Contact us at: Website: www.kuumbasingers.org Facebook: Kuumba Singers of Harvard College Instagram and Twitter: @kuumbasingers Email: [email protected]

Eliot Currier House Community House

Congratulates our Congratulates the Kuumba Singers! Kuumba Singers Special recognition goes to Eliot House resident: Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds ‘21 Camryn Turner ‘21 Isaiah Johnson ‘20 Bilal Wurie ‘21 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, Cabot House congratulates the 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 2018 Kuumba Singers! we go.

Semper Cor The Kuumba Singers would like to acknowledge the Dedication 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 Dr. S. Allen Counter was a Harvard Medical School Professor of Jack Megan and the Office for the Arts Neurobiology, Director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Meredith Weenick, Vice President for Campus Services Race Relations, and Faculty Advisor to the Kuumba Singers of Harvard Jason Govostes College. Our annual Christmas Concert has been dedicated in his honor since 2003. Last year Dr. Counter passed away. Kuumba remains forever The Harvard Box Office grateful to the avid love and support Dr. Counter showed us. Without Dr. Dean Katherine O’Dair and the Office of Student Life Counter’s efforts, many of the incredible experiences Kuumba has had the Jatnna Amador and Student Organization Center at Hilles honor of having throughout the years would simply not have happened. The Memorial Church

Ultimately, as we think about Dr. Counter’s life, we are reminded of the Reverend Jonathan L. Walton iconic way he used to talk about the choir when introducing us to Richard Campell audiences at ceremonies and events. He would almost always refer to Myrna Johnston Audio Kuumba as “the gem of Harvard” or “a true Harvard treasure.” As we Juno Gordillo survey Dr. Counter’s distinguished legacy as a world explorer, renowned scholar, trusted advisor, and vocal supporter of black arts, we can’t help Joshua Walker but conclude that Dr. Counter was the real “gem of Harvard.” He was the Christelle Mfundu Ngale

“true Harvard treasure.” Mr. and Mrs. David and Ruth Reid

KuumbAlumni and friends 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 thank our sponsors: Words from the President Hero ($1000 and above) Ms. Yewande Olukemi Fapohunda and Mr. Olushola B. Olorunnipa Good evening Alumni, Family, and Friends, Mr. Jeremiah P. Murphy Meredith Weenick 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 Angel ($500 - $999) 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. Ms. Sara F. Eckhouse Mr. Bryan A. Smith 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 Benefactor ($250 - $499) many cherished and sweet memories have been made. To others, home is Dr. Maleka Iman Donaldson 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 Patron ($100 - $249) 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 Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan how you may be defining home at this moment in your life, there is a sin- Dr. Neal Nathanson gular thread that runs throughout our idiosyncratic definitions of home: Mrs. Constance and Dr. Preston Williams freedom. Ms. Naabia G. Ofosu-Amaah Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to live in multiple places, Mr. William D. Gibbs

which has been a blessing―and an interesting challenge. This frequent Booster ($50 - $99) 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 Dr. Adeline Adwoa Boatin who are rooted in the African Diaspora, this dilemma―this feeling of be- Mr. Alrick S. Edwards and Ms. Melanie D. Napier 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- Ms. Shannon T. Hodge turies. After all, the African Diaspora is, by definition, the product of cen- Mr. C. Anthony Purcell and Ms. Kelley Johnson Purcell turies of violent displacement. Many of our ancestors were taken from Mr. and Mrs. David and Patricia Muehlke their homes―captured and forced to toil on unfamiliar land. Others were forced to flee in the wake of war, genocide, and colonialism. Ms. Tiffany Louise Scott

Dr. Lisa M. Walke and Mrs. Yvonne M. Walke 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 Friend ($1 - $49) home with them―a morsel of their culture, a taste of their tradition, a Ms. Credell L. Coleman whiff of their spirituality. Torn from their family members, they created and cultivated new families with people from different tribes and tradi- Ms. Linda B. Fields tions. And many of them came to find solace and strength in the story of Ms. Gloria Denise Henderson a baby refugee who was born into a world that had no home for him. Dr. Clara Y. Jones 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 The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College 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. BAND DANCERS Ephron Durand - Bass Kaelyn Brown Thus, it is in the spirit of this sacred tradition that we invite you to join us Andrew Innocent - Keyboard Peyton Dunham Isaiah Johnson - Percussion as we search for our freedom―which is true home―through song, dance, Ayanna Dunmore and spoken word. May you leave this concert more inspired and deter- Willie Jones Jr. - Piano Freddie MacBruce - Percussion Amechi Egbunike mined to climb home to your freedom than ever before. James Ramsey - Alto Sax Mila Gauvin

Jamehl T. Taylor - Drums Samirah Joseph With Kuumblove, Francesca Noelette AudreyStephannie Maghiro, Class of 2019 CHOREOGRAPHERS President of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College Pamela Nwakanma Pamela Nwakanma Nwanneka Okolo Chinaza Ochi Antonia Scott

Jade Woods

Leadership 2018-2019

Sheldon K.X. Reid ‘96, GSE ‘98 AudreyStephannie Maghiro ‘19 Director President

Ayanna Dunmore ‘19 Isaiah Johnson ‘20 Vice President Associate Director

Nwanneka Okolo ‘21 Kaelyn Brown ‘21 Treasurer Director of Development

Gabe Wadford ‘21 Priscilla Samey ‘21 Business Manager Director of Publicity

Keturah Gadson ‘21 Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds ‘21 Librarian Recording Secretary

Sergine Cindy Zeufack ‘20 Freddie MacBruce ‘21 Corresponding Secretary Musicians Representative

Camryn Turner ‘21 Antonia Scott ‘20 Tour Manager Black Arts Festival Co-chair The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College

SOPRANO TENOR Lynn Augustin Abel Berhan Catey Boyle Jason Colin Nathalie Dumornay Keturah Gadson Mary McCarty Durickas Isaiah Johnson Jessica Edwards Michael Leonard Zoe Hughes Ije Okereke Shahara C. Jackson Gabriel Wadford Sarah King AudreyStephannie Maghiro BASS Abigail Mariam Ata Amponsah Francesca Noelette Amechi Egbunike Chinaza Ochi Sayo Eweje Alex-Maree Roberts Chandler Floyd Julia Sweeney Daniel Foster Zoë Towler Peter Hartnett Camryn Turner Freddie MacBruce Sergine Cindy Zeufack Christopher Okine James Ramsey ALTO Randy St. Louis Ikeoluwa Adeyemi-Idowu Bilal Wurie Kaelyn Brown Asa Coleman Shanelle Davis READERS Peyton Dunham Ata Amponsah - We Tell The Story Ayanna Dunmore Abel Berhan - Home Tema Fodje Asa Coleman - Canada Mila Gauvin Genesis De Los Santos - Not Neither Sarah Jerome Peyton Dunham - Where Are My Roots Abigail Joseph Amechi Egbunike - West Wind Amanda Lee Lauren Fields - What Child is This Carly McIntosh (Saturday) Pamela Nwakanma Samantha O’Sullivan - We Tell The Story Sam O’Sullivan Cory Ransom - Canada Nwanneka Okolo Aba Sam - Africa Aba Sam Arin Stowman - A Home Like His First Priscilla Samey Home Antonia Scott Zoë Towler - What Child is This (Friday) Taylor Shirtliff-Hinds Bilal Wurie - Sura Maida, verse 48 Sydney Stewart Arin Stowman Toochi Uradu Jade Woods

Climbing Home to Freedom Climbing Home to Freedom Translations SONGS Betelehemu (Bethlehem) Anthem of Praise - Richard Smallwood [Yoruba] Betelehemu - Via Olatunji and Wendell Whalum, arr. Barrington Brooks Awa yio ri Baba gbojule We are glad that we have a Father to trust. Awa yio ri Baba fehinti We are glad that we have a Father to rely upon Climbing Higher Mountains - Aretha Franklin** Nibo labi Jesu Where was Jesus born? Do You See What I See - arr. skxr* Nibo labe bi i Where was He born? Betelehemu, ilu ara Bethlehem, the city of wonder. Freedom - Beyoncé, arr. skxr* Nibe labi Baba o daju That is where Father was born

Have You Heard About the Baby - Shelton Becton Iyin, iyin, iyin nifun o Praise, praise, praise be to Him.

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free - Billy Taylor, arr. Gabe Fox-Peck Adupe fun o, adupe fun o, adupe We thank thee, we thank Thee, we fun ojo oni thank Thee for this day, I’m Gonna Sing ‘Til The Spirit Moves In My Heart - Moses Hogan Baba oloreo Gracious Father. Praise, praise, praise be to Thee, Imela - Nathaniel Bassey Iyin, iyin, iyin fun o Baba anu Baba toda wasi Merciful Father.

Rescue - Keith Lancaster (skxr*)

Silver and Gold - Kirk Franklin Imela (Thank You) [Igbo] Stranger - Donald Lawrence Voices of Freedom - arr. skxr* Imela, Imela Thank you, thank you Okaka, Onyekeruwa Great and Mighty creator of the world What Child is This - arr. skxr* Imela, Imela Thank you, thank you

Eze m Oh My King

READINGS Onyedikagi? Ekene diri gi Who is like You? All Glory belongs to You Onyene mema He who does good A Home Like His First Home - Melody R. Webb Onyedikagi? Ekene diri gi Who is like You? All Glory belongs to You One nagworia Mighty Healer Sura Maida, verse 48 - The Quran

We Tell the Story - unknown Not Neither [Spanish] What Child is This - Lauren Fields 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) Children of the Diaspora portorra*, pero si (but) portorra too/Pero ni que (But if neither then) what am I?/Y que soy, pero Africa - Segun Rasaki Canada - Priscilla Samey 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- Home - Warsan Shire Where Are My Roots - Keturah Gadson 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

Not Neither - Sandra María Esteves West Wind - Miriam Makeba (Nina Simone) 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)/ *skxr - Sheldon Kirk Xavier Reid Giving blood to the independent star/Daily transfusions into the river of La Sangre Viva (The Living Blood). ** Performed with students from Joseph G. Pyne Arts Magnet School on Friday *portorra is short for Portorriqueña (Puerto Rican)