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Arts Commission News

Mississippi Bluesman to Perform in Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESuper Chikan

May 10, 2006

The roots of Mississippi blues will be planted firmly in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, May 23, 2006, when Clarksdale’s James “Super Chikan” Johnson performs at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.  “Homegrown 2006: Music of America” is an annual concert series produced by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. The performance will be recorded and added to the American Folklife Center’s permanent collection.  While in Washington D.C., Johnson will also perform for the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage program and record a performance for XM Satellite Radio.

Johnson is an exciting, dynamic performer who has traveled the world sharing his Mississippi Delta born gift of singing the blues.  In addition to garnering him critical acclaim, his debut album, Blues Come Home to Roost released in 1997, won three W.C. Handy Awards.  Along with his musical talent, he is also a gifted visual artist and has used his gift to combine unusual items to make musical instruments.  His “Chikantars” are designed from discarded guitar parts and old Army gas cans and are then graced with his beautiful paintings of detailed scenes of Mississippi Delta life.  To support this aspect of his career, the Mississippi Arts Commission awarded him an Artist Fellowship in 2005.   The state recognized his high level of artistry in 2004 by awarding him a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and the state tourism office featured him in a media campaign to promote Mississippi’s blues attractions.  Despite his busy touring schedule, he remains dedicated to his Mississippi heritage and can be seen playing at festivals and schools across the state.

              The Homegrown Concert at the Library of Congress featuring “Super Chikan” will be held on Tuesday, May 23 at 12:00 Noon.  He will perform on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage program the following evening at 6:00 p.m. Both performances are free and open to the public. His recording session at XM Radio will be broadcast at a later date on the network’s “Bluesville” channel.

The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, established by the Mississippi Legislature in 1968. Its mission is to be the catalyst for the arts in Mississippi. It upholds this mission through grant programs, professional development opportunities and other services to schools, communities, arts organizations and individual artists through the state. The Commission is funded by the Mississippi legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wallace Foundation and other private sources.

Editors Note:  A detailed “Super Chikan” biography is available by email. 

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