Celebrating the Life & Work of Martin Luther King Jr.

| 07 January 2010

The Sharing the Dream 15th annual Concert and Festival, honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will take place on Saturday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo. Sharing the Dream honors Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of equal respect for all people. The non-profit has provided culturally responsive events to the citizens of San Luis Obispo County since 1994.

The concert will include an All-Star Jam featuring Grammy award-winning artist Louie Ortega, local sensation Al ”Shival” Redwine, Balaram Redwine, and Founder of Sharing the Dream, Michael LoveGene.

Also featured will be performances by the Higher Movement Dancers, House of Prayer Choir, Tim Jackson, Pastor Gerald & Betty Purify, David Smith, and California Arts International. The program includes guest speakers, videos of speeches by Dr. King, a presentation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognition of the top three winners of Sharing the Dream’s 1st annual Essay and Art Contest. The prompt for the Contest is: I believe the King Holiday is meaningful and important for all Americans’ and should be celebrated in our county because…

Children, students and seniors are free. A suggested donation of $10 for adults helps Sharing the Dream promote and organize this and future celebrations and educational opportunities, like the above mentioned 1st annual essay and art contest. Lunch by Bon Temps Creole Café will be available at $5 a plate.

About the performers:
Glenn Starkey of the New Times has said that Ortega’s “hauntingly sweet voice [is] the perfect vehicle for his smartly written songs about love and life.” Ortega won a Grammy in 1990 for his performance and translation of the song “Soy de San Luis.”
Shival has played with artists such as Carlos Santana, Grateful Dead Drummer Mickey Hart, Nigerian Drummer and Grammy winner Babatunde Olatunji, Master Percussionists Airto Moriera and Renaldo Jackson. Event organizer Kim Harris says that, “Shival’s fun, rhythmic, and culturally diverse style makes him a visionary in the music world.”

Sponsors include: The City of San Luis Obispo, KCBX FM Radio, New Times, Sierra Club, Information Press, Bill Gaines Audio, The Drum Circuit, Bon Temp Creole Café, and Carlton and Regina Brown.
Vendor space and sponsorships are still available. For more information email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 805-784-9410 or visit www.slosharingthedream.org.