64 | JULY 13 • 2023 

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

B

eloved Metro Detroit summer 
music festival Concert of Colors is 
back for its 31st annual event.
Taking place July 19-23 in and around 
Detroit’s cultural district and at the Detroit 
Institute of Arts, the free global music 
diversity festival will feature food vendors, 
films, poetry, lectures and, of course, more 
than four dozen music performers, including 
local and national Jewish names.
Headlining the 31st annual family-
friendly event are British-Jamaican reggae 
musician Julian Marley (Bob Marley’s son), 
Metro Detroit-born musician Don Was 
(head of jazz label Blue Note Records) and 
Israeli-born Palestinian-American composer 
and multi-instrumentalist Simon Shaheen.
Was, born Don Fagenson in a Jewish 
neighborhood in Oak Park, is a familiar 
face at Concert of Colors. The Don Was 
Detroit All-Star Revue — which has been a 
part of Concert of Colors for roughly half of 
its lifespan — is one of the outdoor music 

festival’s signature events.
The band will be playing July 23 from 
7-9 p.m., and Don Was will also be joining 
a discussion with Flint poet and political 
activist John Sinclair moderated by WDET 
broadcaster Ann Delisi. The conversation 
will be held at the Detroit Historical 
Museum from 2-4 p.m. on July 22.
Last year, the Don Was All-Star Revue 
performed a tribute to Michigan legend Iggy 
Pop. This year, Don Was and his band plan 
a performance dedicated to Detroit’s jazz 
greats. Fans may recognize Was from music 
group Was (Not Was), his 30-plus years 
producing records for the Rolling Stones or 
from his WDET radio show “The Don Was 
Motor City Playlist.
”
Also on the roster is Infinite River 
featuring Ethan Daniel Davidson, who is 
playing July 23 from 2-3 p.m. The Michigan-
born Jewish musician and philanthropist 
will be joining his wife and band member, 
Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, for an 

experimental, indie-rock performance.
“It’s hard to not be inspired by the great 
lineup that Concert of Colors has put 
together,
” Gonzales Davidson says. “We are 
so excited to participate in the festival and 
celebrate Detroit’s myriad of cultures coming 
together through creative expression.
”

BRIDGING COMMUNITIES
As Concert of Colors finally comes out of 
COVID-19 restrictions, the expanded 2023 
lineup is one of its biggest yet. This year’s 
event also features a performance by Jessica 
Care Moore, who will bring in the country’s 
top female Black rock musicians for “Black 
WOMEN Rock!”
The 2023 iteration will also feature an 
emphasis on music from the Caribbean. 
Staying true to its roots, the five-day festival 
celebrates Metro Detroit’s many cultures 
and gives local residents an opportunity to 
experience the sounds, tastes and artwork of 
global communities worldwide.

The 31st-annual free festival returns with extended lineup.

Concert of Colors 

Is Back with a Bang

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Infinite 
River 

Julian 
Marley 

