At Dykstra Park.
NOTE: Due to the threat of rain, we’ve had to postpone the show for 6pm Sunday August 30th at Dykstra park.
Please note that Dykstra Park concerts must adhere to Sparta Township regulations, including the prohibition on dogs (except for service dogs with a current valid permit presented) being in the park.
SINGER DANIELIA COTTON RETURNS TO SPARTA
In what has become a highlight of the Sparta Summer Concerts each year, Danielia Cotton returns to The Nicholson Pavilion Stage on Friday August 28th . Music has gotten so stingy. At its finest, it is the voice of the people, but for those who are searching for more than a beat and a hook, more often than not we’re left wanting; wondering if anyone has anything at all to say. Cue Danielia Cotton whose been fighting A Different War. Cotton is a gutsy artist with a story to tell and she is emerging again into the light fiercely and defiantly. She’s recycled all the blessing and pain in life into this beauty…she pours it out looking for a place to unload her sin. For Cotton, that’s always been the stage.
Cotton’s childhood was spent on the Sourland Mountain in Hopewell, NJ. She is music legacy. Her mother and aunts were all professional vocalists and music was in her blood. Cotton started performing in her teens. Early on she began veering from the gospel and jazz/blues of her mother and aunts finding greater allure in rock legends like, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, and Todd Rundgren and soul and R&B royalty like, Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway. Cotton began crafting her own sound; an eclectic mix of the stuff that shaped her and the stuff that called her. Cotton’s magic is born of her ability to inhabit a song, to dwell in its rhythms and melodies, to live with the intricacies of its lyrical structure, and to emerge with an articulate proclamation of personal and social truths.
Cotton graduated from Bennington College in Vermont where she majored in Theater and studied Voice with Bill Dixon. Not long after college, Cotton left Hopewell for Manhattan and began performing in venues like The Bitter End and The Cutting Room. She was making connections in NYC’s music scene. Those connections led her to Kevin Salem of Chocolate Genius who would produce her first full length album, Small White Town. Shortly prior to its release she was selected as an Artist to Watch by WXPN out of Philadelphia. So, despite the move to Manhattan and attempting to get her feet wet there, she found herself headed south again; fully immersed in Philly’s music scene.
Cotton has spent her entire career fighting for independence, space to create her own sound and an audience that would journey with her. Cotton released Small White Town in 2005 and then released critically acclaimed Rare Child, 2008 as a true indie artist followed by the Live Child EP (2009) in relatively quick succession. In 2012, came Gun in Your Hand (another collaborative effort with Kevin Salem) followed by Woodstock (2014), The Real Book (2014), A Prayer (2016), and The Mystery of Me (2017). Cotton is no stranger to the classic rock ‘n roll story…she’s lived some life; seen and been through some serious shit and this powerful body of work is what she did with it.
With this new offering, A Different War She never lets her feet touch bottom as she traverses difficult waters, swimming through the turbulent currents of social issues such as racism and greed and the tempestuous waters of love and relationships. “As an album, I think it’s a little varied,” says Cotton. “It’s the first album that includes songs that are both social and personal. On several of these songs I tried to get out of my own head and talk about the world outside. I think about the experiences of my listeners.”
The title track, A Different War examines the way people of color are essentially called into battle as a result of being marginalized by the color of their skin. It discusses how that reality informs their entire existence, while it simultaneously urges us to press ahead because despite what we may have accomplished, the need for substantive change still exists. Yesterday ain’t tomorrow.
Forgive Me, the first single from the album written with Cotton’s sister, Catherine Fulmer-Hogan is a testimony about how forgiveness is paramount in enduring relationships. “I’ve loved with the same person, Sam, for 25 years, and there were times when it looked like we weren’t going to make it. I learned the only way you survive a relationship is through forgiveness.”
The fierce feminist anthem She Too is a propulsive rocker that rides along a screaming lead solo. Cotton’s bluesy vocals defiantly proclaim not only equality but also righteous anger at anyone who wants to silence women for raising their voices in unity against abuse, ill and unequal treatment.
Cotton probes our economic situation in the stomping rocker Cheap High. “Cheap highs don’t make you happy and they certainly don’t sustain you,” Cotton says. The song speaks not only to personal unhappiness arising from greed but also to the dangers of a society mired in economic disparity.
Danielia Cotton embodies true artistry. With this album she shines a light on deeply personal, and simultaneously systematic and pervasive issues that have plagued folks like her for an eternity. It’s A Different War, she’s been fighting, and she’s given us a seat at a table she built because there often wasn’t room for her elsewhere. Her music is expansive and will occupy every ounce of space she has carved out for it. She continues to evolve and challenge herself as a musician and it is evident in this collection. Cotton’s creating music that spans time. It is prescient and relevant whilst likewise hearkening to the protest songs of the 60’s and 70’s. Cotton is music deeply rooted in yesterday and passionately and powerfully crafted for tomorrow. She’s still fighting A Different War.
Singer-songwriter Loretta Hagen will open the evening. Described as playing ‘heart driven, soul filling, Folk Americana‘, she has 4 critically acclaimed CDs to her credit. Loretta’s rich alto voice and strong songwriting skills have led her to win many awards, including a Jersey Acoustic Music Awards “Top Female Songwriter of the Year” and a JAM nomination for “Album of the Year”. In every life, there are inevitable times of darkness and of light. Loretta Hagen’s fourth CD “Lucky Stars”, takes the listener on a personal journey through loss, healing, and ultimately the promise of hope. Loretta has performed at premiere venues across the Northeast and Nashville, sharing the stage with Pete Seeger, Roger McGuinn, Sloan Wainwright, Steve Forbert, Richie Havens, Kim Richey and Marshall Crenshaw among many others.
The FREE concert begins at 7PM in Dykstra Park, 22 Woodport Road, Sparta. Bring family and friends, lawn chairs, picnics and masks. Protocols for social distancing and the safety of the public will be strictly enforced. All attendees are asked to stay with their groups. All are asked to wear masks when entering and when walking around for any reason. Each group will be asked to provide contact tracing information. In the case of inclement weather, the show will be held on Saturday August 22nd. Please visit www.spartaarts.org or Sparta Arts @ Facebook for additional information and updates.