Artists
Strange Fruit: The Hip-Hopera: a Beacon of Hope Amidst Racial Tragedy and a Call for Reconciliation
Based on the Ghanaian proverb Sankofa: “In order to go forward, one must go back,” Strange Fruit: The Hip-Hopera confronts America’s painful past steeped in racial prejudice as the first step toward building a better future for racial equality. The short film, originally produced as an award-winning play at Stanford University, explores the revolutionary journey of its female characters; spit-fire Wall Street executive LaShelle Robinson and her enslaved, lynched ancestor Inka, who powerfully collide across time. The short film serves as a proof-of-concept for the goal of producing a much larger feature film in the future. Produced by an emerging film studio launching in the heart of Orange County, House of Deborah Jane Studios (HODJ), the film combines captivating storytelling, hip-hop and musical theater to deliver a timely and compelling message.
“We are blessed and grateful that Ralph Yarl is still alive to tell his story. But in many ways, his treatment was much like the strange fruits of the past. George Floyd. Trayvon Martin. Emmet Till. This is a problem of humanity vs. dehumanization,” says Deborah Jane Burke, President of HODJ. “In this country, Blackness is dehumanized due to entrenched, systemic racism. In order for America to progress as a nation, we must face the strange fruits of our historical past. That is what Strange Fruit: The Hip-Hopera is all about. In order to go forward we must go back. Facing our roots, is the only way to start the process of racial reconciliation.”
The Red Carpet Premiere offers more than just a preview of this groundbreaking film. It also serves as a catalyst for meaningful conversations and collaboration, featuring a thought-provoking panel discussion on racial reconciliation with respected voices in the field; including Santa Ana Council member Johnathan Hernandez, NAACP OC Youth Director Justice Crudup, Independent Hollywood Producer Amy Ann, Minister Les Robinson, and Spectra CEO Ray Adamyk (who is restoring the last stop on Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad through his Unity Day L.A. initiative). The night will be hosted by “A New Thing” Talk Show host, Cyndi Galley.
The event opens with an electrifying “Making of Strange Fruit” Concert that showcases a diverse array of talented artists and behind-the-scenes videos from the film shoot in the cotton fields of Georgia last year. By providing a platform for dialogue and musical performances, the gala not only elevates the voices of those affected by racial injustice but encourages collective action from the community towards global racial reconciliation… starting right in Orange County.
The Red Carpet Gala and Strange Fruit Premiere is more than just a single evening of entertainment and dialogue; it marks the beginning of a nationwide movement. Serving as the signature kick-off for a series of events, including a Strange Fruit College Tour, the initiative aims to engage communities across the country in meaningful conversations on racial healing and progress. The ripple effect will spread the powerful message of Strange Fruit, sparking a wave of change and inspiring countless individuals to join the cause.
About House of Deborah Jane Studios:
House of Deborah Jane Studios is a forward-thinking production company dedicated to creating provocative and inspiring content that fosters social change, cultural awareness, and inclusivity. They champion diverse voices that have been historically erased from the screen, and now demand to be seen. The multicultural film studio produces cinema, television, digital and musical stories that make social and spiritual impact — creating a place where art and activism coalesce. For more information on the House of Deborah Jane Studios or Strange Fruit: The Hip-Hopera, please visit www.strangefruithiphopera.com.
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London indie-punk band Song 1 have released a new five-track EP called What The…., following a year of lineup changes and what the band describes as a shift toward sharper, more off-kilter songwriting.
According to the announcement, the record lands following months of roster adjustments that solidified the five-member configuration, and the record is framed as the sound of that lineup settling into place. The band describes the title not as a literal question but as a kind of shrug, an expression of the loose, sideways attitude that runs through the tracklist.
The EP opens with “Feeling Sideways,” which the band positions as the reset point for this new phase, constructed from restless grooves and crooked rhythms, per the band’s description. The focus single, “Crooked,” follows, built around jagged guitar work, live drums and a melodic bassline, with the line “I move crooked but I land just right” serving as the track’s stated thesis.
“Morning Sun” is described as a tonal shift toward something wider and brighter, using imagery like a “paper weight sky” to move from heavier material toward something more lifted. “Not Lost” continues that throughline lyrically, with the band pointing to the line “I’m not lost, I’m just aligned / With the beat that hides between your time” as a statement of purpose. The EP closes with “My Shadow’s Got Its Own Mind,” which the announcement calls a late-night, low-lit close to the record, framing the band’s embrace of unpredictability as a deliberate stance rather than a lack of direction.
Taken together, the band and its team describe What The …. as the clearest statement yet of Song 1’s identity: an alternative indie-punk work anchored in big hooks, live-wire guitars and knowing self-awareness about not fitting a mold.
Studio CarryOnHarry will be watching whether “Crooked” gives the band a genuine breakout moment beyond the EP cycle, since focus singles built around a clear lyrical hook are often where a band either finds a wider audience or doesn’t.
No compass or straight lines required, as the band themselves put it, just an audience willing to turn it up.
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Blues artist Wailin’ Walker has scheduled the September 9, 2026 debut of his album Bluesmen via Jitterbug Records, according to the announcement.
The release comes almost exactly a year after Walker’s last album, Blues Lightnin’, which the announcement states reached the No. 1 spot on Canada’s blues charts within days of its September 2025 release. That back-to-back turnaround is notable for an artist whose catalog has otherwise been built over decades: Walker began his recording career in 1978 alongside The Houserockers and subsequently produced six independent blues records, according to the announcement.
Walker’s earlier records have had international reach. The Devil Made Me Play It, put out under the Amsterdam label Double Trouble Records, topped blues charts in the Netherlands, Spain and Australia, per the announcement. No Regrets and All Fired Up later topped blues charts in the United States and Canada. The announcement also credits Walker as a songwriter for Long John Baldry and Powder Blues, and lists a run as house band at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom for 78 shows, along with a stretch touring with the Jerry Doucette Band from 2006 to 2018. Walker’s music has ranked No. 2 on the Roots Music Report in 2014-2015 and No. 1 in 2024-2025, the announcement states.
Walker has said he was personally mentored by Buddy Guy, Pee Wee Crayton and Otis Rush, and has shared stages with Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and Stevie Ray Vaughan, according to the announcement. Such associations situate Walker within a dwindling cohort of contemporary blues performers who have worked directly with blues music pioneers.
No further details on Bluesmen — including tracklist, personnel or recording location — were included in the announcement.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Walker’s mentorship lineage as perhaps his most significant legacy. In an era when direct connections to blues music’s foundational architects are disappearing, Walker represents a living conduit between generations—trained by Buddy Guy, Pee Wee Crayton, and Otis Rush, figures who shaped the electric blues sound itself. This isn’t merely biographical trivia; it’s cultural preservation. Each album Walker releases carries forward the accumulated knowledge and artistic sensibility of musicians who might otherwise fade into history as names in liner notes. With Bluesmen arriving in 2026, Walker has an opportunity to explicitly honor and transmit what those legends taught him, ensuring their influence doesn’t dilute through abstraction but remains tangible in contemporary recordings. For blues listeners and historians alike, Walker’s work functions as a bridge—proof that the tradition remains vital and evolving, not archived.
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