The Alumni Singers of St. Pete will present a powerful performance called “Festival of Spirituals” during the upcoming Straz Center’s Arts Legacy REMIX. The “Let Freedom Ring” installment of the REMIX series, which is set for Friday, Jan. 13, seeks to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
BY NICOLE SLAUGHTER GRAHAM, Staff Writer
TAMPA — Introduced with a robust and heart-like drumbeat and narration, the Alumni Singers of St. Pete will present a powerful performance called “Festival of Spirituals” during the upcoming Straz Center’s Arts Legacy REMIX. The “Let Freedom Ring” installment of the REMIX series, which is set for Friday, Jan. 13, seeks to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
Carolyn Hobbs, Alumni Singers
“The performance is a mix of narration, song, spoken word, and dance that will carry us from the time of enslavement through civil rights, Reconstruction and the Jim Crow Era,” said Carolyn Hobbs, one of Alumni Singers’ longest-standing members.
Hobbs said it’s important to understand that the Negro spirituals are not gospel music. Though rooted in God, spirituals came before gospel music and were the beginning of African-American music and the tool that sustained the enslaved. In that way, spirituals set the foundation of African-American life, resilience, struggle, and triumph.
“Spirituals are the beginning. They’re the heartbeat and the true first form of our music in America,” she noted. Gospel, jazz, R&B and even rap music came out of spirituals. What we’re presenting is song and prose celebrating the music of and about the African- American experience with the purpose of preserving and promoting cultural enrichment.”
Hobbs said that performing this particular set during an event dedicated to the legacy and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. feels like a natural and perfect fit.
“This program shows our coming, or rather, how we were brought here, and it depicts how we’ve sustained. Martin Luther King, Jr. is part of all of that. He’s a representation of the fight for justice, liberty, and freedom. He showed us what forward movement looks like. He was representative of what sustaining a prayerful movement looked like.”
Hobbs also notes the significance of the location of the performance. All of the Arts Legacy REMIX events are held at the Straz Center’s Riverwalk Stage with the Hillsborough River as the backdrop.
“Water is such an important and integral part of our journey, so the fact that [it’s] being done on the river has significance.
Enslaved people came across the waters of the Atlantic and, in many cases, gave their lives to the ocean’s depths. Hobbs notes that there’s also hope in the water, particularly in the case of Harriet Tubman, whose struggle and triumph will be a part of the performance.
Performing with Alumni Singers of St. Pete for over 60 years, Hobbs said that music has always held a special place in her life and that it’s a blessing to continue to perform. Now more than ever, the world needs the arts.
“I’m delighted and thrilled that we can bring this back to our community, especially in these times. Our history and culture are so important, and so many people don’t know about it. The richness of the spirituals and the sustaining power in our history is so important.”
Patrons can expect a beautifully curated mix of narration, poetry, and singing, with well-known titles like Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” The performance will end, Hobbs said, with “Oh Freedom.”
“Martin Luther King, Jr. was a dreamer. He dreamed of a world where we could all come together. So, when we sing songs like ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee,’ we are reminded that we are one. This performance really honors Dr. King’s legacy and his dreams, and we end with ‘Oh Freedom’ because, after all, the Negro spirituals gave the dreamer the right to dream.”
Event Info
Straz Center’s Arts Legacy REMIX events are held on the Straz Center’s Riverwalk Stage
Event: Let Freedom Ring
Date: Friday, Jan. 13
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
For more information, visit bit.ly/AlumniSingers
