The Valley Advocate’s September 25th and October 2nd 2008 issues covering the music scene were fairly informative; however, they lacked balance. Absent were the movers and shakers from Springfield’s talented musicians/artists of color. In 2008, Springfield witnessed a phenomenal movement. Black and Latino organizers/artists outdid themselves presenting music, art and theater events from Organix Soul, Hoop City Jazz, Gator Jazz, Teatro Vida and The Stone Soul Festival to Jo Sallins at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2008, to name a few. For the “Advocate” not to include our voices is elitist, lazy, and journalistically irresponsible.

            In order to “advocate” for our entire community, I posed five questions to the who’s who in the Springfield music scene pertaining to the Black and Latino music/art scene, its problems, some solutions, and how we can bring the two communities together. (For complete statements, go to: www.josallins.com.)

 

Walter D. Woodgett

(Gator Jazz Enterprises):

On the Jazz scene, the media and the people do not support local and outside promoters in ways that would encourage future investments into projects such as jazz festivals, small concerts and workshops. One solution would be to create a consortium of interested parties to brainstorm the what, how, when, who and where for JAZZ education workshops, concerts, venues and promotions.

 

John G. Osborn

(Hoop City Jazz, Inc.):

Actually, Springfield has a surprisingly large number of talented artists. Unfortunately, they are insufficiently promoted by the city, its cultural organizations and local promoters. The Latino community, like the Black community, only seems to market “to their own.” As Curtis Mayfield tried to tell us, “Beautiful brother of mine, whatever may be your birth sign, we are not of the same seed, although we are both the same breed!”

 

D. Moss (Poet):

We can’t begin to discuss Black music and art in Springfield without mentioning the Black Church. Black churches give voice to social issues — poverty, gang violence, drug use, relationships and racism. The form of expression (song & sermon) used to deliver those messages still shape the artistic development of promising young artists today, just as it did during the days of Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin….

 

Gina Emanuel-Satchell

(Smooth Stone Dance Consortium):

Some artists…promote themselves and their friends but do not contribute to the community at large, and will not support other artists…. Artists, if you dance, support your fellow dancer, singer, musician, painter, etc. – respect them for the craft they studied and learned.  Blacks and Latinos, we need to remember we have more in common than we think….

 

Heshima Moja

(Musician, Composer,  Teaching Artist):

Rap music and graffiti art provided the framework for social commentary about life for Black and Latino youth in urban America from the late 70’s through the early 90’s.  However, in the mid 90’s…Hip Hop went mainstream…. Now…white youth have become hypnotized by the allure of urban life, much in the same way that white society had a fascination with the taboos of jazz music and hipster culture of the black ghettos … in the 40’s and 50’s… Finally, I think that every family should consider attending at least one live concert event, poetry reading, or art exhibition a month. Think what it would be like if one day there was no music to provide the soundtrack to your life.

 

 ….To be continued