Emerald City Live, a soulful music cabaret, offers a calm and serene alternative to the typical club scene.
This month’s performance was held on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Moon and celebrated the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
The presentation offered a pleasant atmosphere for mature adults to sit, relax and enjoy the sounds of the live music.
“It’s a nice switch from the usual parties in Tallahassee,” Brandi Garcia, a radio personality for 100.7 The Beat and the event’s mistress of ceremonies, said. “It’s a sit down, bring a date and enjoy good music event.”
The musical selections – featuring performances from the R&B group Chapter, a 10-piece band and other soulful acts – followed the evening’s theme of paying tribute to MLK. An ongoing projector of MLK pictures enhanced the song performances and strengthened the meaning of Angie Stone’s “Brotha” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin On”.
Several FAMU students performed in the event. Rashada Dawan, a 21-year-old senior psychology student from Chicago, performed Toni Braxton’s “Hit the Freeway”. Two dancers complemented the performance: Chrystyn Wright, a junior magazine student from New York City and Giltrecia Head, a 21-year-old senior architecture student from Tallahassee.
Dawan also gave a believable and expressive performance of Vivian Green’s “Emotional Roller coaster”. Other performances included Toyette Eubanks, a 26-year-old public relations student from West Palm Beach, who gave a vocally ranged version of Deniece Williams’ “Black Butterfly.” Head accompanied her with an intricate modern dance.
The show also included poetry, comedy and a rendition of MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
“It was a good turn out .The audience was supportive and it helped to diversify their musical experience,” Giltrecia Head said. “It was a chance for them to see local talent.”
Emerald City Live will feature their next monthly event on Feb 16. For more information, visit their Web site at www.emeraldcitylive.com
By Khalia Joseph jkhalia@hotmail.com