Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 19 OcTOber 2017
Grammy museum pays homage to New Jersey musical legacy

By DAVID PORTER some of the more famous
Associated Press costumes from past Gram-
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New- my ceremonies, from Ella
ark is joining Los Angeles, Fitzgerald to Michael Jack-
Nashville and Cleveland, son, Madonna to Beyonce
Mississippi, as a host of a and Taylor Swift.
museum celebrating the A tuxedo worn by Sina-
Grammy music awards, a tra is there, along with a
tip of the hat to the state’s choir robe worn by Hous-
rich musical legacy. ton when she sang at the
The Grammy Museum Ex- New Hope Baptist Church
perience officially opens in Newark, site of her me-
Thursday at Newark’s Pru- morial service in 2012.
dential Center arena. It Springsteen’s plain white
features a trove of memo- t-shirt and jeans are there
rabilia from numerous art- as well, in addition to a hu-
ists, with a focus on new morous, hand-written let-
Jersey natives such as ter to a landlady asking for
Bruce Springsteen, Frank patience regarding a late
Sinatra and Whitney Hous- rent payment.
ton. It also has interactive Visitors can try their hand at
exhibits that let visitors get making music with several
behind the mic or mixing In this Oct. 10, 2017 photo, various Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Ex- interactive exhibits. One
board to make their own perience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The museum is scheduled to open to the public on features a video drumming
music. Oct. 19. lesson from Max Weinberg
Associated Press of Springsteen’s E Street
choices: Nashville as the Band. Another shows how
center of country music, to make a recording with
and Mississippi as the birth- rapper Wyclef Jean.
place of the blues, the pre- The museum also will host a
cursor to rock ‘n’ roll. variety of programs for stu-
Newark and northern New dents, including one that
Jersey, home to the likes allows them to meet the
of Houston and Sinatra artists and another that lets
along with Queen Latifah, them watch sound checks
jazz giant Sarah Vaughan, to see what goes into put-
Frankie Valli and the Four ting on a concert, Santelli
Seasons and numerous said.
others, made sense as well. “We’re trying to make sure
“It had a tremendous mu- it’s not all about the cos-
sical legacy much like the tumes and guitars and in-
Mississippi Delta, but it had teractive,” he said. “The
been overlooked over physical space is just the
much of the last half cen- tip of the iceberg — the
tury,” Santelli said. value is in the programs,
The museum is equal parts getting into the schools to
traditional and hands-on. bring artists in to talk to the
Among the exhibits are kids.”q
In this Oct. 10, 2017, photo, a Roberto Cavalli dress worn by Be-
yonce during a performance with Prince at the 2004 Grammy
awards show, is displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience
at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Associated Press
The museum is another Museum at Newark just
jewel in the revitalization further proves what we’ve
of Newark’s downtown, been saying all along —
stretching back to the we are America’s next des-
opening of the New Jer- tination city.”
sey Performing Arts Center The driving force behind
20 years ago. The Pruden- the project is Bob Santelli,
tial Center opened in 2007 founding executive direc-
and is considered among tor of the Grammy Muse-
the top concert venues in um in Los Angeles, which
the country. Together the opened in 2008. It didn’t
two have served as cata- hurt that Santelli is a New
lysts for new retail and resi- Jersey native who grew up
dential development. with members of Springs-
“We look forward to wel- teen’s E Street Band and
coming musicians, music has written two books with
lovers, students, families, The Boss.
and visitors of all kinds When the decision was In this Oct. 10, 2017 photo, a replica of the Donatella Versace dress worn by Jennifer Lopez at the
to Newark,” Democratic made to put exhibits 2000 Grammy Awards show is displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center
Mayor Ras Baraka said. around the country, cer- in Newark, N.J.
“The arrival of the Grammy tain spots were natural Associated Press