By
Felician Masumbuko
In early April, Buffalo’s local traditional
artists and the Minority Students Organization
presented poetry slam and traditional music in Buffalo
State College’s underground café.
“Art is a gateway to the spirit and the latter will
take you everywhere in life,” said Michael
Hill, director of Buffalo’s Langston
Hughes Institute.
Eric Tyrone Crittenden, a free lance artist
who plays jazz, said, “The personality is
one comic thing I have to be taking care of in this particular
life.”
Crittenden believes that he has to do all he can before
he leaves this life.
According to Hill, art is life and what his group is bringing
through music and poetry is to help enhance life so that
we can be appreciative of our artistic works.
Michael Hill said: “We were invited to provide cultural
café. We have a group of traditional African jembe,
jazz music performers and we have open mike.”
Sadia Austin, a senior broadcasting major at BSC,
said that poetry helps artists to communicate better.
“Art is involved in all of the facets of life,”
said Hill.
Mbaye Rama Viagane, from Senegal
and a teacher of African traditions in
Buffalo’s public schools, said: “I am here as
ambassador of West African music and traditions.
“Music is a therapy, people need to enjoy and feel
happiness. Music for the people and people for the music.”
According to Viagane, traditional drums have a healing power.
“They have a purpose,” he said.
“They are part of a heritage from
ancestors.”
Viagane’s themes are:
Yuko Kajawa, a creative
study graduate student, said that she enjoys the cultural
diversity through poetry.
“I like to hear what other people have to say,”
she said.
Gail V. Wells, director of minority student services
at BSC, said: “Creativity is part of every culture.
The desire to express one’s self is a part of mankind.”
Crittenden said that music is an artistic form of proactive
consciousness, a term he defines as a way of getting ahead
of the game of life.
“My listeners need to go beyond the five senses and
proactive beyond within,” said Crittenden.
Crittenden considers music and poetry as a way of expressing
the soul’s journey.
For more on Crittenden, click here:
http://www.soulystic.com/ |
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