Artists added to the Riverview Music Festival lineup on September 4
Two more artists have joined the main stage lineup at the Riverview Music Festival on September 4 which will replace the canceled 80/35 festival, and organizers have also announced a second stage lineup.
Appearing on the Riviera Stage at the Prairie Meadows Riviera Amphitheater in Riverview Park, DK Imamu Akachi, a Des Moines-based hip-hop entertainer, and The Finesse, another Des Moines group who bill themselves as a group providing “soulful sounds from the heart of America “.
Akachi has made self-improvement a theme through his outings. He hosted the DSM Brew Open Mic and performed frequently, also helping to establish Beyond Walls, an organization that guides students in writing and directing videos of rap songs that talk about their dreams, their goals. and their visions and the obstacles they face.
The Finesse is presented as a group offering “soulful sounds from the heart of America”. The group mixes rhythm and blues and jazz, among other genres, and was part of “Juneteenth: The Movement”, a concert organized in partnership between the Drake xBk Live Area Concert Hall, Iowa Public Radio and Iowa PBS during the June holidays.
DK Imamu Akach and The Finesse will join six touring artists performing on the Riviera Stage, including headliner EarthGang.
Additionally, the Des Moines Music Coalition, which hosts the event, released a list of acts on the event’s xBk secondary stage. They are:
- André Davis. Originally from Saint-Louis, Davis is a hip-hop artist. Like The Finesse, Davis was part of the live concert “Juneteenth: The Movement”. Notable releases include the experimental âPoetry Jazz Sessionsâ and his 2019 rap album âWhen It Rainsâ.
- Maria Issa. Raised in the western part of St. Paul, Minnesota, where she befriended George Floyd before his murder last year, Isa is a songwriter and rapper who has performed for over a decade. Her AfroLatinx dance music album, “Amor Universal” was released in June 2020.
- Free PWR! The Des Moines group performed at TEDx Des Moines in June and plan to release their debut EP in the near future.
- James tutson. Guitarist and singer from the Iowa City area, Tutson is the frontman of James Tutson and the Rollback. Earlier this year, Tutson starred on the NBC show “The Voice”.
- Spayce. Porche Botts (stage name Spayce) calls out its neo-soul style. Her second album, “Spayce on Earth” is slated for release early next year.
- Charlotte Blu. Charlotte Boyer, aka Blu, 17, of Rock Island, Illinois, is a singer-songwriter of various genres. Like Tutson, she appeared on “The Voice” earlier this year.
- Des Moines Musical Coalition Summer Camp. Students attending the annual two-week summer camp in Des Moines create music alongside seasoned performers, and in recent years have performed during the 80/35 festival.
The first 6 Riviera Stage announcements:EarthGang to headline the Riverview Music Festival
Kuuku Saah, president of DMMC, said the Riverview Festival is not meant to replace the 80/35, which is slated to return in 2022 after a two-year hiatus, and that “if there is a strong enough community welcome for this we will be able to bring it back.
The One-Day Riverview Festival has an eclectic local scope and scale that Saah says is different from 80/35, a two-day festival in July at Des Moines’ Western Gateway Park which, in recent years, has attracted up to 30,000 people with headliners including the Avett Brothers, Flaming Lips, The Roots, Public Enemy and David Byrne.
âHonestly, we really want to engage the community and show the breadth of the music scene. There are so many people and artists who are unknown in this community, who have been underserved, âSaah said. âWe want to highlight and show the culture we have here. It’s different, it’s interesting, it’s unique. “
For more information on the festival and tickets, visitriverviewmusicfestival.com.
Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at Des Moines Register. Contact him at [email protected] or (319) -600-2124, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.