Friday, May 2, 8pm
Kresge Auditorium
Prof. Wasalu Jaco (aka Lupe Fiasco)
MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, Frederick Harris, Jr., Music Director
Arrangers:
Prof. Evan Ziporyn, Matthew Michalek (G), Kevin Costello, ’21
To close out Artfinity, Grammy Award-winning rapper and MIT visiting professor Wasalu Jaco (Lupe Fiasco) collaborates with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble to premiere music inspired by MIT's public art collection. "Ghotiing," Jaco explains, "is plein air painting meets field recording meets rap." He elaborates on its role in his MIT Rap Theory and Practice course: "We take a novel approach to in situ rap creation through field activities called 'Ghotiing,' where students brainstorm, write, and record in outdoor settings, expanding their creative horizons.” The concert also includes performances by Prof. Jaco’s MIT rap students and MIT Hip-Hop dancers.
This event marks Jaco's first public performance of his own Ghotiing works. Members of the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble (MIT FJE) will provide arrangements for Jaco's raps and perform additional pieces inspired by visual art. The ensemble and music director Fred Harris previously collaborated with Jaco and his rap students in spring 2024.
About the Artists
Lupe Fiasco https://www.lupefiasco.com/
MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble https://mta.mit.edu/music/performance/festival-jazz-ensemble
Fred Harris https://mta.mit.edu/person/fred-harris
