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Freedom Hall Windham Hill Winter Solstice Concert Features Barbara Higbie and Samite


Winter Solstice Freedom Hall

The Winter Solstice Concert at Freedom Hall is December 12. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– On December 12, Windham Hill recording artists Barbara Higbie and Samite, will present a Winter Solstice Concert at Freedom Hall in Park Forest at 8 p.m. “Night Sky Essays” will illuminate your winter evening with the cool rhythms of the snow covered north, the vibrant winters of Africa, and the awe inspiring beauty of the sky on a winter’s night with this musical performance.

Barbara Higbie is a Grammy-nominated, Bammy award winning singer-songwriter, pianist, composer and multi-instrumentalist, who has performed on more than 65 albums, including 3 songs for Carlos Santana’s 2007 release. She is known as a vibrant, inventive performer and composer, bringing out the best in a musical group and audience.

Barbara has recorded for Windham Hill Records since 1982, with 11 recordings to her credit as well as contributions to 10 compilations that have sold in the millions. As a co-founder of the acoustic super group, "Montreux" she recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival a genre bending acoustic sound that has become synonymous with Northern California.

Her 2 CD’s with singer-songwriter Teresa Trull have won critical acclaim and a large nationwide following. The Washington Post named her first solo outing “Top Ten of the Year."

Barbara has performed with Bonnie Raitt, Terry Riley, the Kronos Quartet, Cris Williamson, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Hedges, Greg Brown, Ferron, Teresa Trull, Vicki Randle, Amy Ray, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Rosalee Sorrels, Terry Garthwaite and many others.

The world-renowned Ugandan musician, Samite, takes you on a unique journey to his Africa through music played on traditional African instruments. Samite was born and raised in Uganda, where his grandfather taught him to play traditional African flute before his fingers were long enough to cover all the sound holes in the flute. When he was twelve, a music teacher placed a western flute in his hands-setting him on his way to becoming one of East Africa’s most acclaimed flutists. He performed frequently to enthusiastic audiences throughout Uganda until 1982, when he was forced to flee to Kenya as a political refugee.

His smooth vocals were soon mesmerizing audiences in Nairobi, his new home. He sang original and traditional songs in his mother tongue Luganda while playing on the kalimba, marimba, litungu, and various flutes. Samite immigrated to the United States in 1987.He performs in broad variety of venues throughout the country and his music is enjoyed regularly by radio listeners nationwide. Tunula Eno, his sixth CD, reached #2 in the CMJ Music World Chart within the first month of it 2003 release. His live performance on the nationally syndicated show E-Town has been broadcast on over 120 stations. Billboard Magazine calls Samite’s seventh and newest CD, Embalasasa, a superbly chilled-out piece of work…[with]moving and seductive melodies.

Tickets for the concert are $25 and can be purchased at Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest, IL. For more information call the Freedom Hall box office at 708/747-0580 or visit the website at www.freedomhall.org.


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