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Schedule

Friday, July 14, 2023
7:30 p.m. Performance

This July, Zeshan B and his band will storm Asia Society Texas with their contemporary update on classic soul music. From Lincoln Center to Bonnaroo to the White House, Chicago native Zeshan B has melded socially-conscious soul with South Asian influences and gospel-inflected touches.

Celebrate Zeshan’s upcoming album Oh Say Can You See with an electrifying show, backed by a full band and special guest gospel singers from right here in Houston. A reception will follow the performance.

This program is presented as part of Asia Society Texas' Muslim Series.

About the Artist

Zeshan B’s breakout album Vetted was released in April 2017 to commercial and critical acclaim with the album debuting at #8 on Billboard's Top 10 Albums (World Music) and peaking at #1 on iTunes’ World Music chart. Additionally, Vetted has received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, NPR, ABC, NBC, PBS, Salon, Democracy Now and the Times of India. Zeshan's hit single from the album “Cryin in the Streets” — his reinterpretation of George Perkins' 1970 classic civil rights anthem — has garnered praise from The New York Times, American Songwriter, and Chicago Tribune.

In August of 2017, Zeshan made his US television debut with a stirring rendition of his hit single, “Crying in the Streets” on CBS’s Late Night w/ Stephen Colbert at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. This was followed by a PBS NewsHour special (“Groovin’ for Change”).

Since then, he continues to be on tour with appearances at iconic venues and festivals such as the Lincoln Center, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest Fest, House of Blues (Boston), Kennedy Center, the Blue Note (NYC), Canadian National Exhibition and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. He has performed for two US Presidents — Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama — with the latter performance taking place at the White House’s historic inaugural Eid Celebration in 2016.

In February of 2020, released his anthemic single, “Brown Power” with a music video featured by NPR. The video included cameos from luminaries such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Dr. Cornel West, Hasan Minhaj, Diane Guerrero and many others. Zeshan has since released his critically acclaimed album, Melismatic in May of 2020 and appeared alongside his wife, Dr. Alexandra Roybal, on MSNBC Morning Joe to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on minorities and musicians. Zeshan B returned to CBS’ Late Show with Stephen Colbert with an at-home performance of “Brown Power” featuring Gina Chavez.

In 2021, Zeshan teamed up with Stephen Colbert, Ben Stiller, Sara Bareilles, and others for a music video of Billy Joel’s classic anthem “New York State of Mind,” featured on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning, NY Times, Colbert Show, and the NY Homecoming Concert.

In 2022 and 2023, Zeshan completed artist residencies both at the Doris Duke Shangri-La Museum in Honolulu and at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Currently, Zeshan maintains residency in both Chicago and New York City. He is excited to premiere his upcoming album entitled Oh Say Can You See. The album (featuring a chamber orchestra) is a joint venture between Zeshan and his friend Preet Bharara, the former US Attorney for New York’s Southern District and host of Vox Media’s award-winning podcast Stay Tuned with Preet.

Website

About the Muslim Series

Through a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes Asia Society’s breadth of programming opportunities, this series explores the artistic talents and stories of American Muslims to inspire our community to better understand one another.For information about sponsoring the Muslim Series and other programs like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry, Director of Development, at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.

Series Sponsors

Eddie Allen and Chinhui Juhn
The Bahalim Family
Shahzad Bashir Family
Tariq and Dr. Uzma Iqbal
Saniah and Hyder Kazimi
Drs. Monira and Azam Kundi
Drs. Basheer and Saleha Khumawala
Shazma and Arshad Matin
Errol Pinto and Nazia Mohammed
Cartha and Nameer Siddiqui | Goldman Sachs
Selma and Mustafa Tameez

Presenting Partners

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.