How the first-ever I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll festival celebrated the diversity of black music

For over a century, the origins of rock & roll have been disputed by fans, critics and historians alike. The sound derived from the rhythm and blues music of the Nineteen Forties defined a whole generation inside a decade. On Saturday, May 18, 1000’s of people got here to the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis, IN for the inauguration I did a rock’n’roll festival. The event, organized by GANGGANG and Forty5, aimed to focus on the Black influence on the rock genre.

The festival, which featured a range of artists, exuded a positive atmosphere and had an Indian vibe. During I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll, participants could enjoy performances by Inner Peace, Meet Me @ the Altar, Joy Oladokun, Robert Randolph, Gary Clark, Jr. and the evening’s fundamental star, Grammy-nominated musician Janelle Monáe. Monáe, known for her exceptional creativity and artistry, spoke about the pivotal role people of color played in the origins of rock & roll and the way continually pushing boundaries is crucial to its development.

“Our blackness is in the DNA of rock & roll, from gospel to blues to artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard and Jackie Shane,” Monáe tells ESSENCE. “Rock & Roll would not exist without us and we’re continually redefining it. I all the time thought rock and roll was spirit. It’s greater than just wearing a leather jacket or playing the guitar. It’s the spirit of that person. I see it in lots of things and in many individuals and I am honored to represent it.

From the outside looking in, the development of the event seemed smooth, but in point of fact it was years in the making. In times of uncertainty for this country, the impetus for the festival was provided by the isolation of the global crisis. Although the initial idea was born out of a scarcity of connection to the world, I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll evolved into something much larger.

“In 2020, when everything in the world was disconnected from each other – from the race pandemic to the health pandemic – we thought that if everything in 2020 was about what divides people, then art and culture are what divides people connects,” says Alan Bacon, co-founder and president ALGAE. “We really just wanted to understand the power of art. How can we concentrate beauty, equality and culture in this sector, in this genre, within this platform, to activate the creative economy? But at the same time, convey a message that is needed, especially at this moment in time and history.”

accompanied throughout the entire festival. From murals paying homage to Black Rock & Roll to local vendors selling music and themed merchandise, guests were each informed and entertained during their stay at the American Legion Mall. The history of Chuck Berry’s breakthrough album “Sweet Like Sixteen” to Jimi Hendrix’s iconic performance at Woodstock occupied places for everybody to see. This timeline of greatness showed not only what Black people did for rock, but for music as a complete.

“It’s the culture we know today,” says Gary Clark Jr. about the power of black music. “I mean, it influenced the way people play instruments, the way people write songs, the way people dress, the way people talk. It’s in all the things we do. This culture is predicated on what people think is cool, and we’ve been cool for a very long time.

Staying true to its mission of creating equality in the arts, this historic event did just that. “I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll is just another big, visible experiment to show what GANGGANG does, which is to show beauty and truth,” says Melina Bacon, co-founder and executive director of the company. This truth overturned today’s narrow and exclusionary view of rock music and showed the world what the genre really was.

Beyond the festival itself, the beauty of Indianapolis was striking. With dozens of events happening in the area – including the Indy 500 and the Pacers playoff series – travelers from around the world flocked to boutique hotels like Bottling AND Alexander, where they may rest and in addition get a taste of the city. Right next to the former is the Garage Food Hall and Pins Mechanical Co., the perfect place to spend an awesome evening with delicious food and even higher drinks.

While Indy as a complete is an exceptional place, the true soul of the city lies along the legendary Indiana Avenue strip. In the late nineteenth century, this avenue was a bustling, well-known district of theaters, jazz clubs, shops, offices and residences. It also became the home of the Madam C. J. Walker Building, which served as the Walker Company headquarters, in addition to the center of entertainment, business and commerce for the city’s black community from the Nineteen Twenties to the Nineteen Fifties. Now it stands as a testament to African American ingenuity and a logo of the city’s wealthy history.

“The spirit of Indiana Avenue continues to drive us,” explains Melina. “We can integrate our local teams, employ lots of of people, and create jobs for the creative economy in Indianapolis. Indianapolis has an enormous base of creative resources. And it isn’t the typical narrative you hear from or about Indiana.

“And I think in terms of our history, the descendants of those great men of Indiana Avenue are still alive,” he continues. “We are literally still here. So it is not the spirit that is alive and well; so only people alive and well want to continue to push this narrative forward.”