The Playing For Change Foundation, in partnership Mochilla, presents CALIFORNIA LOVE, a live orchestral tribute to legendary producer, MC and hip-hop mogul, Dr Dre. This one-night-only musical event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles will raise support and awareness for music education and Playing For Change Foundation’s music schools and programs around the world. This special evening will feature a 30-piece orchestra with music arranged and composed by Sly5thAve, with additional arrangements by Tarek Kandil.
The California Love All-Star Orchestra lineup:
Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic), Keyboards
Ndugu Chancler (Miles Davis/Santana), Drums
Justo Almario (Tito Puente/Fela/Roy Ayers), Sax/Flute
Steve Lindsey (Dr. Dre pianist/Co-Producer), Piano
Todd M. Simon – Trumpeter/Arranger, Trumpet
Mark de Clive-Lowe, Keyboards
Dexter Story, Percussion
Vince Wilburn Jr. (Miles Davis Estate), Drums
Patrick Bailey, Guitar/Glock/Chimes
Sydney Driver, Drums
Cooper Appelt, Bass
and many more…
Hosted by:
Fuzzy Fantabulous (The Connector)
PLUS DJ Sets by:
Kevin “DJ BATTLECAT” Gilliam
Dj Rhettmatic – World Famous Beat Junkies
Jeremy Sole – KCRW
Plus special guests TBA!!!
For nearly three decades, Dr Dre’s music has played a defining role in the cultural lexicon of Los Angeles and the event on November 21st will be the first time his iconic beats, hooks and melodies are brought to life by a live orchestra of this magnitude. It promises to be an evening that won’t soon be repeated or forgotten.
Sly5thAve aka Sylvester Onyejiaka, is a multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger/producer who grew his roots in Texas and now resides in Brooklyn. In addition to touring with Prince, Taylor Swift, Quantic, and Demi Lovato, Sly5thAve currently leads his own 21-piece orchestra, “The Club Casa Chamber Orchestra” performing everything from A Tribe Called Quest to Kendrick Lamar. (www.soundcloud.com/sly5thave).
Sly5thAve and Tarek Kandil met through very similar interests. Tarek leads his own large ensemble, the “Love Ain’t Enough Orchestra” (soundcloud.com/loveaintenuff) based in Beirut, Lebanon. Mochilla’s “Suite for Ma Dukes” is the inspiration behind this project. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and everyone involved cleared the way for a new generation of musicians and opened them up to an entirely new audience. It was Tarek’s arrangement of “Nothing But A G Thang” that inspired the concept behind CALIFORNIA LOVE. The collaboration across the pond is sure to produce a night to remember for Dr. Dre Lovers far and wide. Both composers are humbled by those who came before them and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do the music justice.
CALIFORNIA LOVE is a benefit for the PLAYING FOR CHANGE FOUNDATION, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to create positive change through music and arts education. Today, 1,200 children at PFCF programs attend free classes in dance, instruments, languages, and music theory, provided by qualified, local teachers in countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand and the United States. In addition to music, PFCF helps develop partnerships to support basic needs such as clean water, solar power, medical support and educational supplies that have benefitted more than 20,000 people in communities worldwide. https://playingforchange.org/
