Written by Ronnie Sweeting —
MARIPOSA — Get ready for another in a series of free summer concerts as “Music on the Green at The Art Park” features the unique and eclectic sounds of Baraka Moon on Friday, June 17.
On Saturday, June 18, check out the powerful electric blues of Mike Hammar & The Nails. The shows are brought to you by The Mariposa Co. Arts Council and its many fine sponsors.
After their exciting and much-anticipated debut last year Baraka Moon returns to the Art Park Stage. The original music of this San Francisco group is a unique and vibrant mix of Qawaali Sufi Trance Songs, Indian, Middle Eastern and African Drum, harmonium, guitar, percussion and the aboriginal Australian digeridoo.
Featuring virtuoso musicians from three distinct cultures – USA, Pakistan, and the UK — the group creates a performance the likes of which had never been seen or heard in Mariposa before.
This expressive and positive music transcends convention and boundaries, inviting audience involvement in singing and dancing along in unity. You can learn more and sample the music at www.barakamoon.com or their Facebook page.
The triumphant return of world class Blues recording artists Mike Hammar & The Nails to the Art Park Stage is one of the most anticipated performances every summer. Native American Hammar — who grew up and maintains deep roots in Mariposa — and his powerful electric blues band The Nails have become a staple of Music on the Green. They draw a huge crowd of locals and visitors for what’s been called a “Blues Pow Wow.”
Garnishing a reputation over the years as one of the most exciting live blues bands performing in California, Mike and the band are two-time winners of the prestigious Monterey Bay Blues Festival’s Battle of the Bands. They’ve had airplay on American Roots Music Radio (Norway, England, Germany, Belgium, Canada, and U.S. College radio circuit) and they are regularly featured on Sirius XM Radio’s B.B. King’s Bluesville station.
Mike’s song “This Ain’t Goodbye,” from their second album “Recipe for the Blues,” was nominated for an Independent Music Award. The Nails still feature the glorious sound of the Hammond B3 organ played by renowned musician Allan “B3 Blues” Carroll, and the fiery guitar and soulful vocals of Hammar. More on this great blues band can be found at: www.mikehammar.com, or their Facebook page.
All performances begin at 7 p.m. at the Mariposa County Art Park, located on Highway 140, between 4th and 5th Streets, in historic downtown Mariposa, CA. Free parking on 5th Street along the Creek Walkway to the Park, also providing handicapped access.
The shows are free to the public – tips for the performers will be solicited, encouraged, and appreciated.
The Mariposa Arts Council – including Music on the Green – is funded in part by Mariposa County, the California Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc. is an incorporated not-for- profit organization, created to promote and support all forms of the cultural arts, for all ages, throughout Mariposa County.
Ronnie Sweeting is the producer of Music on the Green
(209) 966-3155
info@arts-mariposa.org
www.mariposaartscouncil.org
