Post on 23-Jul-2020
Contact us at:
Website: www.kuumbasingers.org
Facebook: Kuumba Singers of Harvard College
Instagram and Twitter: @kuumbasingers
Email: president@kuumbasingers.org
Currier House
Community
Congratulates our
Kuumba Singers Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds ‘21
Isaiah Johnson ‘20
Bilal Wurie ‘21
Eliot
House
Congratulates the Kuumba Singers!
Special recognition goes to Eliot House resident:
Camryn Turner ‘21
Cabot House congratulates the
2018 Kuumba Singers!
Semper Cor
About Kuumba Founded in 1970, The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College is the oldest Black undergraduate organization on Harvard’s campus. Kuumba was founded during a time when Black students on Harvard’s campus and in the Boston area, were still reeling from the assassination of Dr. King, as well as heightened racial tensions on campus and around the country. Amidst this turmoil, a group of Black students decided to do something revolutionary; they decided to carve out a space for themselves and engage in the radical act of celebrating Blackness. Over 45 years after they made that consequential decision, Kuumba remains committed to being a safe space for black students on Harvard’s campus, and a cultural mecca for all those who desire to celebrate Black creativity and spirituality in all its forms. Kuumba is a Swahili word that means “to create.” We take that to mean doing what we can with what we have to leave a space better than we found it. This mission permeates throughout our actions as a non-audition choir, welcoming community, and artistic space dedicated to celebrating art from across the African Diaspora. We firmly believe that Black art sustains and directs our culture; it reminds us of our past, makes us mindful of the present, and gives us hope and guidance for the future. And we are committed to celebrating and magnifying it wherever we go.
Dedication
Dr. S. Allen Counter was a Harvard Medical School Professor of
Neurobiology, Director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and
Race Relations, and Faculty Advisor to the Kuumba Singers of Harvard
College. Our annual Christmas Concert has been dedicated in his honor
since 2003. Last year Dr. Counter passed away. Kuumba remains forever
grateful to the avid love and support Dr. Counter showed us. Without Dr.
Counter’s efforts, many of the incredible experiences Kuumba has had the
honor of having throughout the years would simply not have happened.
Ultimately, as we think about Dr. Counter’s life, we are reminded of the
iconic way he used to talk about the choir when introducing us to
audiences at ceremonies and events. He would almost always refer to
Kuumba as “the gem of Harvard” or “a true Harvard treasure.” As we
survey Dr. Counter’s distinguished legacy as a world explorer, renowned
scholar, trusted advisor, and vocal supporter of black arts, we can’t help
but conclude that Dr. Counter was the real “gem of Harvard.” He was the
“true Harvard treasure.”
Kuumba is eternally grateful to Dr. Counter and is pleased to present our
48th annual Christmas Concert in his name.
The Kuumba Singers would like to acknowledge the
following for their continued support
The Harvard Foundation
Mr. Robert Winfrey
Mr. Hubert Walters
Reverend Dennis Wiley
Reverend Fred Lucas
David Evans
Professor Ingrid Monson
The Department of African and African American Studies
Center for African Studies
W.E.B. DuBois Institute
Jack Megan and the Office for the Arts
Meredith Weenick, Vice President for Campus Services
Jason Govostes
The Harvard Box Office
Dean Katherine O’Dair and the Office of Student Life
Jatnna Amador and Student Organization Center at Hilles
The Memorial Church
Reverend Jonathan L. Walton
Richard Campell
Myrna Johnston Audio
Juno Gordillo
Joshua Walker
Christelle Mfundu Ngale
Mr. and Mrs. David and Ruth Reid
KuumbAlumni and friends
The Kuumba Singers would like to thank our sponsors:
Hero ($1000 and above)
Ms. Yewande Olukemi Fapohunda and Mr. Olushola B. Olorunnipa
Mr. Jeremiah P. Murphy
Meredith Weenick
Angel ($500 - $999)
Ms. Sara F. Eckhouse
Mr. Bryan A. Smith
Benefactor ($250 - $499)
Dr. Maleka Iman Donaldson
Patron ($100 - $249)
Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan
Dr. Neal Nathanson
Mrs. Constance and Dr. Preston Williams
Ms. Naabia G. Ofosu-Amaah
Mr. William D. Gibbs
Booster ($50 - $99)
Dr. Adeline Adwoa Boatin
Mr. Alrick S. Edwards and Ms. Melanie D. Napier
Ms. Shannon T. Hodge
Mr. C. Anthony Purcell and Ms. Kelley Johnson Purcell
Mr. and Mrs. David and Patricia Muehlke
Ms. Tiffany Louise Scott
Dr. Lisa M. Walke and Mrs. Yvonne M. Walke
Friend ($1 - $49)
Ms. Credell L. Coleman
Ms. Linda B. Fields
Ms. Gloria Denise Henderson
Dr. Clara Y. Jones
Words from the President
Good evening Alumni, Family, and Friends,
When I think of home, I think of the smell of the ocean. I think of laugh-ter and Sunday mornings. I think of my brothers and I imitating our parent’s accent into the wee hours of the night. I think of the fables and stories that were used to teach us morals and life lessons.
The concept of home varies between individuals; no two people’s defini-tions are exactly the same. To some, home is a physical place in which many cherished and sweet memories have been made. To others, home is a group of people―a chosen collection of faces who have laughed and loved and cried with them more times than they can even remember. And then, there are those who have never seen or experienced home. For them, home is a dream not yet experienced; it’s still to come. No matter how you may be defining home at this moment in your life, there is a sin-gular thread that runs throughout our idiosyncratic definitions of home: freedom.
Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to live in multiple places, which has been a blessing―and an interesting challenge. This frequent shifting has forced me to question, define, and redefine what it means to be “home” more times than I have room to share. And for those of us who are rooted in the African Diaspora, this dilemma―this feeling of be-ing both unsure and unsettled―is all-too familiar. What is our home? That’s the question many black people have been forced to grapple with for cen-turies. After all, the African Diaspora is, by definition, the product of cen-turies of violent displacement. Many of our ancestors were taken from their homes―captured and forced to toil on unfamiliar land. Others were forced to flee in the wake of war, genocide, and colonialism.
Regardless of how Black people were separated from their homes, none of them left empty-handed. They were all determined to carry a piece of home with them―a morsel of their culture, a taste of their tradition, a whiff of their spirituality. Torn from their family members, they created and cultivated new families with people from different tribes and tradi-tions. And many of them came to find solace and strength in the story of a baby refugee who was born into a world that had no home for him. Though they still longed to find and return to their true home, they danced and sang and clapped and stomped their feet in order to evoke and approximate a sense of residence. They used music and art to access an
exhilarating and forbidden freedom. Their songs and poems and dances allowed them to lose sight of their present circumstances and imagine, if just for a fleeting few moments, what it felt like to be home again―and free. Thus, it is in the spirit of this sacred tradition that we invite you to join us as we search for our freedom―which is true home―through song, dance, and spoken word. May you leave this concert more inspired and deter-mined to climb home to your freedom than ever before. With Kuumblove, AudreyStephannie Maghiro, Class of 2019 President of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College
Sheldon K.X. Reid ‘96, GSE ‘98
Director
Ayanna Dunmore ‘19 Vice President
Nwanneka Okolo ‘21
Treasurer
Gabe Wadford ‘21 Business Manager
Keturah Gadson ‘21
Librarian
Sergine Cindy Zeufack ‘20 Corresponding Secretary
Camryn Turner ‘21
Tour Manager
AudreyStephannie Maghiro ‘19
President
Isaiah Johnson ‘20 Associate Director
Kaelyn Brown ‘21
Director of Development
Priscilla Samey ‘21 Director of Publicity
Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds ‘21
Recording Secretary
Freddie MacBruce ‘21 Musicians Representative
Antonia Scott ‘20
Black Arts Festival Co-chair
The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College
Leadership 2018-2019
BAND Ephron Durand - Bass
Andrew Innocent - Keyboard Isaiah Johnson - Percussion
Willie Jones Jr. - Piano Freddie MacBruce - Percussion
James Ramsey - Alto Sax Jamehl T. Taylor - Drums
CHOREOGRAPHERS
Pamela Nwakanma
Chinaza Ochi
DANCERS
Kaelyn Brown
Peyton Dunham
Ayanna Dunmore
Amechi Egbunike
Mila Gauvin
Samirah Joseph
Francesca Noelette
Pamela Nwakanma
Nwanneka Okolo
Antonia Scott
Jade Woods
SOPRANO Lynn Augustin
Catey Boyle Nathalie Dumornay
Mary McCarty Durickas Jessica Edwards
Zoe Hughes Shahara C. Jackson
Sarah King AudreyStephannie Maghiro
Abigail Mariam Francesca Noelette
Chinaza Ochi Alex-Maree Roberts
Julia Sweeney Zoë Towler
Camryn Turner Sergine Cindy Zeufack
ALTO
Ikeoluwa Adeyemi-Idowu Kaelyn Brown Asa Coleman
Shanelle Davis Peyton Dunham
Ayanna Dunmore Tema Fodje Mila Gauvin Sarah Jerome Abigail Joseph Amanda Lee
Carly McIntosh Pamela Nwakanma
Sam O’Sullivan Nwanneka Okolo
Aba Sam Priscilla Samey Antonia Scott
Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds Sydney Stewart Arin Stowman Toochi Uradu Jade Woods
TENOR Abel Berhan Jason Colin
Keturah Gadson Isaiah Johnson
Michael Leonard Ije Okereke
Gabriel Wadford
BASS
Ata Amponsah Amechi Egbunike
Sayo Eweje Chandler Floyd Daniel Foster Peter Hartnett
Freddie MacBruce Christopher Okine
James Ramsey Randy St. Louis
Bilal Wurie
READERS Ata Amponsah - We Tell The Story
Abel Berhan - Home Asa Coleman - Canada
Genesis De Los Santos - Not Neither Peyton Dunham - Where Are My Roots
Amechi Egbunike - West Wind Lauren Fields - What Child is This
(Saturday) Samantha O’Sullivan - We Tell The Story
Cory Ransom - Canada Aba Sam - Africa
Arin Stowman - A Home Like His First Home
Zoë Towler - What Child is This (Friday) Bilal Wurie - Sura Maida, verse 48
The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College
Climbing Home to Freedom
SONGS
Anthem of Praise - Richard Smallwood
Betelehemu - Via Olatunji and Wendell Whalum, arr. Barrington Brooks
Climbing Higher Mountains - Aretha Franklin**
Do You See What I See - arr. skxr*
Freedom - Beyoncé, arr. skxr*
Have You Heard About the Baby - Shelton Becton
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free - Billy Taylor, arr. Gabe Fox-Peck
I’m Gonna Sing ‘Til The Spirit Moves In My Heart - Moses Hogan
Imela - Nathaniel Bassey
Rescue - Keith Lancaster (skxr*)
Silver and Gold - Kirk Franklin
Stranger - Donald Lawrence
Voices of Freedom - arr. skxr*
What Child is This - arr. skxr*
READINGS
A Home Like His First Home - Melody R. Webb
Sura Maida, verse 48 - The Quran
We Tell the Story - unknown
What Child is This - Lauren Fields
Children of the Diaspora
*skxr - Sheldon Kirk Xavier Reid
** Performed with students from Joseph G. Pyne Arts Magnet School on Friday
Africa - Segun Rasaki
Home - Warsan Shire
Not Neither - Sandra María Esteves
Canada - Priscilla Samey
Where Are My Roots - Keturah Gadson
West Wind - Miriam Makeba (Nina Simone)
Climbing Home to Freedom Translations
Betelehemu (Bethlehem) [Yoruba]
Imela (Thank You) [Igbo]
Not Neither [Spanish]
Awa yio ri Baba gbojule Awa yio ri Baba fehinti Nibo labi Jesu
We are glad that we have a Father to trust. We are glad that we have a Father to rely upon Where was Jesus born?
Nibo labe bi i Betelehemu, ilu ara Nibe labi Baba o daju Iyin, iyin, iyin nifun o
Where was He born? Bethlehem, the city of wonder. That is where Father was born Praise, praise, praise be to Him.
Adupe fun o, adupe fun o, adupe fun ojo oni Baba oloreo Iyin, iyin, iyin fun o Baba anu Baba toda wasi
We thank thee, we thank Thee, we thank Thee for this day, Gracious Father. Praise, praise, praise be to Thee, Merciful Father.
Imela, Imela Okaka, Onyekeruwa Imela, Imela Eze m Oh Onyedikagi? Ekene diri gi Onyene mema Onyedikagi? Ekene diri gi One nagworia
Thank you, thank you Great and Mighty creator of the world Thank you, thank you My King Who is like You? All Glory belongs to You He who does good Who is like You? All Glory belongs to You Mighty Healer
Being Puertorriqueña Dominicana (Puerto Rican Dominican)/Born in the Bronx, not really
jibara/Not really hablando bien (speaking well)/But yet, not Gringa either/Pero ni (but not even)
portorra*, pero si (but) portorra too/Pero ni que (But if neither then) what am I?/Y que soy, pero
con (And that I am, but with) what voice do my lips move?/ Rhythms of Rosa wood feet dancing
Bomba/Not even here, but here, y (and) Conga/Yet not being, pero soy (but I am), and not real-
ly/Y somos, y cómo somos? (And we are, and how are we?)/Bueno, eso si es algo lindo (Well,
that is something lovely)/Algo muy lindo (Something very lovely)/We defy translation/Ni tengo
nombre (I have no name)/Nameless, we are a whole culture once removed/Lolita alive for twenty
-five years/Ni soy, pero soy Puertorriqueña como ella (I’m not, but I am Puerto Rican like her)/
Giving blood to the independent star/Daily transfusions into the river of La Sangre Viva (The
Living Blood).
*portorra is short for Portorriqueña (Puerto Rican)