Indian-American rapper Raja Kumari to pay tribute to Amy Winehouse

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New Delhi, July 18 (IANSlife) A star-studded tribute in memory of late English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse is slated to livestream on July 23 that will assemble a line-up of both established and rising artists to pay homage to the Grammy-winning music legend on the 10th anniversary of her passing.

Titled 'Back To Amy', the three-hour "festival style" event will emanate from City Winery Nashville, the site of a new physical exhibit dedicated to Winehouse, and is a collaboration between MusiCares Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the Recording Academy, and the Amy Winehouse Foundation. The show will include performances from the Nashville venue, recordings from around the globe and spoken-word dispatches from other musicians.

After Amy Winehouse's untimely death, on July 23, 2011, from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, her family established the Amy Winehouse Foundation to inspire young adults to build their self-esteem and resilience.

The once-in-a-lifetime showcase in celebration of Winehouse's legacy will feature performances by rocker Chris Daughtry, Nashville-royalty Ana Cristina and John Carter Cash, Broadway's Joshua Henry, UK rising star Zola Courtney, St. Louis indie rockers Hounds, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Young Summer, Los Angeles-based musician-model Cailin Russo and Cuba's Sweet Lizzy Project and newcomer Riley Clemmons. All performing artists will be sharing new recordings with a message of promoting positive mental health as part of the tribute.

Marking a monumental moment of sorts for the Indian diaspora of Winehouse fans, will be GRAMMY nominated rapper and singer-songwriter Raja Kumari, who is confirmed to feature on the eclectic performance line-up. The multi-platinum artist who has painstakingly carved a distinct reputation for herself in the global music industry with her revolutionary art form says, "I am so honoured to be supporting mental health awareness at Back To Amy with MusiCares and the Amy Winehouse Foundation. This is a topic that is really important to me. I've been in therapy for the last year and it's thoroughly changed my life. I try to talk about it as much as I can because it's kind of taboo in my culture and people don't want to get help when they really need it. As musicians especially in the last two years I think our mental health has come to the forefront. Join me in supporting this important cause as we celebrate art, music, empowerment, and Amy's legacy."

Executive producer Gabriel Gornell whose recent live-stream credits include Lollapalooza 2020,says: "Amy's fan base is so passionate; they're still wanting a connection and I couldn't be more excited than to present them with this celebration. I'm extremely grateful to each of the performers who lend their unique touch, worthy of this celebration of Amy's legacy. I'm equally proud that this benefit celebrates inclusivity and diversity and this is a live stream with purpose."

Exhibit creative director Charles Moriarty adds on, "Back to Amy is such a great opportunity to showcase some incredible talent from both sides of the Atlantic. There was a time when Amy spent weeks in the back of cars going radio station to station slowly sharing her voice with the country. Now with new technology we can take that introduction of fresh, young and vibrant voices to a new level."

The livestream will be presented by Mandolin, City Winery, and Qello Concerts by Stingray. Proceeds from the event will be split between The MusiCares Foundation and the Amy Winehouse Foundation to support mental health awareness.

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)

--IANS

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