Fisk University News March 8, 2018 4x-GRAMMY(r) winner India.Arie to Headline the Ryman Auditorium with The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r)for annual Spring Sing concert 4x-GRAMMY award winner India.Arie will headline the Ryman Auditorium with the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers(r) on Saturday, April 7 at 8:00 p.m. Proceeds from this year's Spring Sing concert will benefit the Fisk Jubilee Singers' scholarship fund. Making a special guest appearance will be singer/songwriter Lauren McClinton, a 2016 Fisk alumna and former member of The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r). The annual Spring Singconcert is part of a week-long schedule of events celebrating the inauguration of Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Sr., the 16th president of Fisk University. The concert will feature the Singers' traditional repertoire and collaborations with guest artists under the direction of Paul T. Kwami, D.M.A. Shannon Sanders, the GRAMMY(r), Emmy and Dove award-winning producer, will serve as co-musical director for the concert with Kwami. "The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r) and the Ryman Auditorium are two of Nashville's greatest institutions," Sanders said. "I am honored to again work alongside Dr. Kwami and the Singers to present a great night of music for the Nashville community." Multiplatinum singer/songwriter India.Arie emerged on the music scene with the release of 2001's RIAA double-platinum certified Acoustic Soul. She continued her trail of successful releases with 2002's platinum-certified Voyage to India, 2006's gold-certified Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship and its 2009 sequel Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics. She has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Recently, India.Arie was nominated for her 22nd Grammy Award in the "Best New Age Album" category for her latest release SongVersation: Medicine in January. An applauded transition from previous releases, the EP was meant to be an extension of her 2013 album SongVersation. This seven-song EP was India's offering during these tumultuous times. The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r), organized as a choral ensemble in 1871, has played an important role in introducing and sustaining the tradition of the Negro spiritual to the world. The ensemble traveled throughout the world in the 1800s, singing songs that were sacred to them and raising money to support Fisk University. Today, the ensemble continues to travel globally and is comprised of Fisk University students who are selected annually through an audition process. This ensemble has received numerous awards, including induction into the Music City Walk of Fame and the GRAMMY(r) Hall of Fame. The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r) were also awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest artistic honor, in 2008 at the White House by former President George W. Bush. A National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium, is an eight-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award. The historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). The Ryman has been featured in numerous films and television projects including "Coal Miner's Daughter," "The Johnny Cash Show," "American Idol," "Nashville" and more. While offering a diverse lineup and thriving concert schedule (with over 200 shows per year), the venue is also open for daytime tours year-round. A coveted under-play for many, her iconic stage has seen the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Mumford and Sons and Tom Petty in recent years. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at https://ryman.com/events/fisk-jubilee-singers/ or by contacting the box office at (615) 889-3060. For more information on the Spring Sing concert or The Fisk Jubilee Singers(r), please contact Dr. Paul Kwami at pkwami@fisk.edu<mailto:pkwami@fisk.edu> or 615-329-8744. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/