'Homegrown Soul Revue'

Homegrown Soul Revue is a St. Louis-based initiative that gives musicians a way to perform so enthusiasts can support the artists and venues they love.

Spearheaded by soul singer Brian Owens of Life Creative Group and Shelley Dotson, founder of Hurley Creative, Homegrown Soul Revue showcases artists in unique venues that can be viewed at your convenience.

The concert costs $10 and features Brian Owens, Joanna Serenko (NBC’s “The Voice”), The Mighty Pines, Tonina Saputo, Malena Smith, and Russ Mohr's “The Kingdom Sessions.”

Bios

Brian Owens is a singer, songwriter and dedicated community activist whose music is defined by love. It radiates in all of his work, including his duet with five-time Grammy winning and legendary vocalist Michael McDonald on “Soul of Ferguson” and the heartfelt interpretation of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come, filmed and recorded with his father, Thomas Owens. Their powerful performance ignited the internet and has received more than 100 million views on Facebook and his YouTube channel.

As a community advocate, Owens is the founder and executive director of L.I.F.E. Arts Inc (Leadership, Innovation, Faith and Entrepreneurship), a nonprofit that provides artistic resources, opportunities, mentoring and positive experiences to students in underserved communities in Ferguson and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Additionally, Owens serves as the Community Music Artist in Residence with the E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Collaborative at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Joanna Serenko started piano and voice lessons at 6 years old and went on to participate in marching band, show choir and musical theater. After opening for a local musician in high school, Serenko gained traction in her community, winning a citywide talent competition. Although Serenko’s mother is a nurse and would love for her to pursue a job in the medical field, her parents encouraged her musical aspirations and supported her choice to chase her dreams on the 2020 season of NBC’s “The Voice.”

The Mighty Pines continue to grow in stature, creating vast musical landscapes with their layered harmonies and thoughtfully crafted instrumentation. The band generates a palpable vibe on their new album, “Late Last Night.” Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), the album slides effortlessly from roots and folk ballads to rock and soul. It also showcases the band’s growth as songwriters, arrangers, singers and musicians. The Mighty Pines has toured nationally and supported renowned acts such as JJ Grey and Mofro, The Dead South, Parker Millsap, Fruition and Sam Bush.

Tonina Saputo is a singer/songwriter, bassist, music journalist and poet who performs original music, along with arrangements of covers in Spanish, English and Italian. Saputo comes from a family of music lovers who exposed her to many styles from funk to soul and jazz to classical. She was raised in St. Louis with both Black and Sicilian backgrounds, which has given her an unparalleled musical scope that she makes her own. Her sense of rhythm, melody and extraordinary voice and song interpretation make her performances a thrilling experience for listeners.

Malena Smith has been singing since before she can remember. “I think it’s just always been a part of me.” She remembers her parents encouraging her love of music by playing artists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross. She even fell asleep to Luther Vandross cassette tapes as a child. By first grade, Smith knew she wanted to be a singer when she grew up. Constantly stretching herself by joining school choir and trying out for singing competitions, Smith has been pursuing her passion for more than 15 years.