APR 12, 2019

About this commission

Soundtrack of America opens The Shed with a five-night concert series celebrating the unrivaled impact of African American music on contemporary culture with performances by today’s most exciting emerging musicians. Conceived and directed by Turner Prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen, and developed with music visionaries and academic experts, Soundtrack traces a musical “family tree” of spirituals and blues, jazz and gospel, R&B, rock and roll, house, hip hop, and trap that has inspired a new generation of artists who continue to develop that legacy.

Special guest Natasha Diggs will play a DJ set for an hour before the concert begins.

Artists

Portrait of Cory Henry
Cory Henry
Portrait of Melanie Faye
Photo: Leon Dupree.
Melanie Faye
Portrait of Terrace Martin
Terrace Martin
Portrait of OSHUN
Photo: Sen Floyd.
OSHUN
Portrait of Sy Smith
Photo: Shawn Carter Peterson.
Sy Smith
A portrait of Soundtrack of America artist Natasha Diggs
Special Guest: Natasha Diggs
Cory Henry
Cory Henry, a Brooklyn native, is a two-time Grammy Award-winning keyboardist with musical roots in gospel, jazz, and soul. His instrument of choice is the Hammond B-3 organ. Henry’s 2016 release and touring project, The Revival, features his dynamic and improvisational performances of music ranging from old gospel to Stevie Wonder. Cory Henry and The Funk Apostles is his newest passion and project, comprised of five of the world’s best musicians, hand picked to bring his musical concepts to life. The upcoming self-titled Cory Henry and The Funk Apostles album exhibits his vocal talents and emphasizes the new sound and vibes he wants to innovate for the world to sing along with. “We are on our way. Tell Everybody. How many bodies? Everybody!”
Melanie Faye
Melanie Faye is an R&B guitarist, songwriter, and producer who has gathered a massive fanbase by posting original songs and covers filmed in her bedroom. Self-taught on guitar, Faye’s singular style, unique melodies, and familiar rearrangements span genre and eras and have caught the attention of SZA, John Mayer, Shawn Mendes, Chance the Rapper, and other artists. Her debut EP featuring contributions from Mac DeMarco and Jamila Woods will arrive on the heels of her tour with Maggie Rogers.
Terrace Martin
Terrace Martin is a Grammy-nominated producer and musician from Crenshaw, CA, who has been quietly working behind the scenes with the industry’s biggest names over the last decade. The son of musicians, Martin developed a lifelong love of music and an ability to flawlessly combine the worlds of jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop. His first solo album, 3ChordFold, arrived in 2013 with appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Ab-Soul, Robert Glasper, and others. While his 2016 release, Velvet Portraits, earned him a Grammy-nomination for Best R&B Album. To date, he’s produced for the likes of Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg, Travi$ Scott, and is a main collaborator for Lamar having produced on good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly.
OSHUN
OSHUN is an independent hip hop/soul duo. Using digital and acoustic sounds, heavy drums and bass, and ambient harmonic textures, OSHUN connects with the spirit of their ancestors to manifest a sweeter tomorrow for us all. Since the release of their debut mixtape ASASE YAA in 2015, OSHUN have also performed throughout the US and Brazil while remaining full-time college students at NYU. OSHUN is preparing for the release of their debut album series bittersweet, complete with captivating visuals, a two-month-long tour of the US and Canada, and a deeper look into their ever-evolving selves.
Sy Smith
Sy Smith is considered one of the leaders of the indie soul movement (having released five CDs, three EPs, and one DVD). She’s worked with some of the biggest names in R&B, hip hop, and jazz (Whitney Houston, Meshell Ndegeocello, The Foreign Exchange, Chris Botti, and more). This Emmy-nominated artist has been dubbed by her peers as the queen of underground soul. Since 2015, she’s performed tributes to Ella Fitzgerald at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Toronto’s Massey Hall, and elsewhere. In 2018, she released her long-awaited fifth studio project “Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete”, which she wrote and produced entirely herself, gaining three nominations from SoulTracks.com. Smith also co-wrote and was featured on Chris Dave and The Drumhedz’s 2019 Grammy-nominated self-titled album.
Special Guest: Natasha Diggs

Natasha Diggs is one of the most versatile and well respected DJs in the world, playing to crowds across the globe in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Prague, Sydney, and Beijing. From amassing a huge record collection in her teenage days to being dubbed The 45 Queen known for rocking crowds with her signature all 7” vinyl sets at downtown New York City parties including her weekly Mobile Mondays event, Diggs has gone on tour with Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill, has held an residency with hip hop luminary Q-Tip at New York City’s famed Output Club, DJ’d for Damien Marley’s inaugural Welcome to Jamrock cruise, and has shared the stage with countless notable artists, such as Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars, Maxwell, Questlove, Santigold, Hiatus Kaiyote, Rakim, Dam-Funk, Kenny Dope, Kamasi Washington, Anderson. Paak, and others.

Her broad taste in music allows her to be equally comfortable playing underground loft parties as massive events like Central Park Summerstage for thousands, earning her respect in the world of music and a solid reputation amongst her clientele. Diggs has been called on as a trusted party-starter for numerous celebrity, club, and corporate clientele including Pharrell, Spike Lee, Jay-Z, Google, L’Oréal, Samsung, Adidas, Grey Goose, Nickelodeon, Vanity Fair, Lincoln Center, and MoMA. In addition to her success as a DJ, Diggs has been recognized by the fashion world for her iconic style and has collaborated with global brands such as Fendi, Net-A-Porter, and Levi’s on everything from music supervision to being featured herself in major campaigns.

When not traversing the globe, Diggs can be found holding down the decks at her weekly New York City residency, Soul in the Horn, the city’s premiere dance party and live music showcase celebrating horn-infused music from around the globe while bringing together the best New York City talent in one room. She has also appeared on Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers, MixMag Lab, and Boiler Room. Diggs is featured worldwide on Apple’s Beats1 station playing alongside Q-tip for the weekly Abstract Radio show.

Spotlight Artists: Vy Higginsen’s Sing Harlem Choir

Location and dates

This event takes place in The McCourt.
8:30 pm

Details

  • Running time: 120 minutes
  • No intermission
  • All ages welcome
  • Please note that each night of Soundtrack of America is a unique show with a different line-up
  • Membership does not guarantee ticket availability, so we encourage you to book early
  • All tickets sales are final; times and performers are subject to change
Seat Map
Tux, the Linux mascot

Thank you to our partners

Major support for Soundtrack of America is provided by the Ford Foundation.
The Founding Bank of The Shed is
The Shed is connected by

The creation of new work at The Shed is generously supported by the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Commissioning Fund and The Shed Commissioners.

Major support for live productions at The Shed is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund.

In The Works