Saturday October 1, the second of the
three-day Annual African Burial Ground Tribute took place
at the memorial site at Duane & Elk Streets in lower Manhattan.
For the Ancestors reverently interred, it was a beautiful day as
their memory and sacrifice were honored and celebrated above
ground.
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The
Musart Steel Drum Band from Brooklyn |
Of the many artists present to celebrate the lives of the
Ancestors, Brooklyn's Musart Steel Drum Band did so in music on
the steelpan instrument. One of the show's co-ordinators,
Eli Fountain spoke of the
innovations of African people, moving from the story of how the trapset (modern day drumkit) was invented, to Africans deciding
to utilize the drums, discarded by the colonialists, but seized
by Africans for use as musical instruments.
Led by Lyndon Achee, the
youngsters of Musart Steel Drum Band hail from PS 61 and also appeared at last year's
tribute to the Ancestors. Their representation was
relegated strictly to the steelpan at that time.
|
Lyndon Achee on
stage with the Musart Steel Drum Band |
This year the pan contingent of the ensemble was somewhat
smaller, though with more instruments in the mix; they were
joined by additional musicians on trumpet, drums and
keyboard. Leader Lyndon Achee presented a jazzy interlude
after the students performed.
|
Kevin Tarrant
leading prayer session |
Commemorative activities which began after
ten in the morning and continued into the evening
included drumming, ecumenical prayer and music, singing and dancing.
The SilverCloud
Singers |
Those taking part in the ecumenical services included the
intertribal Native American group the
SilverCloud Singers. They actually contributed what
can be described no less than complete homage to the African
Ancestors.
|
Kevin Tarrant's
daughter in flight |
Within two sessions in the early part of the
program, in addition to prayers, attendees witnessed drumming,
songs, and a dance from lead singer Kevin Tarrant's daughter
from the SilverCloud group.
|
Reverend Herbert
Daughtry taking part in the ecumenical services at the
Annual African Burial Ground Tribute |
Reverend Herbert Daughtry from Brooklyn's House of the Lord Church also played a key role
in the ecumenical services. He was introduced by event co-ordinator James
Stovall who himself was Director-Conductor of one of the two
choirs performing.
|
The
African Burial Ground Tribute Chorale |
For
2004 the larger Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble appeared at the
memorial site. This time around, singers from that same
group focused on the current celebration and performed under the
sobriquet - African Burial Ground Tribute Chorale.
They were conducted by James Stovall.
|
Seth Asare, (left) and Kwame Yeboa. (right) |
Further along in the program, libations were
offered by the Ghanaian representatives including Seth Asare and
Kwame Yeboa. The latter took time to explain the
ceremonial aspects of what he was doing as he symbolically
re-dedicated the memorial site.
|
Wesley Snipes (in
white) with family members in tow, including children |
Not
all expected artists/speakers appeared; those listed on the
program but missing from the line-up included Phylicia Rashad,
Taye Diggs, and Wyclef Jean. Arriving with no fanfare and
with his family was actor Wesley Snipes. Preferring to
keep a low profile and before returning to his seat, Preferring
to keep a low profile and before returning to his seat, Snipes
did say that he was there not to speak or to teach, "but to
pay homage and learn."
|
The
African Diasporan Drummers |
Tributes were also forthcoming from others such as the African
Diasporan Drummers, the Eleanor Roosevelt Intermediate School
- IS 143 Concert Choir, the McCollough Invaders from Harlem's
United House of Prayer for All People, the Garifuna Dance
Company, Abada-Capoeira NYC, African fusion world music singer - Kaïssa
from Cameroun, and the Ileana Santamaria Orchestra,
featuring Cuban vocalist Lleana Santamaria, daughter of the late
internationally renowned Cuban drummer Ramón 'Mongo' Santamaria.
|
Lleana Santamaria on stage |
|
|
World music artist Kaïssa |
|
|
The Garifuna Dance Company |
Luz
Soliz, director and choreographer for the Garifuna Dance Company
shared some fascinating history with attendees. The
explanation of the roots of the Garifuna people would have been
eye-opening for many, including the fact that though they are
now geographically from Central America, they were originally
from St. Vincent and The Grenadines in the Caribbean - long before
Christopher Columbus sailed to the "Americas." Soliz
proudly documented that pre-Columbus presence of African peoples in the area
now referred to as the Caribbean, adding that the colonial
powers, including the British, had taken a fancy to St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, which led to the Garifuna's forced
relocation to Central America, where they remain until
today.
|
Junior members of the
McCollough Invaders Brass ensemble hold their own, to
the delight of the crowd |
The two most junior members of the McCollough
Invaders literally stole the hearts of the crowd, as they held
their own with the adults of their band, each in command of his
own trombone.
|
Kaïssa left the stage, and got the
audience - including Howard Dodson - involved |
Members of the audience were wooed into
dancing by both Lleana Santamaria and
Kaïssa. The latter closed
the show, but not before enticing onlookers into a more active
role of spiritual abandonment during her performance, including
chief of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture -
Howard Dodson - and others.