92NY Presents AFRICAN QUEENS — Preview

A spokesperson describes the event as follows:

“...Internationally acclaimed soprano, Sphinx Medal of Excellence winner, and 2025 Grammy-Award winner Karen Slack offers the New York premiere of her new commissioning project African Queens. The original piece features new art songs exploring the legacy of seven powerful African queens throughout history who were revered as rulers but under-celebrated in the western world. Hailed for the rich beauty of her voice, her charismatic performances, and her passionate activism, Slack has captivated audiences in the Metropolitan Opera’s world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Tyler Perry’s film For Colored Girls, and much more.
Slack performs alongside pianist Kevin Miller in this brilliantly curated program, which reflects the beauty, humility, passion, and power of seven iconic queens. The program features eight new songs written for Slack by some of today’s most acclaimed African and American composers: Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson, a.k.a the Blacknificent 7, a musical collective that was the brainchild of Karen Slack herself, with special guest Will Liverman. Featured song texts are by Lorene Cary, Alicia Haymer, Tsitsi Ella Jaji, Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton, and creative collaborator for the African Queens project, Jay Saint Flono.

African Queens (92NY co-commission)
Dave Ragland “Precatio” *
Carlos Simon “Behold, The Queen” *
Dave Ragland “The Queen of Sheba” *
Jessie Nzingha Montgomery “The Song of Nzingha” *
Fred Onovwerosuoke “Luwah (Bitter Tears)”
Shawn Okpebholo “A Letter From Queen Ufua” *
Fred Onovwerosuoke “Duniya (Mystic Universe)”
Jasmine Arielle Barnes “I Am Not Your God” *
Will Liverman “A Prayer”
Joel Thompson “Queen Nanny’s Lullabye” *
Damien Geter “Amanirenas” *..."