Migrations: The Great Migration

The musical traditions of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the industrialized cities of the Northeast, Midwest, and West during the early 20th century up to the 1970s are featured. Nicholas Payton traces the path of African rhythms from the Caribbean to New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York, while Deva Mahal puts her modern edge on soul music. There’s also a program, curated by Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, that explores a continuum of music that changed the sound of America forever.

www.carnegiehall.org/migrations

The history of America is indelibly linked to the movement of people. Some were brought here not of their own free will, and their perseverance and resilience transformed the nation. Others came here—or moved within the borders of this country—because they sought a new life, free from poverty, discrimination, and persecution. The many contributions—cultural, social, and political—of these migrations, and the people who helped to build this country and what it means to be American, are honored in Carnegie Hall’s festival Migrations: The Making of America.

Carnegie Hall examines the musical legacies of three migrations: the crossings from Scotland and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries, the immigration of Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe between 1881 and the National Origins Act of 1924, and the Great Migration—the exodus of African Americans from the South to the industrialized cities of the Northeast, Midwest, and West from 1917 into the 1970s.

With performances of bluegrass, old-time, klezmer, Yiddish musical theater, blues, jazz, and more, Carnegie Hall celebrates the American musical traditions that flourished as a result of these migrations.

www.carnegiehall.org/migrations