The Story Behind Concert of Colors: How a Vision for Unity Became Detroit's Global Music Festival

Read the original article here.

By Amanda LeClaire & Sophia Jozwiak
Originally published by WDET
July 19, 2022

For more than 30 years, Concert of Colors has celebrated the music, cultures, and traditions that make Detroit one of the world's most diverse cities. While many know the festival for its free performances and global artists, its origins are rooted in a much deeper mission: bringing communities together through understanding and shared experiences.

In a conversation with WDET, journalist Martina Guzmán reflected on the history of Concert of Colors while researching its 30th anniversary. What she discovered was a story that began decades before the festival itself.

Following the 1967 Detroit uprising, civic leaders recognized the need to create stronger relationships among the city's many racial, ethnic, and cultural communities. Those efforts led to the formation of New Detroit, an organization dedicated to advancing racial equity and encouraging dialogue across communities.

One of New Detroit's earliest initiatives brought together leaders from different cultural backgrounds for regular meetings where they discussed community issues, shared meals, and built lasting relationships. These gatherings created opportunities for conversations and connections that had rarely existed before.

Guzmán noted that while intentional inclusion and cross-cultural collaboration may feel familiar today, they represented a groundbreaking approach during the 1960s and 1970s. Those early efforts helped lay the foundation for what would eventually become Concert of Colors.

Founded by Ismael Ahmed in 1993, Concert of Colors expanded upon that vision by using music as a universal language capable of connecting people across cultures. Over the years, the festival has grown into one of the nation's largest free celebrations of global music, featuring artists from around the world alongside workshops, discussions, family programming, and cultural experiences.

Today, Concert of Colors continues to honor that original mission by creating welcoming spaces where people of all backgrounds can come together to celebrate diversity, discover new traditions, and build community through the arts.

More than three decades after its founding, the festival remains a testament to Detroit's rich cultural landscape and to the enduring belief that music has the power to unite people across languages, histories, and generations.

The 35th Annual Concert of Colors continues that tradition with free performances and programming across Midtown Detroit, inviting everyone to experience the music, stories, and cultures that make the festival unlike any other.