The Distant Relatives shocked the audience by joining K’naan on stage for his show at Irving Plaza last night in New York. The duo performed “As We Enter”, which is the lead single from their upcoming collaborative project Nas & Damian “Jr Gong” Marley are Distant Relatives (in stores May 18).
Fresh off of the release of her first US album debut Concrete Jungle, Nneka has been announced as the support act for the historic Distant Relatives Tour with Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley hitting the road May 2010. The tour will stop in major cities across the country in support of their Distant Relatives album, which is a celebration of not only to the bond between the two artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Nneka is deeply influenced by her roots. The political and social states of her home country are often prevalent in her music and live performances. It is this message of awareness, hope and love that made her a perfect fit for a collaboration with Nas and Damian Marley, both legendary artists and personal influences of Nneka’s. “With this tour,” Nneka explains, “we represent the fact that we are all connected to one another, all part of one entity and one source – which is love.”
The tour extends Nneka’s highly successful introduction to the United States, having been heralded by the likes of Spin, Rolling Stone, and Billboard, among others as the next “it” artist of 2010. Her stunning performance of “Heartbeat” on the Late Show with David Letterman left fans enthralled, and Perez Hilton has proclaimed her music to be “a gift to the world.” More recently, the critical acclaim piqued the interest of national retailer Whole Foods, who is now carrying her album as part of their “Artist Discovery” program.
Nneka will be on the following dates of the Distant Relatives Tour:
May 22nd Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater
May 23rd Seattle, WA Showbox Sodo
May 25th Oakland, CA Fox Theater
May 26th Santa Barbara, CA University of California, Santa Barbara
May 28th Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
May 29th Las Vegas, NV The Joint
May 30th Valley Center, CA Harrah’s Rincon – Open Sky Theater
May 31st Los Angeles, CA UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival
June 2nd Santa Fe, NM Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre
June 8th Houston, TX House of Blues
June 9th Austin, TX Stubb’s Waller Creek Outdoor Amphitheater
June 11th Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 12th Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
June 13th Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista, FL
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