be sponsor giveaways and community resource tables.
KURTIS BLOW
Here is the schedule. All shows will begin at 5 p.m. Some of the opening acts — including poets and spoken word artists associated with NJPAC’s Dodge Poetry Initiative, and students from NJPAC’s arts education programs — will be announced later.
June 25: Felix Hernandez’ Rhythm Revue Dance Party
June 26: DJ Wallah with special guests Nice & Smooth
July 9: “A Tribute to Mtume” featuring Kenny Lattimore, Ms. Lisa Fischer, Tawatha Agee and Ray Chew
July 16: Spinall
July 23: Kurtis Blow
July 30: Cimafunk, Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars
Aug. 6: Vivian Green
The June 25-26 shows will be part of The North to Shore Festival.
For more information on the series, visit njpac.org/series/horizon-sounds-of-the-city.
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