KC R&B and hip hop artists picked for global music exchange tour in Northern Ireland
For many emerging local musicians the prospect of an international tour probably seems unattainable. But thanks to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization it’s happening for four Kansas City artists selected by this international world peace agency as cultural ambassadors and part of a music tour starting in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The mission is to showcase American music genres and foster connections through the arts and will feature hip-hop and R&B performers including, Kansas City’s Kadesh Flow, Jass Couch, Kemet Coleman and Clarence Copridge IV. This initiative marks the beginning of what the UNESCO envisions as a lasting music exchange program. Globally connecting through music makes a lot of sense if, as the 19th century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Music is the universal language.”
“We are taking the sounds of Kansas City and taking that over to a new environment. It is a special thing for all of us,” said Coleman, a rapper and entrepreneur. “Being able to represent Kansas City is a dream come true.”
Ryan Davis, recognized by fans as Kadesh Flow, understands the unifying force of music all too well. His involvement in the UNESCO tour began with an invitation to perform at the annual Kansas City Irish Festival three years ago.
When he got the call, Kadesh said, he was uncertain about how a hip-hop artist would resonate with an audience focused on Irish culture. He chose to rap over “Zombie,” a song by the Irish rock band The Cranberries. His audience loved it.
“When I did that the crowd at Irish Fest lost their minds,” said Davis. “I have been back every year in some capacity and that got me invited to a show at Knuckleheads (a popular Kansas City music venue) that UNESCO was a co-sponsor of. That is when they first saw me. About eight or nine months later I heard from them about going to Ireland for the musical exchange program.”
Founded in 1945, UNESCO is a United Nations agency that leverages cultural heritage to promote international relationships. While the organization has partnered with various cities across the United States for its visual arts exchange program, Kansas City will be the first city in the country to focus specifically on music. This tour will launch what participants hope will be a continuous series of cultural music exchange programs between the United States and other countries.
Davis, originally from Spanish Fort, Alabama, has been living in Kansas City for the past 11 years. He relocated here after graduate school for a job opportunity as an analyst for the Cerner Corporation. Although he has been involved in music for most of his life — starting with the trombone and eventually mastering many brass instruments — he never envisioned pursuing music as a career.
His musician blends hip-hop with jazz trombone to craft a unique sound and stage presence. Like a perfectly mixed cocktail, Davis effortlessly stirs together the best of both the jazz and hip-hop genres, seamlessly sliding between rapping complex lyrics on a microphone and playing soulful improvisation on the trombone.
Over the years, Davis has come to understand that great music knows no boundaries and it serves as a powerful means to forge connections among people.
“Music is a universal language that people feel and they may not know anything about the people who make the music but that opens the door for them to learn and understand that artist’s experience better. That leads to better understanding the music,” he said.
On Nov. 9 the Kansas City musicians will head to the Belfast Music Festival, where each will perform. They’ll also participate in a panel discussion the next day at the Belfast Hip-Hop Festival. Their trip will wrap up at the Sounds of Belfast Conference on Nov. 12.
Davis is thrilled to make his first overseas trip and eager to immerse himself in the music of Ireland, where he expects to gain a deeper understanding of the culture. While most of the Kansas City artists will return home after the tour, Davis intends to extend his trip 10 days and journey from Northern Ireland to England. He hopes to build connections for future collaborations.
“I am treating this as a learning experience,” said Davis. “I want to hear traditional Celtic and Irish music while I am there and learn as much as I can to build with the people over there.”
In addition to leading his hip-hop-themed brass band, Brass and Bougie, Davis is a member of the Kansas City music collective, The Phantastics. He joined the ensemble in 2017 and began collaborating closely with local rapper Kemet Coleman. Over the years, Coleman said, the two artists have performed together frequently and forged a strong bond through their shared passion for music and their innovative fusion of sounds.
“When you think of the first aspects of hip-hop, then you know they evolved from jazz, which is, of course, pretty important for Kansas City,” said Coleman. “And as someone with a business in the 18th and Vine area, we want to open that door for hip-hop in the district.”
Coleman is one of the co-founders of Vine Street Brewing Co., a Black-owned brewery dedicated to highlighting the best of Kansas City’s music scene. Recently, Coleman and his fellow owners launched their first Hip-Hoops Hooray Festival, which celebrated local beer and hip-hop. The event featured performances from numerous artists, including Davis, Coleman, and several others
A diverse crowd of people of all ages and backgrounds gathered to enjoy the show. Richard Shultz, 34, from Lee’s Summit, traveled to Kansas City specifically to see Davis and his brass band perform.
“You don’t see artists like him very often,” said Shultz. “He is a real artist who not only is a great rapper but he can play music and understands it. I have never seen a rapper get on stage and pull out a trombone.”
Coleman believes that events like the Hip-Hoops Hooray show demonstrate how music can unite people. He, along with the other artists, will be performing overseas for the first time on this tour. He’s excited to be among the first U.S. artists participating in this initiative.
The tour represents the first phase of a plan to eventually bring an emerging music act from Northern Ireland to Kansas City. Although no specific artists have been announced yet for the Kansas City leg, Coleman believes that a decision will be made soon.
For Jass Couch, the chance to perform in another country is an unexpected delight. Despite having only been a professional performer for five years, the singer is thankful for this opportunity.
“I love the aspect of sharing our music with people and creating an experience,” said Couch, who has had several of her songs featured in the Peacock show Bel-Air.
“With us being the first UNESCO city for music in the United States it is huge because just to be there is monumental but we are representing not just KC music but all the country,” she said.
Davis hopes to inspire other local artists, step beyond their musical boundaries to forge new connections.
“This will be an awesome trip, but there is a responsibility to the culture to leave a good impression for the people who really love this music.”
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