Photo provided by Zoe Wells
Sunday’s fourth annual Sankofa Concert showcased different talents from all walks of
life.
Sankofa Concert: Fiesta Musical was held at FAMU’s Lee Hall, and it was a joyful and
unique occasion. Presented by the Tallahassee St. Maarten Foundation, the concert
was meant to highlight the island of St. Maarten and Hispanic culture during National
Hispanic Heritage Month.
The concert showcased music, dancing, history and even some theatrical acts
highlighting Hispanic culture worldwide. A band or dancers accompanied most of the
singers.
The concert was hosted by Maria Ortiz and Lili Forbes, who kept the show going with their
humorous dialog and happy spirits.
The concert featured many artists. Ciamara Smith, who the FAMU Jazz Combo
accompanied, performed a beautiful tribute to Tijano music icon Selena Quintanilla.
Smith sang her rendition of “Como La Flor,” earning a standing ovation.
Karlin Yoneli Gil Aguilar sang an exhilarating melody of Celia Cruz’s best songs. Paying
respects to the Cuban singer, Aguilar kept everyone in the audience entertained.
FAMU band students played a significant part in the concert. Many of them
accompanied the singers. Lili Forbes, who also served as the show’s producer, shared
her reasoning for including FAMU band students.
“We wanted to give these students a chance to experience multi-types of music,” said
Forbes. “We want their resumes to be extra long when they graduate from here.”
The Harden Project, a husband and wife duo, headlined the concert. Vocalists JaNia
Harden and keyboardist John Harden II created a smooth soul and jazz experience that
was enjoyable for anyone. FAMU alumni spent the week hosting workshops at FAMU.
Performing an array of soulful music, audience members appeared memorized by how
the duo could feed off each other while singing.
The Harden Project incorporated FAMU’s string ensemble and rhythm section in their
performance. JaNia Harden jokingly explained how they brought it all together with help
from the string ensemble.
“We’ve been working with them this week trying to get them to play all the notes they
don’t like playing,” said Harden. “I appreciate them for stepping out of their comfort
zone.”
The Sankofa Concert ended on a note of appreciation and positivity. The concert
showed the Latin culture of St. Maarten and other surrounding countries. The concert
was a true celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hopefully, FAMU will
continue to host this extraordinary concert.