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Keeping an annual concert event fresh can be a struggle, but SJA concert director Dan Chouinard stays vigilant to this task, this time focusing on the talents of a younger generation. “Young, Gifted & Black: Celebrating the MLK Holiday” held during a frigidly cold Sunday evening (1/20) provided an enriching evening of poetry slamming, story telling and uplifting gospel music—old time and vintage soul. Roughly 650 tickets were sold for St. Joan’s 900 seat capacity gymnasium; usually SJA’s annual MLK tribute (this one, their 9th) sells out. Perhaps the sub zero temperatures snagged a few hundred people from coming, instead choosing to stay in the warm comfort of their homes while watching the televised football game. Too bad for the absentees because this concert was the place to be for a cherished memory.
The St. Joan of Arc Choir, under the tight direction of Anna Vagle, SJA concert co-coordinator and Director of Music and Liturgy, launched the evening with the old spiritual “Oh Freedom” with members of Young Hands for Christ, under the direction of Linda Miller, providing sign language.
Actor-singer T Mychael Rambo, returning for his fifth SJA MLK tribute appearance, recited the renowned Martin Luther King, Jr. promissory note speech. “America has defaulted on this promissory note. It came back as insufficient funds,” Rambo eulogized regarding the disastrous state of economy that sadly feels like the same today. Spoken word artist S’sence, a nationally known student from the Twin Cities’ High School for the Performing Arts, joined in while singers Amiee Bryant, Bruce Henry, Tonya and Cameron Hughes and Rambo crooned the familiar hymn “Down By the Riverside” a capella. This stirring stuff evolved beautifully with the interspersing of S’sence rapping about injustice with “Hold On” and “Turn Me Round” while Henry wailed with the spiritual “Sheep (Don’t You Know the Road).”
Bryant continued the momentum with the SJA Choir on Sweet Honey on the Rock’s soulful reworked version of the hymn “Cumbayah” along with Tonya and Cameron, Bruce and T Mychael doing backup vocals. Speaking of T Mychael, he really got the crowd worked up with his cover of The Pointer Sisters 1973 debut hit “Yes We Can Can” accompanied by tonight’s outstanding band that included guitarist sensation Dean MaGraw, percussionist Daryl Boudreaux (who if coaxed will sing a mean bass vocal), bassist Bill Chouinard (yes, Dan’s brother) and mighty host Dan Chouinard, himself on piano. Bryant, Henry, Tonya and Cameron offered soulful backup vocals, too.
Remarking on what we face today in contrast to what MLK speeches were about, Chouinard said, “Anytime is a trying time, but we’re closing schools and building a new wing on the Mall. We need to keep working on justice in all its forms, but we need to celebrate what it is that keeps us together.” Clarifying that statement, he said, “A celebrating form of non-violent resistance is that music that brings us together.”
Chouinard introduced us to the gifted talents of 17 year old Robbinsdale Cooper High School student Cameron Hughes and his mother Tonya. Chouinard asked him at what age he started to sing and he replied, “The day I was born.” His mother recalled at just the age of 9 months old her darling boy mimicked using a microphone by grabbing a plunger. Chouinard mused, “And most use a hair brush.” Cameron and Tanya performed the lovely James Taylor composition “Shed a Little Light” providing gorgeous harmony together. Cameron, an outstanding singer, vocally sings much like in the style of Stevie Wonder. The two were wonderfully accompanied by the band and the SJA Choir.
Poetry slamming is a forum for spoken word artists to perform the written word, a means to express their poetry, often times something powerful about the injustices of the world. Quite prevalent in black culture, it’s quite fitting for a MLK tribute to offer spoken word artists. S’sence, indeed an exceptional one with promising talent, with her friend, singer Chantel Winne, offered an arousing duet of “Amazing Grace” with S’sence rapping about a graceless world that we live in today. An intense and angry rant underpinned by Winne’s soulful vocals. S’sence rapped further about her haunting troubles with “Can You Hear Me?” with phrases like “Turning my passion into a product/Prostitute your poetry outside of this art/Inside my heart/N,ah, I know you hear me.”
Amiee Bryant, a native from Detroit, a singer, theater artist, writer and youth mentor, has been living as a professional artist in the Twin Cities for the past 12 years. She delivered an impassioned performance of her composition “Blood on the Flag,” a light jazzy arrangement nicely played by the band with wordy phrases from Bryant. Most telling were her lyrics “If terrorism is a mystery/You don’t know your history/There’s blood on our hands.” Bryant followed with a song written by Sweet Honey in the Rock, “We Are.” Bryant, accompanied by Boudreaux on conga, particularly shined singing “If we could just look at each other/And see the face of God/Beyond the borders, we are all one.” She concluded with “We are our Grandmother’s prayers/We are the spirit of God.”
Another spoken word artist, Britney Delaney, a recent graduate from the Creative Arts High School in St. Paul, addressed the crowd with a letter she had written to MLK titled “Hey Martin”. Informing him to “Have a walk with me,” Delaney suggests that some of today’s youth sadly are historically unaware where they came from. She concluded with the powerful statement, “That we all need to go to sleep and remember how to dream.” Chouinard impressed with the spoken word performances for the evening, professed, “You know, we’re accustomed to hearing good preaching here. There’s a special kind of spirit here tonight.”
Cameron Hughes returned to the stage to sing a cover of R. Kelly’s 1996 R & B composition “I Believe I Can Fly” with his mother Tonya, Bryant and Henry aiding with assured backup vocals. Cameron had fun toward the end with playful vocal improvising. Henry explored his vast vocal range with “Africa Cries,” where he showcased his impressive falsetto and Dean MaGraw delivered some fine guitar solos. He and the SJA Choir worked up the crowd with festively spirited Caribbean flavored sing along “Ajodun Ajose (Freedom Party)” with a surprise visit from a horn section comprised of Scott Johnson on alto saxophone and Joe Chouinard and Shannon Pierce on trumpets. Rambo furthered the festivities by passing out maracas and tambourines to audience members bringing everyone to their feet for spirited close to a strong Act One finish.
Hospitality of wine and cookies were offered during a 25 minute intermission and Act Two began with the SJA Choir giving it their all with their signature hymn “Total Praise” accompanied by Chouinard on piano and Young Hands for Christ providing engaging sign language. SJA musician vocalist Cyril Paul marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in protest rallies in the 1960s and offered a spirited sing along “I’m On My Way To the Freedom Land” with Boudreaux accompanying on conga.
In speaking about children today, Rambo reminded us, “They may not do what you say, but they do what you do.” He provided a gleeful and fiery performance of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ 1975 hit “Wake Up Everybody” with an excellent accompaniment from the band and Chouinard tinkering plenty of glissandos with his expert piano playing.
Accompanied by the mighty fine horn section of Johnson, Chouinard and Pierce, Henry returned to the stage and got the crowd off their feet while twisting some watusi’s and jumpin’ in rhythm to the 1971 Wilson Picket party anthem “Land of 1000 Dances.” That “Na, na-na-na na, na-na-na, na, na-na, na, na-na, na, na-na-na na” beat infectiously pulsed though out the house.
S’sence lyrically rapped with the bluesy vocal backup of Winne by her side on “Hopeful” while Delaney followed with two of her written word pieces. “It starts within the home and the parents,” she professed as she worked into some riveting cadences that finished with the powerful statement: “The real question is/ Where are the parents at.” Bryant and the band delivered a gently sweet performance of “Tomorrow,” a song about doing God’s work today.
Amiee and Cameron chose a tune that perfectly compliments their bubbly vocal styles, the 1976 Stevie Wonder classic “I Wish.” This ever so funky tune reminisces about the days of one’s youth and shows off impressive playfulness from the band including melodious horns and Bill Chouinard thumping along a righteous groove on bass. Then for the final number, the entire lineup including the SJA Choir joined hands and finished with that 1973 # 1 pop-soul hit from The O’Jays, “Love Train.”
Young, black and gifted artists like Cameron Hughes, S’sence, Chantel Winne and Britney Delaney brought a refreshing and grounded perspective to our annual MLK tribute. They admirably show that the future of our youth can be brilliant and bright beacons of hope that seek justice and unity in the world they live in. With talented mentors like T Mychael Rambo, Bruce Henry, Amiee Bryant and SJA’s never ending thirst for racial equality and eradication of economic oppression, we can continue to live Martin Luther King, Jr. dream of social justice today.
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