The Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage honors America’s 250th with, Culture of, by, and for the People. The institution will hit the road, using cultural programming to tell the story America.

The Concert of Colors Neighborhood Series is a part of that plan. Its hosting an event called “All Humans Are Created Equal” at Mercado Plaza in Mexicantown on June 27. It kicks off the Concert of Colors Neighborhood Series reframing the phrase “We Hold These Truths”.

La Santa Cecilia, a Grammy-winning band, brings the cosmic barrio to Detroit. They will perform classics and music from their newest album, “Los Años.” 

Betto Arcos will serve as a moderator after their performance. Arcos is a radio journalist, writer, curator, and music promoter from Los Angeles. He’s watched La Santa Cecilia grow from an LA barrio to the Grammy’s.

Betto says La Santa Cecilia has crafted their own sound. “They started to create their own songs, their own original sound that was a mixture of all the things they grew up listening to in their homes, with their parents.”

Raymond Lozano is the executive director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, who is co-sponsoring the event. Ray and Betto joined The Metro to talk more about the event and Latino diaspora.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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This summer, up to 200 Detroit high school students will have the chance to turn their creativity into a paycheck.

Through the Summer Arts Employment Training program, also known as SAET, young people ages 14 to 17 will receive hands-on arts training, while gaining real-world job experience. 

The program is led by Heritage Works in partnership with Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), along with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and over 10 arts groups across the city.

Program leaders say the goal is simple: to create pathways to success. The program runs from late June through mid-August with funding support from the State of Michigan and Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.

Nafeesah Symonette is the co-founder and executive director of DEYA.  Alvin “AJ” Lockett is the founder of Que Blackout Youth Theater. Both joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about summer jobs and having a space for teens to learn and grow.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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This month marks a milestone at WDET as the Don Was Motor City Playlist celebrates five years on air.  

Don Was and co-host Ann Delisi have delivered crate after crate of deep cuts and hits since 2021, helping listeners discover new favorite tracks and providing  stories about Detroit’s cultural history every Friday night.  

The show is a love letter to Detroit artists and a hub for all genres and musicians.  

Personal history of our hosts

Was and Delisi got to know each other while working on the Concert of Colors and cultivated a relationship that made them well-prepared for this powerhouse program. Delisi’s 35+ years of insights and experience as a broadcaster, combined with Was’ storytelling and internal archive of tunes, make this segment one of the most unique Detroit has to offer. 

Was, the six-time Grammy Award-winning Detroit native has done it all; quite frankly, there may be no music-related task too Herculean a feat for him to dip his hand in.  

He began his creative endeavors at Oak Park High School where formed his first band, The Saturns. But it wasn’t until he partnered with David Weiss to form Was (Not Was) that his talents were fully realized by the public with hits like “Walk the Dinosaur.”  

Following the band’s hiatus, Was became a successful producer, working with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Willie Nelson and more. In 1995, he even received the Grammy for Producer of the Year.  

Delisi’s also a force to be reckoned with. She’s hosted Ann Delisi’s Essential Music program since 2009, focusing on creating a platform for local artists and spotlighting musical gems, both old and new.  

Delisi has interviewed a plethora of the greats, from David Bowie to Iggy Pop—she always keeps us on our toes with our ears pressed to the speakers.  

She’s also hosted Backstage Pass, a Detroit Public Television show about arts and culture in the city. In 2023, Delisi was presented with the Spirit of Detroit for her work in uplifting artists.  

Now, Was and Delisi combine their knowledge and lived experiences into one of Detroit’s funkiest radio shows. We couldn’t be prouder to host it here on WDET.

Here’s to five wonderful years of the Don Was Motor City Playlist!