Portara Ensemble, the auditioned chamber choir here in Nashville, is partnering up with MashUp!, an organization started in 2017 to address health inequities and social injustices for the Black LGBTQ+ community through education and advocacy.
One Vision: A World AIDS Day Tribute to Queen is taking place at Eastside Bowl on Monday, December 1 featuring Viktor Krauss and the Getdown band, a full choir and guest singers including Devon Gilfillian, Katie Pruitt and Mike Grimes. The participating artists will perform the music of Queen while bringing awareness to the work of MashUp!
“Every Portara concert is connected to a nonprofit organization in our community,” said Artistic Director of Portara Ensemble Jason Shelton. “We design the program in a way that amplifies the mission of that organization so that the story that you’re going to hear through the music connects to the story of the organization that is our partner. I want us to put on a show and have it connect to an organization in our community that we can do some good. Thinking through the story of Queen, the story of Freddie Mercury and making a connection to World AIDS Day and the work of MashUp!, it all dovetails really well. It’s going to provide a great vehicle for them to tell their story.”
“When I think about World AIDS Day, my mind goes back to the beginning of the HIV epidemic and we still serve as individuals who were alive during that time,” Founder of MashUp! Brian Isaac Marshall said. “Although they are still living and thriving, they still have a lot of trauma as it relates to seeing people around them die and not understand what’s going on. The mental health services that we provide are pivotal for them. We still have young people who still need to be educated and learn about what are ways that you can protect yourself from getting HIV. This is a time where there is a lot of funding that’s been lost across the board for people who are doing work like we’re doing and that includes us. When I mention us providing free services, that’s why what we’re doing for World AIDS Day is important because the work is still important and the work still needs to be done.”
Additional event opportunities in the next week:
On Saturday (Nov 29) Sun Seeker is at the OG Basement and William Tyler and Friends perform at The Blue Room. Sunday (Nov 30) Talib Kweli will be at City Winery and Monday night (Dec 1) Teethe is at DRKMTTR.
