Luke James And Nu Deco Ensemble Announce Benefit Concert To Support Black-Owned Bars And Restaurants
Luke James and Nu Deco Ensemble are thrilled to announce a collaborative re-imagination of James’ GRAMMY® nominated album to feel love/d on March 12, 8 PM ET. Viewers can tune in to BET.com, BET YouTube channel, or BET Facebook page to watch, free of charge.
“It feels cosmically aligned to once again collaborate with our friend- the sensational and truly creative Luke James,” says Nu Deco Ensemble co-founder Jacomo Bairos. “We all recognized his unbelievable talent as well his generous and collaborative spirit when we first met years ago, so to have him return to collaborate on a project that highlights his unique vision through his GRAMMY® nominated album on such a dynamic and creative project, which also benefits NAACP’s Backing the B.A.R. initiative, simply means the world to us. We are blessed to share this moment together, bringing more beautiful and meaningful music experiences to such a wide audience.”
“While creating the album it was always intended that when given the chance, we would bring the music alive out of the box in such a way that only a supreme symphony orchestra can. and Nu Deco Ensemble is just that... supreme,” said Luke James.
Donations will be accepted, and 100% of proceeds raised will benefit “Backing The B.A.R. supporting Black Owned Bars & Restaurants.” This performance is supported by and filmed at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida. Donations to the NAACP Backing the B.A.R can be made. here.
About Luke James
From starring on hit television series and critically acclaimed films, to releasing #1 albums and touring the country with the biggest superstars in music, actor and two-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Luke James has become one of the most-watched multi-hyphenate talents in the entertainment industry today.
In 2020, Luke released his second full-length album and first independent release, to feel love/d, which is his most intimate, poetic, and vulnerable piece of work to date. The new album marks Luke’s much-awaited return to music, following a hiatus where he took time to focus on his rising acting career. Bringing Luke back to his R&B roots, to feel love/d is intended to spark a feeling of love or the act of feeling loved, and features provocative lyrics mixed with awe-inspiring, unparalleled vocal talent. Luke pulled out all the stops with massive collaborations on the record, teaming up with Lucky Daye, Big K.R.I.T., BJ the Chicago Kid, Kirk Franklin and Ro James, as well as production from powerhouse producers Danja, Guitarboy and Sir Dylan.
Upon its release in January 2020, to feel love/d was instantly positioned as one of the best R&B albums of the year, including features on massive playlists like Spotify’s New Music Friday, Are & Be and rotation on Amazon’s Global R&B platform and spins on Sirius XM’s Heart & Soul. Luke also performed a medley of “go girl” and “all of your love” on BET’s Soul Train Awards which was broadcasted live in five countries. ,,dn Standout tracks that take listeners on a journey of passion, bliss, heartache, and angst, include: “Who You Are,” “Colours,” and “Blow.” Touted as “rich in sound and content” and “some of the most soulful performances you’ll hear today” by the media, Luke returned to the music scene in full force with some of his most dynamic and meaningful work yet. In September 2020, Luke is slated to release a brand new, remixed version of his hit single “All of Your Love” this time featuring soulful R&B songstress, Kirby.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Luke was immersed in the rich musical heritage of the city at an early age, even taking up the saxophone for a number of years. As a child, he was heavily influenced by an array of artists, from Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin to Miles Davis and D’Angelo. It was after seeing D’Angelo in concert at age 11 that Luke decided to pursue music as his career path. He got his start professionally singing background for Tyrese and went on to write for top artists including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, and Snoh Aalegra, to name a few. As Luke expanded his solo career, he went on to perform alongside the late Prince and open for Beyoncé’s Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. In 2012, he received his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance for his hit song “I Want You” from his first mixtape “#Luke,” and received his second Grammy nomination in 2015 for Best R&B Song: “Options ft. Rick Ross,” from his self-titled debut album “Luke James”.
While music is one of Luke’s greatest passions, he continues to have a budding career in film and television. He was most recently seen starring on season three of the critically acclaimed, Showtime drama series “The Chi” (2020). Created by Emmy award winner Lena Waithe and produced by the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning artist Common, the series follows the lives of a group of people in the South Side neighborhood of Chicago. Luke is a scene-stealer as the newcomer Victor “Trig” Taylor, Jake’s (Michael V. Epps) estranged older brother who wants to reunite his fractured family but takes an unconventional approach. The series is currently available to stream on Showtime.
Additional credits for Luke include: starring on the FOX/Lee Daniels musical drama series “Star,” HBO’s “Insecure,” USA’s “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.,” and his role as R&B singer Johnny Gill on BET’s “The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story,” which drew in record ratings of 29M+ viewers during premiere week. Luke also recently starred in the smash hit Universal Pictures’ comedy “Little” opposite Issa Rae, Regina Hall and Marsai Martin.
Luke currently splits his time between Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, where he is hard at work on his multitude of projects.
About Nu Deco Ensemble
Since its inception in 2015, Nu Deco Ensemble has exploded onto Miami’s eclectic music scene captivating audiences, holistically engaging with its community and fusing innovative, genre-bending orchestral performances and collaborations with the highest levels of musical artistry. Nu Deco is reimagining a fresh vision of what an orchestra can achieve in the 21st century. Created by two of classical music’s most in-demand artists, Jacomo Bairos and Sam Hyken, Nu Deco Ensemble is a flexible and innovative hybrid orchestra that celebrates living composers, reimagines all genres of music, and collaborates with a wide range of diverse musical guests, composers, choreographers, dancers, and mixed media artists.
About Backing The B.A.R.
The NAACP x BACARDI are working together to provide dedicated support to Black-owned businesses in the beverage alcohol service, sales, and hospitality industries. Backing the B.A.R. is an NAACP initiative that is awarding over $350,000 in acceleration grants, education, support, and entrepreneurship solutions for Black-owned bars, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores, and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license.
Grantees will receive a grant of $10,000 dollars. Ideal grant recipients are looking for support in accelerating their business for the future.
About PATRÓN
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PATRÓN is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
THE PERFECT WAY TO ENJOY PATRÓN IS RESPONSIBLY. ©2021. PATRÓN, TEQUILA PATRÓN LOGO AND PATRÓN BEE LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS.
About NAACP
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
