2009 Honored Artist - Aminah Robinson

"My work and life are about Columbus, Ohio, the community, ancestors, and spirits," Robinson claims. Many of her works show scenes of Columbus life past and present, often focusing on Robinson's Near East-side neighborhood, Poindexter Village. The year she was born, her family moved to Poindexter Village, a new housing project that replaced what had been a semi-rural African-American community known as Blackberry Patch. Her family told her stories about the old neighborhood, including colorful local characters like the Chickenfoot Woman and the Crowman, who carried a pet crow on his head. Robinson has woven these figures into her artistic work. Her art is grounded in her belief in the African concept of Sankofa, learning from the past in order to move forward. Aminah was educated at the Columbus Art School (now the Columbus College of Art and Design), Ohio State University, Franklin University, and Bliss College. Aminah has long been considered a community treasure by Columbus Near East Siders. Her murals and works continue to bring joy - visit examples at the Columbus Museum of Art and Downtown Columbus Public Library. Aminah’s work has showcased and opened the Near East Community to the world and Hot Times is happy to honor her this year.

Stop and pay a visit to Aminiah Robinson's website by clicking HERE!

2009 Honored Artist - Deighton Charlemagne

Deighton Charlemagne is a native of the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia. His musical career began in 1982 on the campus of Ohio University with the formation of the highly successful reggae group Identity. He has been a solo steel drum player since 1995. Deighton has performed throughout the U.S. sharing the stage with acts such as The Clash, Sly & Robbie, King Sunny Ade and Third World. He has been a featured artist at the Noche dFormer de San Juan Festival in Puerto Rico and the Winston Music Festival in the Virgin Islands. Deighton’s music was recently featured in an instructional video released by Panyard Inc. called ‘Island Grooves’. As a member of Identity, one of the neighborhood bands that filled the Hot Times stages in the early years, Deighton’s love for Hot Times, and the Community, once led him to save the event (in pre-tent days) by sheltering it within his warehouse during a huge rainstorm. Festival goers may have been soaked but the spirit of the neighborhood was not dampened and the music played on due to the generosity of Deighton Charlemagne. Hot Times is happy to honor Deighton for his extraordinary talent and spirit of community.

Stop and pay a visit to Deighton Charlemagne's website by clicking HERE!

2008 Honored Artist - Jack Marchbanks

Jack Marchbanks was born near Muscle Shoals, Alabama and raised in Dayton during the boom of the southwestern Ohio funk explosion of the 1970s. Marchbanks briefly worked as a songwriter for Solar Records in the early 1980s. By the early 1990s, he found his calling as a historian of African American popular culture and music. He founded the African American Musical Heritage Group, has written, produced and acted in "Jazzy Broadway," an original musical revue, has ten years of experience and accomplishments in writing and producing works for National Public Radio (notable works include award winning scripts for "Kids Sundae," a weekly live theatre children's radio hour), is a partner in Enteje writing collective, an Ohio-based non-profit organization dedicated to educating the world and celebrating the under recognized influence of black creativity on popular culture. Marchbanks has produced many blues and jazz concerts. He has also penned and had broadcast nationally his original commentaries on Morning Edition with Bob Edwards (2000)and on the Tavis Smiley Show (2002). Marchbanks has been such a consistent champion of Ohio's musical greats that he was given the special honor of an exclusive interview with the O’Jays (Canton, Ohio) prior to their 2005 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Most recently Jack has helped to launch the Rahsaan Roland Kirk Scholarship for the Arts; continues to be a regular guest on Jazz Sunday featuring K.C. Jones on 90.5-FM WCBE; and works toward the completion of his second book, a cultural and politcal commentary entitled The Blues Last Born Child.

Jack has lived and been active in the New East Arts Community for many years and is a wonderful choice for this award.

2008 Honored Artist - BHB

Brothers Helping Brothers, or BHB, as he likes to be called, has been a DJ since he was 8 years old. He grew up in the North end of Columbus and went to Mifflin High School, later moving to the East Side. BHB has been teaching dance for over 8 years, first with CapaCity and later with Transit Arts, based from Central Community House on E. Main Street. In 1997, he began working with long time HT Festival favorite, Foley, and most recently played with them at ComFest. BHB is the founder of the Hip Hop Expo and wants to invite everyone to visit the 18th annual event on March 21, 2009, at the Columbus Convention Center. Expect live bands, vendors, dance, competitions with cash prizes, and more. BHB hopes to eventually found his own Art Center where youth can have the opportunity to be in a place where they can explore their creativity and learn how to make a living from their art. BHB is a natural choice for an Honored Artist Award. He has been performing at Hot Times for much of his adult life, has appeared with both S.P.I.R.I.T. and his own groups and hosted dance demos. Check him out at bhb4u.com.