Ravinia 2025 Issue 2

PAVILION 7:00 PM FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2025 THE ROOTS with special guest NAI PALM † Nai Palm –Intermission– The Roots † Ravinia debut NAI PALM A three-time Grammy-nominated singer, song- writer and musician from Australia, Naomi Saal- field—professionally known as Nai Palm—is a self-taught composer, instrumentalist, producer, vocalist, and poet. She has traveled the world many times over as a solo artist as well as with her band Hiatus Kaiyote, formed in Melbourne in 2011. Within months of releasing their debut album Tawk Tomahawk , they were championed by some of R&B and hip-hop’s top tastemakers and icons—Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Jazzy Jeff, Erykah Badu, and Prince. They signed with Salaam Remi’s Flying Buddha imprint on Sony Masterworks in 2013 and earned a Grammy nom- ination for their single “Nakamarra” featuring Q-Tip. Hiatus Kaiyote exceeded expectations with 2015’s Choose Your Weapon , which earned them a second Grammy nomination (“Breathing Underwater”). In 2016 they were sampled for Ander- son .Paak’s album Malibu , and the following year their sound appeared on Drake’s More Life (“Free Smoke”), Kendrick Lamar’s Damn (“Duckworth”), and Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Everything Is Love (“713”). This success set the stage for Nai Palm’s debut solo release, Needle Paw , in 2017. Stripped down to just her guitar playing and vocal arrangements, the album was a self-imposed challenge to not to rely on production to expose her musical ideas in the midst of the sonic ocean of Hiatus Kaiyote and an industry that constantly demanded defense of creative choices. Hiatus Kaiyote released Mood Valiant in 2021, earning a Grammy nomination for the full album and collaborating with Brazilian artist and orchestrator Arthur Verocai on “Red Room,” which was extensively covered by Doja Cat in 2023. Last year, Hiatus Kaiyote released their fourth album, Love Heart Cheat Code ; meanwhile, Saalfield contin- ues to tour as a solo performer. Nai Palm is making her Ravinia debut. THE ROOTS Originating as the duo of rapper and MC Black Thought and drummer Questlove, The Roots became a major underground attraction in their native Philadelphia. As the group expanded, so did its reach, earning an invite to play across Eu- rope. The Roots cut a disc dubbed Organix to sell at these shows, and soon the buzz led to a re- cord deal with the DGC arm of Universal. Their first disc, 1995’s Do You Want More?!!!??! , quick- ly reached a broad audience, and The Roots cracked Billboard ’s top 40 with 1996’s Illadelph Halflife , which included their first top-40 sin- gle, “What They Do,” featuring Raphael Saadiq. Things heated up again with 1999’s Things Fall Apart , the top-five, platinum-selling hit that fea- tured Grammy winner “You Got Me,” co-writ- ten with Jill Scott and featuring Erykah Badu and Eve. Phrenology followed in 2002, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album like its predecessor. A series of jam sessions formed 2004’s The Tipping Point , which featured the Grammy-nominated tracks “Star” and “Don’t Say Nuthin’.” A new deal with Def Jam resulted in the politically conscious albums Game Theory (2006) and Rising Down (2008), both of which were readily embraced. In 2009, The Roots be- came the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s late- night show, but the new, regular gig didn’t eat into their creative energy. How I Got Over (2010) retained the political overtones of the previous records but was more subdued, a reflection of the recent change in leadership. Their collab- orative disc with John Legend, Wake Up! , was similarly motivated, featuring mostly covers of lesser-known classic soul music, including their Grammy-winning rendition of “Hang On In There” by Mike James Kirkland. The Roots then worked with Miami soul legend Betty Wright on Betty Wright: The Movie (2011) and released the concept album Undun , telling a story of (unsuc- cessful) redemption. The pattern repeated with Wise Up Ghost , a duet project with Elvis Costel- lo, arriving in 2013 and the self-destruction con- cept album ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin following in 2014, the same year the followed Fallon to The Tonight Show . Recently, Questlove and Black Thought were executive producers of the acclaimed AMC docu-series Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America . The Roots previously appeared at Ravinia in 2018, 2021, and 2024. RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 75