Ali Cultural Arts Center is thrilled to welcome The Melton Mustafa Orchestra to the stunning outdoor covered courtyard venue in Pompano Beach. The orchestra, started by the late Grammy® Award-winning artist Melton Mustafa, is now led by his son, Melton Mustafa, Jr., a renowned saxophone player. The orchestra is the only African American-led 18-piece jazz big band in South Florida. The concert is Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at www.pompanobeacharts.org. Food and beverages will also be on sale.
“We are thrilled to welcome Melton back to the Ali stage,” said Phyllis Korab, Director, Cultural Affairs Department. “He is an extraordinary musician who mesmerizes audiences with his own distinctive style, while also paying homage to his father’s incomparable legacy.”
Melton Mustafa, Jr. is a two-time Grammy®-nominated educator who was recently featured at The Jazz in The Gardens Festival in Miami.
Mustafa Jr. received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Florida A&M University, where he served as leader of the saxophone section and head of the Dance Routine committee for the Legendary Marching “100.” While at FAMU, Mustafa performed with the FAMU “Strikers” at the Apollo Theatre and traveled the world with the Marching “100.” He received a master’s degree in education from FIU and where he is working on his doctoral degree in leadership. Mustafa currently works as Professional Music Educator at Parkway School of the Arts and is an Adjunct Professor at Florida Memorial University
As a director, Mustafa has conducted the “Star Spangled Banner” for the Junior Olympics, directed a show for the Super Bowl entitled “Global Rhythms Local Beat,” served as the Musical Director for the show “From the Porch” featuring Danny Glover, directed the band and choreographed the featured Marching in Master “P” and Little Romeo’s music video, “Two Way”(which was featured on the BET TV Show Access Granted- the making of the video). Mustafa also wrote and received a grant to start a community band at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.
Ali Cultural Arts Center is located at 353 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Pompano Beach
About the City of Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department
The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Ali Cultural Arts Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant awarded to the Pompano Beach Crossroads place-making arts initiative.
