Is Charlotte ready to party across racial and cultural lines?

Entertainment promoter Michael Kitchen thinks so.

His latest concept, Sol Fusion, is all about cross-cultural mingling. Set to debut on June 27 at Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd., Sol Fusion is billed as an “Intercontinental Lovefest.”

“It’s bringing different people together to party through music, art and everything else,” he told Qcitymetro.com this week.

Sol Fusion began eight years ago in Atlanta and is the brainchild of founder J. Carter, who is a friend of Kitchen’s. As a music promoter, Carter said, he noticed that different ethnic groups in Atlanta were partying to the same music but in different places. He said he wanted to unite the groups under one multicultural event.

In Atlanta, Sol Fusion draws about 85 percent African Americans. The remaining 15 percent are a mix of whites, Asians and Latinos.

When seeking a mixed crowd, Carter said, music is key.

"You're going to hear rock, funk and soul music; it isn't just about hip-hop,” he said. “In Atlanta we'll do a 30-minute set of rock & roll and people dance just as hard. You're not gonna just here Gucci Man and other commercial artist."

Fine for Atlanta, but will Sol Fusion work in the Qcity, were partygoers are fickle and don’t always support new concepts? Charlotte also is a city that scores low on racial trust.

Kitchen and Carter say it will.

Kitchen said it has taken him five years to bring Sol Fusion to Charlotte, in part because he wanted to find the right venue and get Charlotte ready for an event like this. Opening night will be a scaled-down version of the Atlanta experience, he said, because he wants the idea to grow on people.

“It’s a matter of getting people to have an open mind and get out of doing the typical stuff,” he said.

The Charlotte event will feature three DJ’s – Kimet from Atlanta, DR from Charlotte and a third not yet named. It also will showcase artwork from local artists. Partygoers can expect to hear music from artists ranging from Foreigner and Frank Sinatra to Fela Kuti and Rick Ross.

Kitchen said he eventually wants to bring live acts to Sol Fusion in Charlotte.

He predicts that Sol Fusion will have a feel similar to the “Arts, Beats and Lyrics” event held here last month.

“The Atlanta version is a collage of everything, and nobody is tripping,” he said. “You have people from different walks of life who want to enjoy music and do something different.”

Kitchen said he’ll promote the event through word of mouth, Facebook and other media outlets. He's also hoping that the diverse crowd that now frequents Kiss Lounge will support the event and broaden the concept.

Kitchen and Carter said they’re expecting about 500 people on opening night, and if Sol Fusion is successful, they’ll host it every other month.

“If you’ve got rock, soul, hip-hop, disco – basically a mix of everything -- on your iPod, then Sol Fusion is the event for you, “ said Carter.

Tickets are on sale now and available at www.thesolkitchen.com or www.sol-fusion.com.

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