Songs of Freedom tonight
Concert at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Villagehttp://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150730/features/songs-of-freedom-tonightFreedom in Trinidad and Tobago is expressed through our ostentatious Carnival and in the way people will on an evening sit on the Brian Lara Promenade in Port of Spain and have some drinks, while playing all-fours. But the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) is making strides in its efforts to ensure that all Trinbagonians understand and one day fully appreciate and enjoy liberation from mental slavery.
Along with the celebratory events taking place across the islands on Emancipation Day, the ESC has organised a series of interactive events at various venues it has dubbed “Forum on Africa and its Diaspora”. The committee's mission is to transcend cultural awareness to all attendees. The events include a youth steelpan concert and a jazz at sunset and pan night that took place yesterday at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village, set up at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain. Then there is a concert tonight featuring artistes from Trinbago, the Caribbean and West Africa.
Joanne Briggs, a consultant at Colthrust PR Ltd, which is working with the ESC to produce the events believes the concerts will minify a subservient mindset within the Caribbean community.
“The aim of the youth pan concert is to highlight the African heritage as it relates to Trinbago,” said Briggs. “The tamboo bamboo and steelpan came from Africa. Our youth and adults can see the [evolution] of the instruments and they will be more aware of the hardships and diaspora.”
Due to the steelpan's strong African origins, Briggs believes the cacophony of melodies can make residents feel liberated. She adds, “While playing the steelpan, the [orchestra] will also be promoting consciousness of what's happening in Africa. The Caribbean people should feel united.”
Local and foreign
artistes to perform
Tonight's concert titled, “Liberation Songs of Freedom”, at the Village features performances by Jamaican acts Queen Ifrica, Everton Blender and Duane Stephenson. There is Kushite and the Mighty Shadow from here at home and the night's special featured artiste, Awa Sangho from Mali. There will be several other local and foreign artistes also taking the stage for this grand show being presented by the ESC.
Awa Sangho was raised in a community called Dire located in the southern edge of the Sahara in northern Mali, about 70 kilometres south of Timbuktu. This region of West Africa is noted for a diversity of world-class musicians and singers. The influential tinge of this region's sub-cultures shaped Sangho, initially through song and dance as a child, through pursuit of performance in school, and exposure to the radio...where Sangho was often found listening, singing, and discovering what makes each singer's voice distinctive.
As a young girl Sangho moved to Abdijan, the capital of Ivory Coast, where she quickly became immersed in its music and dance scene.
The performance group, L'Ensemble Koteba D'Abidjan, noted for a blend of theatre, music and dance, offered Sangho her first opportunity to perform professionally. Later on Sangho along with two other women formed Les Go De Koteba, a splinter group of the original L'Ensemble Koteba D'Abdijan. Their group focus was on music. They produced and recorded five albums which quickly acquired the group's popularity and the experience of world-wide touring. Many of the compositions on these albums were conceived and written by Sangho.
Sangho's lyrics are socially conscious, often communicating reverence for the people who have touched her life, to controversial habits of culture, to message music directed to the youth. The music percolates with the rhythms and resonance of Africa and with the influence of ears that have world-wide exposure.
Sangho has performed with Salif Keita, Manu Dibango, Amadou and Mariam, Habibe Koite, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Joe Claussell, Marc Cary, Bassekou Kouyate, Ballake Sissoko, Vincent Segal, Oumou Sangare and Daniel Moreno. Sangho is currently living in New York City and is soon to be releasing her first solo album.
Diego Martin resident, Shanae Alleyne who has been attending Emancipation Day events religiously for years said, “Each artiste performing in the [Liberation Songs of Freedom] concert is rooted to Africa. I respect how they're from different places but all share a common theme in their music. You learn more than culture, you learn about life.”
According to statistics from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, approximately 90 per cent of 11,863,000 Africans were abused and shipped to the Caribbean to slave owners during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Seemingly paradoxical, this morning's presentation is called Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Symposium. In spite of its tragic reputation, the ESC wants to highlight the positive contributions Africans have made to the Caribbean.
The celebration will conclude with Kambule around dawn tomorrow followed by a flambeau procession. Patrons will participate in a drum procession where they will hold lit candles and recite aboriginal spirituals.
“Every African who made positive attributes to the Caribbean should be honoured,” said Briggs who ended, “(Caribbean) people will gain a deeper appreciation of their heritage beyond what's shown in Trinidad.”
