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Washington, D.C., has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres ofJazz,Rhythm & Blues,bluegrass,punk rock and its locally-developed descendantshardcore andemo, and a localfunk genre calledgo-go. The first major musical figure from District of Columbia wasJohn Philip Sousa, a military brass band composer. Later figures includejazz musicians, such asDuke Ellington,Charlie Rouse,Buck Hill,Ron Holloway, Davey Yarborough, Michael A. Thomas,Butch Warren, and DeAndrey Howard;soul musicians, includingBilly Stewart,The Unifics, The Moments, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Van McCoy, The Presidents,The Choice Four,Vernon Burch, guitaristCharles Pitts (OST "Shaft", 1971), andSir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul.
The District is home to the Washington Symphony Orchestra, theWashington National Opera, theNational Symphony Orchestra (founded in 1931 byHans Kindler), the DC Legendary Musicians Inc. a nonprofit founded by Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler Truesdale (founded in 2002) www.dclmusicians.org and theDC Youth Orchestra Program (founded in 1960). TheJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a nationally important venue for a variety of musical performances, many of which are presented by Washington Performing Arts Society, an independent, non-profit organization founded by impresario Patrick Hayes.Washingtonian magazine maintains a Washington Music Hall of Fame.
TheUnited States Marine Band, andUnited States Navy Band are both based in Washington, D.C. The Marine Band is the oldest musical group in the United States (formed in 1798, before the District's founding). The U.S. Marine Band's most famous conductor isJohn Philip Sousa, who composed many of the most famous American marches, as well as several musical comedies. The U.S. Navy Band's director throughout the 1960s was LCDR Anthony A. Mitchell who composed the march "Our Nation's Capital", the official march of Washington, D.C.,[1] as well as the "John F. Kennedy Cultural Center March", and the "National Capitol Parks March".
TheU.S. Marine Band was founded in 1798. Some fifty years later, in 1851, the District's first choral society, theWashington Saengerbund, was formed. Other 19th century musicians included theminstrel singer and songwriterJames Bland ("Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"). In 1872, the Coloured American Opera Society formed.
Washington nativeJohn Philip Sousa was conductor of the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 to 1892. He wrote 132marches, including "The Washington Post" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever". Sousa formed his own band after leaving the Marine Corps that performed 15,623 concerts worldwide.
Later groundbreaking musicians includedJames Reese Europe,ragtime musicianClaude Hopkins, Lithuanian immigrant andvaudeville performerAl Jolson andLillian Evanti, who became the first African-American opera singer to perform in a foreign country. The most widely renowned musician from 20th century District of Columbia is undoubtedlyDuke Ellington, ajazz pioneer. Later District of Columbia jazz musicians includedCharlie Rouse (saxophonist, withThelonious Monk),Billy Hart (drummer),Ira Sullivan (tenor saxophonist) andLeo Parker (bop baritone saxophonist).Ahmet Ertegun, a Turkish-born jazz fan, came to District of Columbia at age twelve and later went on to foundAtlantic Records.Todd Duncan was a District of Columbia-born singer who made history by being the first to play the lead of the operaPorgy and Bess; he later became the first black man to play Tonio inPagliacci. District of Columbia was also a home (and recording stop) forJelly Roll Morton,Jimmie Rodgers andBo Diddley. Local stars of the early part of the century include the singerPearl Bailey.
In 1957,Elizabeth Cotten recorded for the family that employed her, which included a number of composers and musicologists. One song, "Freight Train", became a folk music standard.Charlie Byrd, a District of Columbia-based jazz musician, recorded an innovative album in 1962 calledJazz Samba withStan Getz, helping to launch thebossa nova craze.Skip Pitts played the famous riffs on Isaac Hayes's OST "Shaft",R&B singerRuth Brown,Billy Stewart,doo-wop groupsThe Orioles (based out of District of Columbia, though from Baltimore),The Clovers,The Rainbows, By the middle of the 1960s, District of Columbia had begun to produce some major stars, likesoul singerMarvin Gaye, who had 3 No. 1 Hot 100 hits including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in 1968.[2] Other soul musicians areHerb Fame (ofPeaches & Herb) who had the No. 1 Hot 100 hit "Reunited", andVan McCoy (disco producer, No. 1 hit "The Hustle"). Other musicians included famous folk singerScott McKenzie (known for big hit "San Francisco"),John Fahey, one of the first "folk" musicians to gain national appeal,Peter Tork (ofThe Monkees),Tim Buckley, guitaristLink Wray, country singerPatsy Cline, guitaristsGregory Gaskins played with Jersey Cities Manhattan's and later Elvis PresleyDanny Gatton, country starRoy Clark andNils Lofgren (guitarist forBruce Springsteen,Ringo Starr, andNeil Young).Jorma Kaukonen andJack Casady, childhood friends from the District, moved toSan Francisco, playing inJefferson Airplane during their height of their success before formingHot Tuna.
During this period, Washington began to develop its own music scene, with a number of styles evolving by the end of the century. Some popular singers from later decades include AC singerRoberta Flack (#1 hit "Killing Me Softly with His Song"),Root Boy Slim & the Sex Change Band ("You Broke My Mood Ring"), singer-songwriterTori Amos,Toni Braxton,Ginuwine,Mýa,Dave Grohl (ofNirvana and theFoo Fighters),Vertical Horizon (#1 Hot 100 hit "Everything You Want" in 2000;Matt Scannell attendedGeorgetown University),Starland Vocal Band (#1 Hot 100 hit "Afternoon Delight"),Joan Jett (rock singer with No. 1 hit "I Love Rock 'n' Roll").
Washington is also home to theDuke Ellington School of the Arts, founded in 1974 and part of theDC public school system. Some other notable music education organizations which are located in Washington include theDC Youth Orchestra Program, founded in 1960; the Blues Alley Jazz Society, founded in 1985;Levine School of Music, founded in 1976, and theDC Legendary Musicians Inc, founded by Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale in 2006.
The Washington metropolitan area is considered by many to be the choral capital of the nation.[3] Some choral groups active in the District today can trace their origins as far back as 1851, with a Choral Society being established to produce concerts and oratorios at least as early as the 1880s. In the modern era, the District features several independently-established symphonic choruses, along with a very wide variety of mid-size choirs, chamber ensembles, and specialty groups. The District has been described as "the only locality in America where there is a chorus for every type of niche."[3]
The first established opera company in the District of Columbia was the semi-professionalWashington National Opera active from 1919 through 1936; it performed in venues ranging from local school auditoriums to DAR Constitution Hall.[4] The present, entirely unrelatedcompany of the same name, resident at the Kennedy Center, was known simply as the Washington Opera until 2000; a thoroughly professional organization under the direction ofPlácido Domingo, it has, among other achievements, been a rare advocate forzarzuela in the United States.[5] Among other, smaller-scale companies in the District of Columbia metropolitan area are theWashington Concert Opera, which specializes in unstaged presentations;Opera Lafayette, which specializes in French baroque opera; and Aurora Opera Theatre, formerly known as Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia.
Early in the 20th century, the District of Columbia was home to many bluesmen, such asJelly Roll Morton and later rock and roll andrhythm and blues musicians such asBo Diddley andRoy Buchanan. In the 1960s, a number of white youths formed local blues bands, including the Northside Blues Band and theNighthawks. Starting in the early 1960s,Takoma Park nativeJohn Fahey became a nationally noted blues and folk guitarist who established theTakoma Records label, which attracted a number of other blues, folk, acoustic andfingerstyle guitarists to the District of Columbia area. Another localblues rock performer isTom Principato.[6]
In the 1950s,Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys became a notedbluegrass band that helped District of Columbia become known as the "Bluegrass Capital of America" in the 1950s and early 1960s. Later bluegrass bands from the District included theCountry Gentlemen.Seldom Scene eventually became the District's most prominent and longest-lasting bluegrass band. The Washington bluegrass community extends into outlying areas such as Western Maryland and the panhandle ofWest Virginia which are home to bluegrass musicians who commute to perform in the area. There has been substantial overlap between Washington, D.C.'sfolk and bluegrass scene in the past several decades, in part due to the patronage of disc jockeys at public radio stationWAMU, including Mary Cliff, longtime host of the music showTraditions.
Folk clubs began springing up in the District of Columbia in the late 1950s. One of the earliest folk venues was at the Hamilton Arms Coffee House, which was founded in 1939 in Georgetown at 1232 31st Street NW. By the mid-1950s, Hamilton Arms was hosting "poetry readings, live music performances, art shows, movies, green tea (marijuana), and sometimes even coffee."[7] After closing in 1957, other venues began to appear, including Coffee N' Confusion located briefly at 912 New Hampshire Avenue NW before moving to a basement location at 945 K Street NW. It has been noted that rock musicianJim Morrison, who lived in Northern Virginia up until 1961, performed his first poems at Coffee N' Confusion.[7]
In January 1961, the Unicorn Cafe Expresso was opened at 1710 17th Street NW, featuring abstract art, coffee, poetry readings, and music. Founded by Yuri Kapralof and Roger Kaufman,[7] the Unicorn became an important venue for up and coming folk musicians, especially after Kaufman and Kapralof[8] sold the Unicorn to Elliott Ryan. With Hootenannys on Wednesday evening and more live performances, the Unicorn established its reputation as a music venue, where the likes of touring musiciansJoan Baez,Erik Darling, andPete LaFarge often performed along with local guitarists likeJohn Fahey,Robbie Basho, Pat Sullivan andMax Ochs.
Another important folk venue in Georgetown in 1961 was The Shadows. A band called "the Mugwumps" formed, eventually splitting up. Two of the members,John Sebastian andZal Yanovsky, becameThe Lovin' Spoonful, and the other two,Denny Doherty andCass Elliott, formedThe Mamas & the Papas. Later, in Georgetown, then-folk singerJohn Denver,Taffy Nivert andBill Danoff wrote a song called "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which launched Denver's career as one of the most popular singers in the country. Other popular folk singers includeMary Chapin Carpenter; the duoCathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have been nominated for several Grammy Awards, for both folk and children's music.
The Cellar Door at the foot of Key Bridge, was a stop for many touring folk and rock stars from the mid-1960s into the '70s.
The District of Columbia has been home to many jazz pioneers, including the legendaryDuke Ellington, as well as singer and pianistShirley Horn, pianistBilly Taylor, and saxophonistFrank Wess. Ellington, Taylor, and Wess each attendedDunbar High School with its prominent music program. Ellington's first group, The Washingtonians, featured drummerSonny Greer. They left forHarlem in 1923.[9] Jazz greatJelly Roll Morton came fromNew Orleans, but took up residency in Washington as a regular performer at a club called the Jungle Inn in 1935.[9]
During the first half of the 20th century, in a segregated District, theU Street Corridor became the economic, cultural, entertainment and jazz hub of the District of Columbia, earning it the nickname "Black Broadway". TheNational Trust for Historic Preservation defines walking tours that include the jazz venues where the greats such asElla Fitzgerald performed,Duke Ellington's childhood homes, and other music-related places in the neighborhood.[10] Historic jazz clubBohemian Caverns launched many music careers, including that of R&B singerRuth Brown. PianistRamsey Lewis recorded hisThe in Crowd album there in 1965.The Blackbyrds, led by jazz trumpeterDonald Byrd and made up of jazz musicians from Howard University, recorded a song called "Rock Creek Park" for their album City Life in 1975 in honor of the well-known D.C landmark. During the second half of the 20th century until the mid-1990s, a period that saw decline on U Street, jazz became associated with longtime venues in theGeorgetown area such asBlues Alley and One Step Down; closer to the heart of the District was dc space. Subsequently, jazz saw a resurgence on U Street, with venues such as Bohemian Caverns andRepublic Gardens re-opening.
Local singerEva Cassidy, a native ofBowie, Maryland, died of cancer at the age of 33 but received posthumous international fame when several of her songs receivedBBC Radio airplay, though she was already well known in the Washington area, after a farewell concert atThe Bayou.[11] A singer in multiple genres, Cassidy also notably performed a crossover album with District of Columbiago-go artistChuck Brown (see below).
Multi-instrumentalistAndrew White has been performing and releasing records in DC since his debut record in 1961, The JFK Quintet, who released two monumental LPs onRiverside Records forCannonball Adderley. Since then he has continued releasing albums, books, transcripts, and other publications for his self-produced label, Andrew's Music.
Tenor saxophonistRon Holloway is a Washington, D.C., native. Ron began playing saxophone at an early age one of his first music experience was withThe El Corols, where he met another great DC saxophonist, Carter Jefferson. His journeyman years sitting in with local groups from every genre of contemporary music. In the mid-1970s, Holloway expanded his practice of sitting in and more and more he was heard sharing the stage with the likes ofFreddie Hubbard,Sonny Rollins andDizzy Gillespie. In February 1982 Holloway joinedGil Scott-Heron's group. In June 1989, he left Scott-Heron to join Dizzy Gillespie's Quintet. Known for his versatility he has toured and recorded with a wide array of musical artists including Gillespie, Scott-Heron,Root Boy Slim,Little Feat,the Allman Brothers Band,Gov't Mule,Derek Trucks andSusan Tedeschi. He has released five CDs under his own name.
In the late 1960 and early 70s, a variety of DC groups pushed the rock envelope, forming bands and securing record deals. TheFallen Angels were one of the first national psychedelic bands from DC, releasing two records onRoulette in the late 1960s. Lead singer, writer, and musician Jack Bryant headed up a band that played up and down the east coast, as well as an occasional west coast show. Progressive metal bandAnimals as Leaders is from Washington, DC.
The District of Columbia's Soul/Funk movement took shape during the mid-60s; about the same time Doo-Wop change to soul chorus group (The Temptations～), and "James Brown" became a big name. Parliament's 1975 song "Chocolate City," with vocals spoken by George Clinton, references and celebrates the District of Columbia as a majority black District. Artists such asMarvin Gaye,Black Heat,[12]Experience Unlimited (E.U.), The Moments,[13]The Unifics, Peaches & Herb, Terry Huff & Special Delivery,[14] Act 1, The Dynamic Superiours,Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Van McCoy, The Presidents, Anacostia,Vernon Burch,Ray, Goodman & Brown, True Reflection,The Unifics,Peaches & Herb, Act 1,The Dynamic Superiors, Skip Mahoaney & the Casuals, Dyson's Face, Bobby Thurston,Charles Pitts (OST "Shaft", 1971),The Choice Four,The Fuzz,Dane Riley, andBilly Stewart were from Washington, D.C. 1980s funk bands such as Osiris, Wax, Waldo, Tyrone Brunson influenced go-go bands. Minor group Aggression released 2 singles (roots of go-go) from SRI Records. ProducerMaxx Kidd founded T.T.E.D. Records.
The soul and funk scene set the stage for District of Columbia's considerable influence in modern R&B. Besides Toni Braxton, District of Columbia is the hometown of mid-1990s croonersGinuwine,Mýa, and Tank (raised in Clinton, MD), as well as the more current J. Holiday,Raheem DeVaughn andReesa Renee (who are both from the neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland). Central Heat, an East Coast touring R&B band based out of Northern Virginia originated in the late 1970s and features founding members Doug and Dennis Flynn, Mike Cavaliere and Bob Costlow. Central Heat remains active in the DC club scene today.Johnny Gill,II D Extreme, andStacy Lattisaw are also from the District of Columbia. Also, independent recording artistDane Riley, who is the cousin of the late legendary Washington, DC singerBilly Stewart.
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Go-go music originated in Washington, D.C. during the mid-1970s and began to take its current shape by the late '70s. Its characteristic formula combined simplefunk grooves with instrumental percussion and oftenrapping. It is a blend offunk,R&B, andlatin music, with a focus onlo-fi percussion instruments and melodicjamming in place of dance tracks, although somesampling is used. As such, it is primarily a dance music with an emphasis on live audiencecall and response. Go-go rhythms are also incorporated into street percussion. Many "District of Columbia" soul & funk artists contributed to the characteristic go-go sound, but the main pioneers wereChuck Brown &the Soul Searchers, known for "Bustin' Loose", which became a surprise national hit.[15] Later go-go bands includeTrouble Funk,Experience Unlimited (E.U., whose hit "(Doin') Da Butt" was featured in Spike Lee's 1988 "School Daze"),Rare Essence, Hot Cold Sweat, AM/FM, The Junkyard Band, Slug-Go and the Southeast go-go band Aggressive Funk. Bands such as Backyard, TCB, and UCB have gained recognition by being featured in music by the rapperWale.
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The District of Columbia is primarily known in the rock community for its seminal influence on the evolution ofhardcore punk, known locally asharDCore, particularly through bands such asBad Brains,Minor Threat, andThe Faith, and labels likeDischord Records, but it had a vibrant musical community prior to hardcore's arrival with bands like the Razz,Slickee Boys,Insect Surfers,Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and The Penetrators, putting out records on local independent labels likeLimp, Wasp, and Dacoit.Ian MacKaye, the frontman for Minor Threat, became an inspiration in part for the internationalStraight Edge movement after the song "Straight Edge" was released. MacKaye went on to co-foundFugazi, which attained international recognition under the Dischord record label, alongsideRites of Spring guitaristGuy Picciotto.Henry Rollins, a native of the District of Columbia hardcore scene, moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to joinBlack Flag.
In the mid-1980s, veterans of theD.C. hardcore scene created a new punk subgenre called "emo", meaning "emotive hardcore." This term has since evolved to become associated with a much broader group of musical styles. The most renowned District of Columbia area bands associated with the "first wave" of emo wereRites of Spring andEmbrace.
In the 1980s, the District of Columbia, was rich withpunk andnew wave music. Bands like The Slickee Boys, Urban Verbs, Tiny Desk Unit, Mother May I, Insect Surfers,Tru Fax & the Insaniacs, and Black Market Baby were popular at places like the9:30 Club, The Psychedeli, dc space,Madam's Organ,The Bayou (inGeorgetown). See also:Bad Brains,Minor Threat,Henry Rollins. In the 1970s and 1980s,Georgetown had a diverse live music scene, and became known as a center for the early punk community. In the 1990s,U Street NW in theShaw neighborhood became known as a new haven forpost-hardcore punk,alternative rock,acid jazz andelectronica, following the establishment of a variety of bars and clubs in the area, most notablyThe Black Cat (which was co-founded byDave Grohl, another native of theDC punk scene). The 9:30 club subsequently moved to the area as well.
In the 1990s, bands taking heavy influence from theWashington, D.C., hardcore scene and the localgo-go phenomenon contributed to thepost-hardcore scene. Important players in this scene wereThe Dismemberment Plan,Fugazi,Nation of Ulysses,Trans Am, andQ and Not U. Currently, important post-punk/indie/dance-rock bands likeSupersystem (formerly El Guapo),Medications, Metrorail,Maritime,Edie Sedgwick, Mass Movement of the Moth, The Fordists, andBeauty Pill hail from DC.Ian MacKaye continues his involvement in the DC music scene with his two-piece rock groupThe Evens. Record labels likeDischord,DeSoto Records, Exotic Fever, and Amor Y Lucha have been and remain to be a crucial means of distribution for DC bands.
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The DC hip-hop scene has always taken a back seat to the other more prevalent genres in the area. Even so, influential groups have planted seeds in the District for future generations to follow. Groups like The Amphibians & Freestyle Union laid the foundation for artists likeAsheru,Wale and Low Budget to help put DC's hip-hop scene on the map. Wale was the first District of Columbia artist to really break out on the national scene. He was a member ofXXL's 2009 Freshman Class and released his debut album,Attention Deficit onInterscope Records. Representing the street-oriented side of hip-hop, District of Columbia-bred rapper Garvey "The Chosen One" released his debut album Hard Hat Area Volume#1, on independent record label Triple Team Entertainment and distributed by DTLR. When it came time to the video's shoot location for his single "Lock It Down," released 2010, he chose local high school Calvin Coolidge High School, alma mater of the video's director, Robert "Bob Smoke" Headen, did more than just provide the setting—members of the school's band, cheerleading team, step team and dance squad are all featured in the released video as noted by the Washington Post. DMV emcee Marky has been gaining national recognition for his song "Rasta Monsta," samplingAloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar.".[16] Underground group Diamond District represent the vanguard as well as an underground rapper from (Fairmont Heights/P.G.County) born name Micah Paschal rap name MIKE.P also represent DC hip-hop today.
The District of Columbia's hip-hop scene was notably featured in the 1998 filmSlam, about a would-be slam poet's ordeal in the District of Columbia Jail. Pharaoh Jonez, an Emcee from Southeast DC is one of the most successful rapper/producers from the DMV's underground scene. In 2010 he managed to get his music into the hands of an A&R over atSlip-n-Slide Records which did nothing for his career until 2012 when he landed a spread in Kapital Magazine alongsideKendrick Lamar,Drumma Boy, and fellow DC rapperWale, who of which Jonez has never met before. In 2013 Pharaoh Jonez signed a management contract with Lawrence Mooney, CEO of Chocolate Mint and longtime friend of"Freeway" Rick Ross.
The District of Columbia has been home to a boomingHouse music scene. Driven by weekly parties such asBuzz (DC), internationally recognized acts likeDeep Dish, underground talent including DJ Sam “The Man” Burns, and DJ duos like East Coast Boogiemen (Ken Christensen and Juan Zapata), and Beautiful Swimmers.[17] Venues include Echo Stage, Flash,U Street Music Hall, andEighteenth Street Lounge. House music parties regularly take place at clubs and warehouses across the District. Past venues includeNation (nightclub) (formerly the Capital Ballroom), Red (nightclub), Club Five (Thomas Blondet was residents on Saturdays. Local and influential House music DJ Sam “The Man” Burns held a regular House club night on Sundays at Eighteenth Street Lounge up until his passing in 2020.[18]
Another electronic-dance music subgenre that was born in the District of Columbia isMoombahton. The style of music was created by local D.J.Dave Nada (member of the duo Nadastrom alongside producer Matt Nordstrom) who accidentally created a new and unique EDM sound at a party in Fall 2009, by slowing down the tempo of an Electro House song and placing areggaeton beat on top of the house track.[19] His invention sparked an underground EDM movement not only in the District of Columbia but also worldwide, all through the early 2010s. In addition to Nadastrom, well known Moombahton producers includeMunchi,Dillon Francis, andBro Safari.
The District of Columbia is also the home to the groupThievery Corporation, who are well known in the electronic music community for their fusion ofdowntempo andtrip hop withlounge music and Brazilian music such asbossa nova. They founded the labelEighteenth Street Lounge Music, which is also based in Washington, D.C.
Local recording artistsFort Knox Five have found success with a string of releases on their own label, Fort Knox Recordings, many notable remixes and their full-length albumRadio Free DC.
Yoko K. is an electronic musician based in Washington, D.C. Her self-produced debut album012906 (Asahra Music, 2006) was nominated for Best Album in Electronica by the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards. The first single cut, "searching", was acclaimed by Adam Harrington (Whisperin' & Hollerin', UK) to be "truly the work of a visionary" and received Grand Prize in the Electronic Jazz category by the Artists Forum Electronic Music Competition (2006). She was an Artist in Residence at theStrathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland in 2011.[20]
The District of Columbia, is also the home of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and synthesist Jeff Bragg, whose work spans over four decades, beginning with his residency as director of the University of Virginia's electronic music studio in the mid-1970s.
Anaud Strong is a premier dance-house, soul, r&b-funk, gospel international recording artist, remixer, singer-songwriter, producer and digital dj, born and raised in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Strong has been influential in the continuation and the pioneering of the early garage house,electronic dance music, underground dance, and art scene since the 90s to the present through various districtwide events and philanthropic efforts within the related community. The dance music collective and EP Anaud Strong ProjectInto The Future...The Deep House Experience RECHARGED! was nominated in the 24th Annual Wammies 2009–2010 in 4 categories for best Electronica Vocalist, Performance Artist, Electronica Artist/Producer (STUDIO), and electronica recording for "Into The Future". New 2015 Release and collaboration with US international artist, producer-remixer, prolific songwriterAnaud Strong team up with producer, dj,Splashfunk &Laera for their newest breakthrough soulful dance EDM release, sound on Italian label the LAERA TEAM. An inspirational club, radio, global dancefloor anthem and future classic from the US and Italy's finest composers. In 2018 with the release of the international soulful house anthem "BRAND NEW" by Anaud Strong + Darian Crouse aka Entity with the production and remix commissioned and released on New York label, VEKSLER Records. Also released in 2018, is the epic collaboration and release with DC dj, producer and label owner of Rhythm & Culture Recordings and resident dj dc premier Eighteenth Street Lounge, Thomas Blondet feat. Anaud Strong "LET IT SHINE". An inspirational, critically acclaimed, soulful house track being featured and supported in various dj mix shows global and by the legendary dj producer Kenny Dope (Masters at Work).
Electro-industrial bandChemlab formed in the District of Columbia, in 1989. Up until this point, frontman Jared Louche had been a part of the District of Columbia hardcore scene (see below).
Artists from District of Columbia area's premiere dark electronic label Octofoil Records, to include Maduro, Retrogramme, and Notecrusher, have appeared on numerous compilations around the world and have been featured on BBC. Octofoil has been defunct since 2014.
The District of Columbia has a very vibranta cappella scene.Sweet Honey in the Rock, which formed in 1973 and focuses on music rooted in African American culture, has shared a Grammy Award and received multiple Grammy nominations for its children's albums.Afro Blue, ana cappella vocal jazz ensemble based atHoward University, received significant national attention when it placed fourth onseason three of the television showThe Sing Off in 2011. There are several ″vocal bands″ in the area, while ensembles likeThe Capital Hearings bridge the lines between the choral tradition, vocal jazz, and contemporarya cappella.
The Ambitions, led by former Checkered Cabs singer Caz Gardiner, are at the forefront of the mod/soul type bands drawing their inspiration from late 60s soul bands to 1970s British mod revivalists.
As of late, DC has been home to a growing scene of musicians who take inspiration from the primal stomp of the 1960s garage rock movement. Eschewing the more esoteric stylings of their art-school peers, bands like Soul Lip, the Hall Monitors, the breakUps, the Have Mercys, the Points, Shark Week, The Fed, andFellowcraft[21] mine a more primitive vein of rock 'n' roll, finding inspiration in fuzzed-out chords and grooves.
The Washington Area Music Awards, also known as the Wammies, was founded in 1985 by Michael Jaworek and Mike Schreibman and has been committed to raising the profile of the Washington area's diverse music community.
In 2019,The MusicianShip undertook the critical task of preserving theWammie Awards. In an effort to celebrate, honor, and uplift creative heroes across the DMV area, The MusicianShip reintroduced and reinvigorated this storied community event, upholding its values, while infusing it with meaningful innovations and a contemporary flare that includes, and enriches, a diverse audience of art enthusiasts. The2020 Virtual Wammies were hosted on July 13-July 17 and honoredwinners across 57 musical and general interest categories.
The Washington area has many venues large and small for music performances.Capital One Arena hosts many major concerts. TheKennedy Center is home to theWashington National Opera and theNational Symphony Orchestra.Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia hosts many performances and theWolf Trap Opera Company. TheMerriweather Post Pavilion inColumbia, Maryland andNissan Pavilion inBristow, Virginia also host many national touring musical acts.
Notable licensed venues in the District of Columbia include and have included:
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