Kenny Rogers’ songs and other American country music are popular in Africa.
Who knew? Stephanie Shonekan did. The associate professor of ethnomusicology at Columbia College Chicago, spoke about African tastes in music, among other matters, at Sunday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration held at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave.
The free event, attended by approximately 550 people, was the sixth annual MLK Jr. Day program put on by the Music Institute of Chicago. Titled ‘In Tune with the African-American Experience,’ the event featured The Brotherhood Chorale led by Brian Rice and a pre-concert interview between Shonekan and Chicago Tribune senior writer Rick Kogan.
They discussed topics ranging from popular music in Africa to the state of hip-hop and its portrayal in Western media.
Shonekan said she worries about the state of ‘world music’ because many international artists simply copy what they see on MTV. As a result, creativity is dwindling.
‘The music industry is creating a box,’ Shonekan said.
Following the discussion, the 130-member Brotherhood Chorale put on an animated performance with pieces ranging from Handel’s Messiah to Silent Night.
The event also featured a screening of ‘Jazz,’ a film about the development of jazz by blacks in New Orleans during the 1890s.
The event was part of MIC’s annual January Series, which offers lectures, exhibits, films and music pertaining to a chosen theme. The topic of this year’s series,’ American immigration and American cultural identity, came on the heels of the election of President Barack Obama, said MIC’s Director of Performance Activities Fiona Queen.
‘The election of the first African-American president really was a new milestone,’ she said.’I was hearing in conversations that people are searching to discover what American cultural identity is.’
During this year’s series, titled ‘From All Sides: Paving the Way to America’s Cultural Identity,’ MIC will explore topics related to the Oregon Trail, the Lewis and Clark expedition’s interaction with Native Americans and the Chinese role in building the transcontinental railroad.
‘Everybody does Lewis and Clark, but nobody does it from the Native American perspective because sometimes history is just not very nice,’ said Queen of the series’ originality.
One attendee, former Evanston resident Pam Bernas, said she enjoyed the pre-concert lecture.
‘Through shows and public radio, you kind of feel like you know it all,’ Bernas said. ‘But this was really refreshing and new. Hearing that country music is popular in African was kind of a fun twist.’
Evanston teacher Noel Stewart went primarily to hear The Brotherhood Chorale.
‘I’ve heard them before,’ Stewart said. ‘And they were great. So I thought I’d use this opportunity to come hear them again.’
She added that the pre-concert discussion was a pleasant surprise.
‘You get a little bit of everything,’ Queen said of the January Series. ‘You get lectures, concerts, exhibits and films. It’s kind of like a full-course meal.’ [email protected]
