The Baltimore Rhythm Festival is celebrating a decade of the revival of its free outdoor festival on Sept. 14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
All are welcome to join both indoors and outdoors at the Baltimore City Public Charter Montessori School located in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. On Sept. 13, the eve of the festival, there will a concert celebrating Nigerian Afrobeat and positive energy highlife at the 2640 Space.
The Baltimore Rhythm Festival will feature a variety of performances, workshops, and experiences designed to inspire joy and community and demonstrate what the city can be when it comes together. All performances and workshops are free and open to the public.
That Friday’s concert features Janealia Soul and the Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band. It takes place from 7 pm to 9 pm at 2640 Space, located at 2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD.
Then, on that Saturday, there are both indoor and outdoor festivities to be held on the grounds of the Baltimore City Public Charter Montessori School, located at 1600 Guilford Ave. in Baltimore City, as well as a portion of Lanvale and Federal Streets.
Outdoor activities and performances include a Homa Fire Ceremony, a Drum Circle, performances by the Baltimore Twilighters, Bele Bele Rhythm Collective, and more. Inside workshops will include a variety of yoga and movement classes, children’s activities including a puppet show, and percussion workshops.
“We believe that rhythm connects us in music and other cultural expression, but also see how we are all connected to the larger rhythms of nature and growth, and our well being depends on how we care for nature and one another in the cycles that sustain us,” said Rory Turner, co-founder and co-director of the festival, in a statement.
“As a musician and creative individual, I love to cultivate spaces for my peers,” said Menes Yahudah, co-founder and co-director of the festival, in a statement. “We consistently receive positive feedback from the artist community here in Baltimore, aiming to curate a lineup that is not only entertaining but also reflects the diversity within the arts.”
“It’s a familiar space now,” said Eboni Yahudah, co-director of the festival, in a statement. “Over the years, we’ve been able to bring some phenomenal artists to Greenmount West for our festival. It’s become an end-of-summer event the creative community eagerly anticipates.”
In 1995, the Baltimore International Rhythm and Drumming Society (BIRDS) hosted an annual festival to bring communities together to celebrate the power of rhythm. In 2014 Menes Yahudah and Rory Turner partnered to revive the festival under its current name, Baltimore Rhythm Festival.
To learn more about the festival and details about the lineup, click this link.
