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Marvin & the Experience
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Marvin – born & raised in Cincinnati, performing around the world Marvin Hawkins is a remarkably talented artist/entertainer born and raised in the heart of Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1985-1993 he attended the Cincinnati School for The Creative and Performing Arts and received training in the fields of dance, drama, instrumental music and both classical and musical theatre. Marvin has starred in numerous Off Broadway productions. In 1992 Marvin was selected to do a two-week musical theatre tour of Europe. He was also granted the opportunity to perform with the Cincinnati Summer Opera Company from 1987 to 1992.
Establishing himself as a R&B vocalist, Mr. Hawkins, with the help of his band Nu’ Gruv, served as the opening act for major recording artists such as Usher, Eric Benet, Silk, Ohio Players, Paul Anka, Roberta Flack and a host of others.
Marvin spent 2000-2001 touring the Midwest with a well known regional reggae band (Admiral Walker) as drummer and lead/background vocalist. In the fall of 2001 Mr. Hawkins jumped continents to do a nine month stint in Asia and its Pacific Islands. His credits during this time include major label recordings, a television special with Japanese pop artist Hira Ken, the Korean FIFA World Cup Soccer Team theme song, as well as numerous studio and live performances.
Since returning from Japan in 2001, Marvin has joined in almost every musical style part of Cincinnati’s scene – funk, reggae, hip-hop, rock and roll, r&b, and soul. In addition to Marvin & The Experience, Marvin is the drummer and/or singer with T-Sly Band, Airwave Band, The Syndicate(Ann Arbor, Michigan), Kelly Evans Trio, Whitney Barricklow Band, Iswhat ,Curtis Jackson (Washington,D.C.), Big Whiskey, Kadouz, Selector, Nature Band, Knotty Pines, and Elliott Ruther Trio.
Educated in Cincinnati’s great arts institutions like The School for Creative and Performing Arts and the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music, Marvin’s musical style also pays tribute to some of Cincinnati’s musical icons like the Isley Brothers and James Brown performing a set of Cincinnati-based songs with The Experience. Marvin has even been working on ways to better salute Cincinnati’s King Records’ legacy through Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley’s office (The Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/10/03).
Marvin Hawkins, performing simply as Marvin, is gearing-up for his debut release on The Midwests’ hottest new label, Aktive Audioworks. Marvin’s release will present original funk-hop soul to Cincinnati and the world. Described as "wonderfully inventive" and "lively – really lively" by The Cincinnati Enquirer (12/26/03), Marvin & The Experience’s originals are being performed all over Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
In February of 2004 and 2005 Marvin left for a 5 week long European tour with Bi-Okoto, performing for U.S. troops (The Cincinnati Enquirer, "Bi-Okoto will perform for U.S. troops", 1/25/4) and returned to Cincinnati to complete his Group Hum debut and perform with Billboard chart-topping hip-hop artist Talib Kweli on April 2nd 2004 at The Madison Theater.
After a highly successful show as the main act with Talib Kweli, a show picked as "show of the week" by both weeklies (CityBeat & CiN Weekly), Marvin & The Experience performed by request for Presidential candidate John Kerry on Cincinnati’s riverfront to 4000 people in April of 2004. In 2005 and 2006 Marvin was nominated for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award in the R&B/ Funk category as well as delivering a stellar performance at the awards ceremony. With experience in Japan, Europe, and the United States, Marvin is ready to unleash his sounds not just to the U.S., but to the world.
Marvin – Debut album coming soon… Especially since performing three times during MidPoint Music Festivals 2003-2006 seasons, where The Cincinnati Enquirer singled-out Marvin & The Experience as giving an "outstanding performance" (9/29/03), Marvin’s been hard for his upcoming release.
As a singer/songwriter with a band (The Experience) that includes drums, keyboards, bass, electric guitar back-up singers and the occasional horn section, Marvin will soon complete his debut EP and album of original material.
"Soulman" (The Cincinnati Post, 5/13/4, describing Marvin) "Wonderfully inventive" (The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/26/03, describing Marvin & The Experience) "Outstanding performance" (The Cincinnati Enquirer, on Marvin & The Experience at MidPoint 2003) |